Why cats stop eating — it’s not just fullness

In a series of controlled feeding experiments, cats were given food in six consecutive cycles, each consisting of a 10-minute feeding period followed by a 10-minute interval. The researchers found that when the same food was repeatedly presented, cats gradually reduced their food intake over successive cycles. In contrast, when different foods were presented sequentially, the decrease in intake was significantly attenuated.

In further experiments, the researchers tested whether the decline in intake caused by repeated presentation of the same food could be reversed by introducing a different food. Cats were given the same food for five consecutive trials and a different food in the sixth. Intake decreased significantly from the first to the fifth trial, but increased again when a new food was introduced, regardless of whether it was more or less palatable than the original one.

Remarkably, even without changing the food itself, simply introducing the odor of a different food restored intake. The researchers also found that continuous exposure to the same food odor between feeding cycles led to a further reduction in subsequent food intake. However, this effect was mitigated when a different odor was introduced during the intervals.

“These findings suggest that cats do not stop eating simply because they are full. Rather, their feeding motivation decreases as they become accustomed to the smell of the food, and it can be restored by introducing a new odor. Sensory novelty, especially olfactory novelty, can reactivate feeding motivation in cats,” says Professor Miyazaki.

This study provides the first experimental evidence that odor-dependent habituation and dishabituation may help explain the characteristic pattern of frequent, small meals in domestic cats. Beyond advancing our understanding of feline feeding behavior, the findings may also have practical implications. They could help inform new feeding strategies for cats with reduced appetite, improve nutritional management for aging or sick cats, and support the development of pet foods designed with olfactory variation to help maintain feeding motivation.