Hi Laurene,

Thanks for your question.

The symptom you’re describing is called polyphagia. It is seen as an increase in food intake and it is indeed related to a few common medical conditions that cats can get. Hyperthyroidism and Diabetes Mellitus would be the most common causes. Lesser possibilities are digestive issues, parasites, and heart disease to name a few. The common conditions can be diagnosed with blood work and a urinalysis, with the less common conditions being diagnosed with a parasite test and radiographs or an ultrasound. I would strongly recommend you visit your veterinarian to have a few tests done.

It is unlikely but it’s possible it could be behavioural. I don’t recall ever seeing a case of it but in order to determine if it is, you first have to do the testing to rule out all medical conditions.

Good luck and I hope this helps.

Dr. Clayton Greenway