{"id":603885,"date":"2024-05-22T10:00:48","date_gmt":"2024-05-22T14:00:48","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/?p=603885"},"modified":"2024-05-22T10:02:08","modified_gmt":"2024-05-22T14:02:08","slug":"good-eaters-why-a-cats-big-appetite-can-be-a-problem","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.catster.com\/felines-weekly\/good-eaters-why-a-cats-big-appetite-can-be-a-problem\/","title":{"rendered":"Good Eaters: Why a Cat\u2019s Big Appetite Can Mean a Big Problem"},"content":{"rendered":"

Hi, I\u2019m Dr. Lauren!\u00a0Read my introduction<\/a>\u00a0to learn more about me and my two adventurous cats, Pancake and Tiller.<\/strong><\/p>\n

Pancake may be the queen of eating, but that\u2019s generally always been the case. Cheese, roast chicken, dry food, treats, wet food, you name it. She\u2019s not as bad as some cats I\u2019ve met in my years of feline veterinary work- such as those who steal entire cucumbers or chow loaves of bread from the counter. I\u2019ve even written about one of my favorites in a prior article, who was known to literally cat burgle the neighborhood, stealing bags of instant rice or even slices of pizza from the neighbors (much to the dismay of the husband that got the blame for losing the rice!)<\/p>\n

However, be warned that being a good eater, or having a hearty appetite in a cat, isn\u2019t always a normal thing. Let me explain.<\/p>\n

Grazers vs Scarfers<\/h2>\n

Cats often seem to have developed eating preferences early in life. I tend to see two main types: grazers, and scarfers. Grazers are those that will pick at a bowl of food throughout the day; scarfers are the Pancakes- happy to eat any and everything you offer (and to steal it even when you don\u2019t!).<\/p>\n

Normally, these appetites don\u2019t tend to change much throughout their life. A grazer doesn’t generally become a scarfer, and vice versa. And this is a key piece of information for any cat owner to know.<\/p>\n

\"Pancake
Pancake is always a big eater, though her faster sister Tiller (right) sometimes wins out.<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Changes In Your Cat\u2019s Appetite<\/h2>\n

One of the most frequent questions I ask when taking histories from clients, is how their cat\u2019s appetite is. This is even more important in older cats. I want them to characterize the appetite, and often try to go into detail on the specifics. In turn, I expect people to respond with: it\u2019s good, and maybe share some of the current eating habits of their cat. When they eat, how much, have they been eating the same food for a long time, etc.<\/p>\n

What really piques my interest, however, is when an owner says something like, \u201cHe\u2019s a great eater! There\u2019s nothing wrong with him! Yesterday, he tried to steal the food off my plate, and that was after two extra cans of food for dinner the night before!\u201d<\/p>\n

You see, many diseases in cats can lead to changes in a cat\u2019s appetite. However, what many people don\u2019t know is that disease can cause both a decrease, or an increase in a cat\u2019s appetite. Instead, most people tend to think of disease only leading to a drop in appetite, and poor eating, or becoming very picky about food.<\/p>\n

Conversely, various diseases can also lead to the false observation that a cat has a good appetite, or is eating really well. In these instances, the disease is driving the appearance of a good appetite, but in reality, it can be extremely unhealthy for the cat.<\/p>\n

Conditions That May Cause Increased Appetite in Cats<\/h2>\n

Examples of diseases that can cause increased appetites in cats:<\/p>\n

Conditions That Can Cause Increased Appetite:<\/div>
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