Why oh Why do my cats overeat then "purge"?

[Wcross]

(don't know why the image says "illegal code" as it is from my photobucket account)

This is Chairman Meow, he has an exact twin brother named Flea Taxi. They are so much alike I have a hard time telling them apart. Anyways, both of them do that "eat & purge" thing. Sometimes they purge right into the bowl of food.

Has anyone cured their cats of this behavior? I keep a bowl of food out for them at all times. They are at a very healthy weight and very active. Should I only feed them once a day and put the food up? What am I doing wrong?

[MonkeyFunk]

1. Of my three cats

I have one who does this regularly.

Somebody here suggested that rather than feed him from a bowl, I should scatter his kibble on a tray so that he can't scarf it down so quickly.

[racaulk]

2. Cats are the bulimics of the animal kingdom.

I have one cat that does this also, probably two or three times a month. I have no idea why she does this. Of course she's a small cat (about 6 pounds), so maybe she doesn't realize that she can't eat as much as she thinks she can.

If you figure out how to stop your cat from doing this, PLEASE let me know! Cleaning up cat vomit is gross!!! x(

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

3. I once had a cat who did that.

He'd stuff his face, wait a few minutes and hurl. I think that happens when they eat too fast (unless your cats think they're too fat -- horizontal stripes are *not* slimming -- and have become bulimic). Try feeding them smaller amounts at a time, then take the bowl away, see if that works; or give them food they have to chew up so they don't eat so fast.

Good luck. I hate stepping in cat puke.

If all else fails, you could get one of these:

[Maine-ah]

4. the only thing that stopped my cat from doing that

was leaving the food out all the time. He's a grazer. Prefers to snack through out the day. Once I did that, I stopped cleaning up cat puke. I still have to deal with the icky fur balls though...blech...

[Heidi]

5. Ginger's brother is like that.

He has a bottomless stomach and just never knows when to stop eating. He eats fast and he eats a lot, and it's never enough. And he often purges right on my patio (he's my sister-in-law's cat). He was like that when he was nursing, too: he'd drink until he was about to pop and then he'd push the other kittens away and take _their_ nursing place.

Have you talked to Chairman Meow's and Flea Taxi's vet about it? It may not be that you're doing anything wrong at all. :hi: