Kittens love to do everything with energy. And for some kittens, this extends to their eating habits as well. These little speed eaters devour every last morsel of food within seconds of it being set down.
As you can imagine, this is not a particularly healthy habit. Fast eating can cause stomach upset or more serious conditions, like aspiration (inhaling food).
Since you can't simply explain to your kitten the good reasons for eating slowly, you must find creative ways to get them to slow down instead. Here are a few feeding hacks you can try to get your kitten to take their time with meals:
- Puzzle toys/feeders. These brainy toys make pets work for their food, releasing a few kibbles at a time as your kitten figures them out. This can also have the added benefit of forcing a little exercise.
- Cupcake pans. Ditch the food bowl and use a cupcake pan! Your kitten will have to dig through each cup of the pan to get all their food.
- Cookie sheets. If the cupcake pan isn't working, try spreading your kitten’s food on a cookie sheet. Cats can't take huge gulps when their food is spread so thin.
- Slow feeder bowl. These bowls come in all kinds of fun and intricate designs, so it will take your kitten more time to root out all the kibbles.
- Hide and seek. Hide a few little bowls of food throughout the house so that your kitten has to go hunting for their food. This will stimulate both their appetite and their mind. We don’t recommend this for anxious kittens who need a routine.
- More frequent meals. If all else fails, feed your kitten smaller meals more frequently so they can only snarf up so much food at a time. If you’re not home enough for this, you can purchase timed feeders to help out.
If at any point your kitten seems inappropriately ravenous, appearing hungry even after being fed, or if they are losing weight, be sure to consult your veterinarian about your pet's eating habits. Excessive hunger can sometimes be a sign of an underlying disease.
Keep up the healthy habits by providing a fun and active lifestyle with play sessions and toys.
