Stray Cat Eating Syndrome

Just this week we brought in a new kitten to our home. Poor little thing had been roaming around the neighborhood with its 3 other siblings and recently other 3 newborn kittens born from one of his siblings. They are like 3 generations feral but I think since their mom left them very young to fend for themselves they got accustomed to people feeding them and learn to trust us again. The kitten momma is being taken care by another neighbor and the boys ran out each one in search of their own human.

This boy seemed to have chosen us, so we brought him in and vaccinated, tested him and neuter him which is part of his initiation ritual to the family lol

My question is, How do I get him to get used to the idea that there will always be plenty of food at its time every day. When he eats he does it like there will be no more and like there's no tomorrow so take it all now. I understand in the outdoor living this is what he got used to, but how long will it take him to get used to it. He even eats my other cats' food. My other stray was like that too, at first, and now she eats only little and leaves for later. She now knows there will always be food in her bowl but this boy even gulps at the food. He's sooo skinny and I want him to gain weight but in a healthy way. Too much of something all of a sudden can't be good, can it!

How do I approach this situation? Do I let him eat as much as he wants or should I restrict portions and meal times. I appreciate any advice from the most experienced cat caregivers! And since he is still a kitten himself (around 9-12 months,) should I feed him more often than my now adult cats. How often and how much?

Poor boo boo.  I think if you feed him a little more often (smaller meals), he will eventually learn he doesn't have to gulp it down.  That will work well, especially if there a way you can do that without your other cats wanting in on the feast.

Thank you for helping him!  I love your initiation ritual!

No, the other ones are fine! They eat a little, leave it and come back for more when they want to. They already know there is always more coming up! My lil' Panther used to be like that at first. Once she ate the whole new bag of kibble when she was like 4 months. She was at my mom's (well, she was the stray who my sister would feed and I would buy the food). After 2 months of buying her food and taking it to my mom's so my sister would feed her I decided to bring her home because one day she came back with a wound on her neck and I was afraid another animal might attack her. We did her initiation and later at Petsmart I found River and brought him as companion for her.

My monochromatic duo has done very well together, but this new boy just doesn't seem to ever get enough. I hope he gets better. I'm worried because he just had surgery 2 days ago and also everything is new for him and I don't want him to get sick.

Thank you for your comment!

I have a formerly starving foster who is still pigging out on my sun porch, so it is a lot easier to feed her separately.  She's doing better with several small meals a day.  But she still occasionally gulps, then throws up.  Slowly but surely, she's learning trust again.

Like your other kitty, your kitten will soon learn that he doesn't have to obsess about food.  I am happy to hear yours are on scheduled feedings.

I free fed for years.  Everyone got too fat, so and we just started scheduled feeding.  You should have seen them the first week.  If I hadn't been aware of how stressed they were, I'd have laughed.  They would do little dances near where the food used to be and cry like they were dying.

They've finally calmed down and thankfully, everyone's losing a little weight.

I used to free feed at first also. My lil' Panther got crazy too when I started feeding them on a schedule. She would gulp and then throw up from eating too fast. Now she eats lil' by lil'.

This poor lil' boy (my son named him Apple Pie, because the lil' thing is so sweet) now has diarrhea. I don't know if it is because his tummy got upset from eating too much and too fast, or, if it is all the changes he's gone thru in the past week? 

I'm not sure of my Ruby's history, but she was brought to the shelter from by someone who found her on the streets, and she definitely has "Stray Cat Eating Syndrome".  I've had her home just over 2 weeks, and though she still eats everything in her dish as soon as I feed her, today she seems a little less obsessive about food.   I've even been able to go into the kitchen and her continue napping, as opposing to her coming into the first kitchen at the first sound she hears, meowing and clambering under my feet like she's hasn't eaten in a month.

Verbally let you cat know that it is going to be taken care of. The more that cats hears in a soothing voice that you promise to care for it. The more it will relax. It is a great idea to feed more often smaller amounts and make them feel special/spoiled. Thanks for being a great Kitty Momma.

You definitely had him dewormed, right?

If so then he should calm down in time, but he may always be a little food phobic , in which case your skinny boy sure won't stay that way!!

Thank you for taking him in, he is one lucky kitty!!

My newest feral used to gulp his food so fast I was sure it was going to come right back out.  I think when they are not used to knowing where there next meal will come from, they eat as fast as possible.  They also may worry that they will have to share with the other cats.  It took Stellar 3 months to finally learn there would always be plenty of food.  I started putting out smaller portions throughout the day.  He now is completely adjusted and trusting and will now only eat some of his food and come back later for the rest. 

Yet, deworming is a great idea too.

Yes, I had all three of them dewormed for all kinds of worms there is treatment for (better make sure). Poor boy is calming down little by little although he still is eating his food and the other cats too!   But his stools are getting better by now.