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My kitten eats everything and is always hungry. Is this normal?

Updated On September 23rd, 2025

Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Shorthair | Female | spayed | 1 year and 1 month old | 12.6 lbs

i have a kitten who just turned a year but she has serious eating issues. she eats everything and i mean everything. people food, dog food, cat food, fish food, trash etc. and shes ALWAYS hungry but i feed her a healthy amount of food in the morning and at night, i tried leaving food in the bowl throughout the day but she just eats it all right away and wants more. idk if its possible for cats to have eating disorders but i dont know how to get her to stop eating. shes plump too so not starving

1 Answer

Most Helpful Answer

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Answered By Linda G, MS, DVM

Veterinarian

Published on May 15th, 2020

Hello. This could be a behavioral issue, or possibly a medical one. There are some intestinal disturbances that can cause extreme appetite in cats. If this is behavioral, sometimes using the anti-anxiety medication amitryptiline, can quiet some of these extreme urges. But before getting into tests & possible medications, you might try switching your cat to a canned diet. It has been shown that some cats have a longer satiety response with wet diets. You can still offer hard food, but possibly offering this in puzzles can help. Kitty Kongs & treat balls slowly release food as a cat interacts with the toy. Homemade options like milk cartons & carboard rolls with taped ends & holes punched out to retrieve treats can keep your kitties mind busy. Give this a try & then talk to your veterinarian about other options at your next visit. Thanks for contacting Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach.

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