Cat eating less in summer?

[Judystilldreamsofhorses]

Our greedy cat has started to go back and forth to her food in the evening, rather than wolf it all down at once. She clears her morning plate, grazes on dry food, but sometimes leaves bits of dinner. Her behaviour is otherwise completely normal, and she starts campaigning for her dinner about 30 minutes before it’s due. She horses down treats, and bits of ham etc.

Normal? Or cause for concern? I am paranoid because she needed teeth out last year (which wasn’t covered by the insurance and cost a small fortune). I read that cats can eat less in summer, because they need more in winter to keep warm - but if anything I would say she would be burning more calories because she’s out more with light nights and better weather.

Our cat always eats less this time of year. He's out and about so much in the good weather and just shows up around meal times to eat some fresh food. Dry food tends to be left behind for the most part at the moment. He probably also catches the odd mouse and other things that we don't know about. I wouldn't worry about your cat unless she loses a lot of weight or seems unwell.

Perhaps he hunts more in the summer so isn't as hungry?

Ours eat less in summer and become slinky and sleek. They more than make up for it from October to March!!

Yes mine are also eating less.

They eat less because they don't need as many calories to keep warm.

Thank you for all the replies. She does catch mice occasionally but doesn’t eat them - just tosses them around until DP eventually disposed of them!

She absolutely 100% doesn’t seem unwell, and actually had her annual check and jabs just before lockdown. She was a bit fat, tbh, and had to go on a diet - definitely not losing more weight since she reached “goal” as she is being weighed here regularly.(the shame of the vet suggesting she attends their cat Weight Watchers!)

She clears her morning plate, grazes on dry food, but sometimes leaves bits of dinner.

This is exactly what my very happy and healthy cat is doing at the moment.

Thanks @UnaCorda - obviously since I posted this thread she has licked the bowl clean of both last night and tonight’s dinner. Sometimes I think the wet food is a bit dry (and she only ever drinks water if it is in a puddle on top of the wheelie bin) so I put a bit in and mashed it up with a fork which she seemed to like.

A bit of water in, from the tap, not the bin!

Mine eats less because he’s out more and works his way round all the cat houses in the neighbourhood eating their cat food.

Mine eats less because he’s out more and works his way round all the cat houses in the neighbourhood eating their cat food.

Six Dinner Sid

Our elderly cat eats nothing all day when it's hot, just one pouch of food at night. The vet said she's not burning any calories as she just lies in the shade all day long !

@Keeping2ChevronsApart ours is currently racing around the back garden, chasing moths. She spent all afternoon sleeping on the couch, out for a pre-dinner wander, them a little snooze in a box, now real action time. It lashed rain here all day which confined her somewhat.

Here she is, pleased DP got his new laptop today.

Ours used to only eat at night in the hot weather. Amazing considering how much of a greedy guts they all were!

Water fountain solved our cats only drinking ojt the toilet or pond btw OP 😃

Yep, my cat was doing similar in the heat. Hed clear his morning plate at 7am but normally cries for food at 6pm if we havent fed him but he just wasnt bothered in the heat, I wasnt concerned as I'm the same! He grazed on biscuits during the day and at about 10pm he asked for food. Think he just didnt fancy eating in the heat