Eating
Fussy eating
They refuse to eat
A cat will choose to go hungry. Several days without food is not fussiness — it can be an emergency.
Begging
They beg constantly
In a home, food takes no effort and no time. The leftover time and energy comes out as begging.
Multi-pet feeding
They fight over food
Cats do not fight openly. The one quietly pushed out may be going hungry.
Learned food aversion
They suddenly refuse a food they used to eat
When feeling ill gets linked to the food eaten at the time, that food stays refused for a long time.
Stress-related refusal
They stop eating when things change
Moving house or a hospital stay often stops a cat eating. For cats this is a common reaction.
Eating the wrong things
Wool sucking
They suck and eat fabric
Reported more often in Siamese and other Oriental breeds. The leading explanation is that the food lacks enough stimulation.
Pica
They swallow things that aren’t food
Eating things that are not food. Some target one specific material, others eat anything.
Grass eating
They eat grass
Considered normal in both dogs and cats. The actual reason, though, is still unknown.
Mood & aggression
Daily life
Cognitive dysfunction
They howl at night and get lost
Progressive brain ageing. There is no cure, but management protects quality of life.
House soiling
They toilet outside the litter tray
It looks like a training problem, but it is often the result of illness. Getting the order wrong means it never resolves.
Night activity
They are up all night
The idea that cats are nocturnal is not accurate. Their rhythm simply is not that distinct.
General behaviour and nutrition information. It does not replace diagnosis or prescription. Similar behaviour does not always have the same cause, and the cause is not necessarily diet or environment — have a vet rule out illness first, and consult a behaviour specialist where needed.