Cats in the wild feed on small prey such as rodents, birds or even lizards. Being small animals, they must hunt and eat several times throughout the day. At home, although we can also offer them rationed food in small portions, it is very common for us to feed them with feed on demand, that is, leaving them free access to it 24 hours a day. Even so, it is not strange that we find cats that eat without chewing, eagerly, and the result is vomiting.
Below, on our site we explain why your cat eats without chewing and how you can feed him to avoid binge eating.
Why is my cat gobbling?
As we move forward, in many homes cats always have feed in their feeder. In others, on the other hand, the food is distributed in several portions. In both cases we can find cats that eagerly throw themselves at food and swallow it without chewing. Some factors may influence this habit, such as the presence of other cats in the home or a state of stress, however, there are different causes:
Changes in your routine
You must always bear in mind that cats are creatures of habit, very sensitive to any change in their routine. This includes major changes, such as moving or adding a new member to the household. All this produces stress, anxiety and nervousness in the animal.
They can also get stressed by small modifications, such as moving their feeder from one place, or even by events that are completely imperceptible to us, for example, the smell of a new air freshener.
Do not separate spaces
In addition, cats need to keep some delimited spaces Thus, they require a space to rest, another to play, and a third to eat and at least one for the sandbox. These different areas have to be well separated. The food cannot be close to the litter tray, of course, but many cats do not like it to be too close to the water bowl. Therefore, although there are factors that can influence the way a cat eats that are difficult for us to control, such as stress, taking care of the layout of the home and routines, they are points on which we can act.
Stress
When a cat eats eagerly and too quickly despite the fact that there has not been, or at least we do not perceive, any change in the home, we should investigate further. He may be subjected to a stressful situation that makes him eat without chewing to do it as quickly as possible If we don't look closely, we might not even notice that he swallows, but I'm sure we did detect one detail, and it's that the cat vomits the feed without chewing shortly after having filled its bowl. That is, he will vomit the food just as he has eaten it a few minutes after swallowing it. He will not appear to manifest any other signs of illness. This way of eating is more common in cats under stress, although some in this situation will directly reject food. These cats, in addition to not chewing, can spend a good part of the day hidden, interacting little with us and with the environment, reacting aggressively, marking with urine, not playing, not self-grooming or doing less, etc.
Coexistence between cats
It is also relatively common to detect this rushed feeding in multi-cat households. It may go unnoticed, but it is possible that someone is preventing the rest from free access to food This means that the affected cat has to take advantage of specific moments to eat. That is why he is forced to do it as quickly as possible, gobbling without chewing to finish before.
How to teach a cat to chew?
Therefore, to encourage our cat to chew, the first thing is to know what is motivating his behavior towards food. It is likely that our first idea is to offer him a smaller amount of feed distributed several times a day, but it is not always the best option. For example, in the case of problems between several cats, rationing can itself be a stress factor. For this reason, the recommendation is to leave food always accessible, but with measures to avoid binge eating. For example, use a larger size food to make it difficult for the cat to swallow it. We can also resort to interactive feeders, especially useful in these cases.
Anti-voracity feeder for cats
The so-called anti-voracity or interactive feeders are those designed so that it is difficult for the cat to access the food In this way, they not only cannot gulp down their ration, but must take time to get their food. Therefore, they can also be considered as excellent elements of environmental enrichment. They are intended to provide stimuli and entertainment to cats to avoid problems that cause frustration and stress.
There are several models of these feeders. The simplest ones consist of a platform with a silicone cover with several holes. The dry food is introduced through them and the cat must access it by putting its legs to remove the balls practically one by one. In this way, it is impossible for it to gobble up the food. Other models are more sophisticated and are arranged vertically, with several ramps through which the cat must drop the feed to consume it in a lower tray. There are also feeders of this type that have a tray on which wet food can be placed. In Catit you will find different models of anti-voracity feeders for cats that will help you prevent your cat from eating without chewing.
Remember that it is recommended to offer the cat, at least, a mixed diet, that is, one that includes dry food and wet food, to guarantee proper hydration. In this sense, also available at Catit, there are anti-voracity feeders for cats designed to be used with dry and wet food at the same time. For example, they have a feeder with smaller holes to distribute dry feed and larger ones for wet food. Likewise, they have a feeder with a hole in the center to introduce the dry feed and get the cat to take it out with its paw and an outer circle to place the wet food. In any case, since cats are not fond of changes, we will always put the new feeder together with the old one while they gradually get used to the novelty little bit. Never force it, since that would be a stress factor, therefore counterproductive.
On the other hand, these types of feeders can usually be used at various levels of difficulty to adapt them to the needs of each cat. They are a good alternative for getting a slow feed while the cat has fun They also prevent us from having to be the ones to feed them the balls one by one a.
Finally, bear in mind that if the cat is gobbling due to stress, other factors in its routine must also be modified. A veterinarian expert in feline behavior or ethologist can give us the necessary guidelines according to our case.
When should I go to the vet if my cat doesn't chew the food?
Sometimes, a cat eating voraciously can be related to some diseases. Likewise, if he frequently vomits both food and white foam or any other substance, is overweight, loses weight, diarrhea or any other symptom or we realize that he swallows but really because our cat has a hard time chewing, we must go to the veterinarian. Problems in the mouth, digestive disorders or endocrine diseases may be behind eating without chewing and vomiting. Professional diagnosis and treatment are essential.
