Why is my kitten always obsessed with food?
Kittens can remain relentlessly food obsessed and constantly scavenge for meals despite eating their full recommended portions and getting a clean bill of health from the vet. This leaves owners stressed, constantly worried about potential safety hazards, and unsure how to handle the endless begging.
What the numbers show
Counted from the threads quoted below. How we count
- The most recent one is from October 2026.
- This comes up 13.9× more often in r/cats than across the site as a whole.
What people tried
Every workaround mentioned in the threads below. We haven’t tested any of them — and nobody here is claiming they worked.
Found another way around this?
Share your steps and trade-offs so fellow engineers don't have to reinvent the wheel. No account required.
Why is my kitten always obsessed with food?
- 1buying slow feedersDid this help you?
- 2removing food containers into rooms they are not allowed inDid this help you?
- 3hiding snacks awayDid this help you?
- 4Waiting it outDid this help you?
- 5Monitoring for vomiting or discomfortDid this help you?
- 6Providing plenty of waterDid this help you?
- 7Skipping the next meal or feeding wet food with waterDid this help you?
- 8Using a locked storage box to prevent the cat from gorging on foodDid this help you?
- 9Spacing out existing food portions across multiple smaller feedingsDid this help you?
- 10Adding a small snack or wet food between regular meal timesDid this help you?
- 11Installing toddler locks on food cabinets to prevent scavengingDid this help you?
- 12Locking garbage cans inside cupboardsDid this help you?
- 13Putting child safety locks on every food cupboardDid this help you?
- 14Warning guests never to leave food unattended or take their eyes off their foodDid this help you?
- 15feeding at the higher end of package recommendationsDid this help you?
- 16Providing an all-day buffet style food supplyDid this help you?
- 17Setting up timed feedersDid this help you?
- 18Using a separate free-feed plate in a restricted area for the second catDid this help you?
- 19Dividing meals into multiple smaller portions throughout the dayDid this help you?
- 20Using slow feeder bowls or food dispensing puzzle toysDid this help you?
- 21Storing food and supplies in plastic totes with latchesDid this help you?
- 22Locking away everything remotely edibleDid this help you?
- 23Eating takeout inside the carDid this help you?
- 24Installing child locks on kitchen cabinetsDid this help you?
- 25Using an automatic pet feederDid this help you?
- 26Using a cat wand to provide exercise and stimulationDid this help you?
In their words
Unedited, grouped by where they were said, most upvoted first within each place, each linked to the thread it came from.
“I feed him 1/3 cup of dry food at 5am and 1/3 cup of food at 5pm and I swear this cat acts like he is dying all day long.”source ↗
“It’s gotten to the point he is scavenging left over food from my plate and on the counter.”source ↗
“He won’t stop meowing and is always running over to his food dish like “pleaaaaaseeeee feeed me””source ↗
“This was after an hour of meowing at me, and intentionally misbehaving to get his way. He ate four hours ago.”source ↗
“How come my domestic cat can't go 3 hours without food?”source ↗
“They need an all day buffet or they get a little stroppy.”source ↗
“First of all, feeding them is a daily nightmare. Trying to get the food in the bowl without them knocking the can out of my hand takes some…finesse.”source ↗
“I can not have ANYTHING edible in my house not in a locked cupboard. I can’t have a sealed box of cereal, an unopened bag of chips, food inside a bag inside a box, it doesn’t matter, they will find it and they will destroy it.”source ↗
“If I am eating they will relentlessly try to force their way into my food or try to steal it. One once stole my husbands entire burger from right under his nose.”source ↗
“To the point where we got her an automatic feeder came home from work and it was in the bathtub with the water turned on.....”source ↗
“When we aren't home they will open our cabinets and try to find their treats or even cereal boxes and eat our frosted flakes while my girlfriend and I are at work.”source ↗
“Got my twin kittens about 8 months ago now, and always felt they were gonna be different from my other cats.”source ↗
“They are both incredibly food obsessed. I give them the recommended food for their age and yet they still go around craving more”source ↗
“I'm at my wits end, vets say they're fine and healthy (with the fat one being a lil fat) and they get fleed and wormed routinely.”source ↗
“Im scared something will happen to her, shes only 3.5kg and I dont know what to look out for.”source ↗
“He’s the reason we had to put toddler locks on all our cabinets with food in them.”source ↗
“We are trying to see if free feeding dry food works to give furlicity (1f) a reprieve from her scarcity mindset.”source ↗
“I have a cat (#1) that has a scarcity mindset because there is now a second cat (#2) and #1 was gaining weight. I had to setup a timed feeder for him with a free feed plate for the cat #2 in a place where only cat #2 could get to as he is rather slim given that cat #1 hoards food, covers it up with stuff that has my smell on it, and overeats to the point of vomiting.”source ↗
“My worry with timed feedings is that we have two cats and I'm never sure who's actually eating the food. My guess is mostly the scavenger cat.”source ↗
“this cat gets into the trashcan every single day. i constantly have to pick it up and clean all the trash she left scattered all over the floor.”source ↗
“this cat will sneak up next to me while i'm eating and steal food from my mouth.”source ↗
“i have to eat takeout in my car because if i bring it inside, her life's mission will be to eat it.”source ↗
“8 week old puppy acts like he’s starving despite feeding according to package instructions. Normal?”source ↗
“He will be a big boy, but I don’t know how big. I’m giving him Purina puppy chow and it says for his age and predicted weight he should get between 2/3 cups and 2 cups. I’ve been feeding him two cups.”source ↗
“But he inhales it and will try to steal my older dog’s food.”source ↗
Where this came up
People with this problem also raised
- 13Cat keeps eating string and dental floss
- 3How to feed cats with different diets without expensive microchip feeders?
- 2What can I feed my cats when I have no money?
- 3Cat won't eat new prescription food
- 4How to handle fake emotional support animals in restaurants
- 2Dog keeps choking on kibble even with a slow feeder