How long does it take for a cat to feel full after eating?

[jimmylegs]

You know how dieters are always reminded it takes the brain like 15 minutes to realize you've eaten enough? What is the timing for a cat brain (never?)? One of my cats is kind of a glutton and will wolf down his food so he can run over and steal the next cat's. I was thinking if I fed him separately and kept him separately for the right amount of time, the full-feeling might kick in and he won't want to eat more?

Or am I just kidding myself? Cuz he seems ready to eat like 90% of the time

 

[kittiei]

One of my cats wolfs down her food too. She would eat all day long if she could I think

Probably the best thing would just be to separate them until both cats are finished eating and then take the leftovers away until the next meal

 

[stephanietx]

I have a cat that would eat all day long if we let her and she'd be as big as a barn! She gets plenty to eat, so she's not starving. I think that some kitties who have been deprived of food early on, or at some point in their lives, are more likely to appear hungry all the time. You might try to divert her attention with a toy or playtime, since sometimes what they really want is attention.

 

[jimmylegs]

all of our cats are former street cats so they all have that eat-as-much-as-possible philosophy, so it sounds like i'll just have to limit the food and pick it all up if there are leftovers. I'm still going to have to feed the fat guy separately, he's big but he works fast

 

[ummm]

Sounds like our cat Tallulah! So I'd be watching this thread for other ideas! She has been with us for almost 4 months now and has slowed down a little (we've tried elevating her dish to make her eat slower, and the next thing to try would be to put golf balls into her dish so she has to slow down to eat). I think now she's slowly learning that there will be food so she doesn't have to eat it all within seconds.

But she'd definitely eat all the food if we leave it out!

 

[katkuddler]

Some pets (dogs and cats) with unknown histories may have had to compete with either siblings, or other animals for their food. The "get it while you can" could be attributed to that.

As for how much food will they eat...on one of our adoptions (a German Shepherd), she would eat and gobble frantically. When we had her checked out at the Vet, it was suggested to let her eat what she could in 15-20 minutes. Well, she did quit eating fast and settled down after a day or so with a normal meal.

As for cats, one of ours (Mandy) will eat hers, and go back and finish what the other two left. So, we separate the bowls and deal even portions. It's in trying to keep the weight in control.