My cat's bolting his dry food without chewing

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Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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Hi everyone!

I’m new to the forum and would love some advice regarding my cat’s eating habits.

I found this little guy about a month and a half ago; he was a stray, no chip, and after doing some digging, it turns out he’d been abandoned for several months, with a broken femur and a broken tooth... Since my flat is quite small, I wasn’t planning on keeping him, but as the weeks went by, we all bonded—he’s an adorable, playful, and very cuddly boy, about 18 months old.

The thing is, I don’t know much about cats and have loads of questions, especially about his diet.

At first, I let him have as much food as he wanted to help him build his strength back up since he was quite thin. The vet recommended this, and by the second check-up, he’d filled out nicely.

After a month at home (and gaining about 1lb 5oz), the vet told me that cats who have suffered on the streets often find it hard to self-regulate, and he’s already starting to get a bit of a tummy. He advised me to give him dry food several times a day (4 to 5 times when I'm at work and more often when I’m home) while sticking to a fixed daily amount. I’ve been doing this for 10 days now, giving him a slightly larger portion in the morning before work and hiding some biscuits in a treat ball I bought recently. (I’m still giving him a bit more than the packet suggests as I didn't want the change to be too sudden for him).

But here’s the problem: he bolts his food, doesn’t even take the time to chew his biscuits, and bats the ball around until it’s empty. Plus, he miaows every time I walk past the bag of dry food. I feel like he’s constantly starving; he even tries to climb the furniture where the food is kept.

When he had food available all the time, he ate a huge amount (sometimes about 4oz a day!) but at least I could hear him crunching! His bowl is tiny (holds about 2.5oz max) so it’s empty in no time!

What should I do? Go back to free-feeding and risk him becoming overweight? Keep rationing him? Get a bigger bowl? Keep using the treat ball?

He weighed about 10lbs 9oz at his last vet visit and eats Purina One for neutered cats (I’m thinking of switching brands next month).

Thanks in advance for your help! :-)

Hope you all have a lovely day!

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7 answers
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    • R
    Rosemauve Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi @Nousse76, Can you give me an update on your cat, please? Has he managed to start pacing himself yet? I found a sweet little girl who was nothing but skin and bone, definitely abandoned... I found her in a cemetery two weeks ago. I went back several times to feed her and, after some hesitation and because of the cold, I decided to bring her home. She’s been seen by a vet and she isn’t microchipped. I’ve posted an advert on Animal Search UK and spoke to people I met at the cemetery and neighbours living nearby, but nothing. The vet thinks she's about 6 or 7 years old, maybe more. When she was at the cemetery, she’d wolf down the wet food and the dry food in no time at all without even chewing. She’s been here for five days now. I’m soaking her dry food and giving her wet food, but she still scoffs everything instantly... For the moment, I’ve got her in a separate warm room with everything she needs. The problem is that I have another female cat who isn't a big eater; she has Purina Pro Plan dry food for neutered senior cats (I’ve just read in the comments that this food isn't actually that great, despite what I thought). I tried Hill’s Science Plan for neutered seniors, but she wasn’t a fan, and she vomits quite often even though she’s in good health. That’s why I wanted to know if your kitty eventually managed to regulate his eating over time, or if he’s still just as much of a greedy guts. Thanks in advance for your reply. Best regards.
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    Solenneb
    Solenneb Icon representing the flag French
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    You really do need to switch brands! Royal Canin and Pro Plan are best avoided... they contain way too many grains (you should check the ingredients list). I’d recommend grain-free dry food like Orijen, Carnilove or Purizon... and make sure to supplement it with grain-free wet food as well. As for meat, it definitely needs to be fed raw because it loses its vitamins and moisture once cooked... so there’s really no point! Ultimately, when it comes to diet, raw feeding is definitely the best way to go.
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    No worries, that’s what forums are for! Regarding the choice of dry food, I personally give my big lad Nutrivet, along with some grain-free wet food—specifically Animonda Carny and Feringa Menu Duo. He's been on them since April and everything is going great; he’s doing really well on them, with firm stools and a lovely shiny coat. He gets full much faster now compared to before when he was on Pro Plan Light, which was packed with carbs and cereals 😲
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Thanks everyone for such quick replies :-) I’m thinking of switching dry food brands next month (the last two months have been a bit pricey for me with vet bills), but I’m not sure which brand to settle on! I’ve read so many articles about it and I’m totally lost with all the misleading ads and conflicting advice. I was considering switching to Pro Plan as they contain 42% protein (more than Royal Canin or Hill's), but apparently, according to a study, they’re the same quality as Purina One! What do you all feed your cats? I tried wet food, but he had very soft stools afterwards and wasn't feeling himself at all. Then again, it might just be the brand (I used Purina for that too). I sometimes give him little bits of cooked chicken as a treat because he loves it, but I’ve read that cats don’t digest cooked meat properly and that you should give it to them raw... So, in your opinion, should I carry on rationing his food? Or should I go back to free-feeding with a better quality dry food that's lower in carbs? Thanks so much for all your advice! I feel much less alone now!
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    ?
    Anonymous user Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi there, first of all, it’s such a lovely thing you’ve done, rescuing that little furball. As for his obsession with bolting his dry food, it’s perfectly normal—he’s a former stray, so the poor lad is basically just making up for lost time. However, the biscuits you’re currently feeding him really aren’t recommended; they have too many grains and carbs, and nowhere near enough meat for a cat. Since cats are obligate carnivores, their diet needs to be primarily meat-based. You should really steer clear of most dry foods sold in supermarkets, at the vet's, or in high-street pet shops. There are plenty of great grain-free brands made with high-quality meat available on websites like Zooplus or Bitiba—brands like Nutrivet, Purizon, Orijen, or Porta 21 Feline Finest Sensible. With these kinds of biscuits, your cat will actually eat less because he’ll feel full much faster since they’re meat-based. I hope this helps!
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    Teemteem
    Teemteem Icon representing the flag French
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    Hello, Cats with a background like his often suffer from "food insecurity". I’d suggest placing several small bowls in different spots around the house to help ease that feeling of scarcity. Try to choose a high-protein dry food that doesn't contain any meat derivatives (aim for 40% protein). If possible, supplement this with some wet food; because of the water content, it’s less calorie-dense by weight. You could give him this in the evening, for instance. In terms of adjustable treat balls, the Pipolino works really well as you can change the size of the holes to make it more of a challenge. For the wet food, if he's still really eating "too much", you could also boil some courgettes in unsalted water and mash them into a purée to mix in with his food. This adds bulk, and most cats actually quite like courgettes—plus, they're great for their digestion.
    Translated from French
    P
    Pierre maupilier Icon representing the flag French
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    Hi Nousse76, Actually, your cat's behaviour is caused by the carbs in their diet. Specifically, high-glycaemic index carbohydrates that trigger the production of "feel-good" hormones (serotonin, dopamine, noradrenaline, beta-endorphins, etc.). As a result, your cat is now acting like an addict looking for a fix. It's as simple as that. Another factor that might be at play is that carbs cause a big insulin spike, and insulin inhibits leptin (the hormone that makes them feel full). So, carbs also have the effect of increasing the feeling of hunger. There you go 🙂
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