hunger and hunting drive

So Gizmo has been bringing live moths to my nightstand for the past three nights. I know, I know, it's cute until you realize he is watching you sleep while holding a dead bug. 🦋

I wrote up the full history and what we tried in my maine coon guards the bowl like a dragon because it got long. Basically, I switched him from free-feeding to two scheduled meals a day. The moth stuff stopped for a week. Then I left the bowl empty for about two hours during a meeting, and the behavior came back instantly.

Does full feeding actually reduce the urge to keep prey, or is that just my bias because I was hungry when I noticed the bowl empty? I feel like his hunting drive is tied to the *anticipation* of the meal, not just the lack of food.

lol the nightstand thing is wild. My Salsa used to do that with fleas, not moths, but same energy. I think it’s more about the reward loop than just hunger. See why do cats bring you dead bugs for the theory on it being a gift vs. teaching you to hunt. If he’s full, why bring you a bug? If he’s hungry, it’s a resource. But if he’s bored? It’s a toy.

Did you try playing with him right before the meal?

Hunger is a driver, but it’s not the only one. In cats, the predatory sequence is often triggered by movement or novelty, not just an empty stomach. If Gizmo is a Maine Coon, he’s a big cat with a high prey drive.

Look at hunting instinct vs full belly. A full stomach might suppress the *need* to hunt for survival, but it doesn’t necessarily stop the *compulsion* to hunt for stimulation. If he’s bringing you prey, he’s likely trying to engage you in the 'bring back the kill' phase of the sequence. You’re part of the hunt.

I had a similar issue with Bella when she was younger. She would catch spiders and drop them on my pillow. I found that reducing the time the food bowl was empty helped, but not as much as I expected.

I started giving her a small portion of wet food at the same time every day, and then a dry food puzzle later. The puzzle kept her busy. I think the 'keeping' is a way for her to hoard resources. If the resource is always available, the hoarding instinct fades. But if there’s a gap, even a short one, the anxiety spikes.

Check feeding schedule for asthmatic cats for ideas on timed feeders, though that was for Bella’s breathing, the timing principle is the same.

@stever66 yeah, the 'you're part of the hunt' thing makes sense. He does stare at me when I’m at the computer. I tried a puzzle feeder yesterday, and he ignored it for an hour, then brought me a moth. So maybe it’s not just the gap in food?

@msimmons the timed feeder idea is good. I might try that. I just don’t want him to start guarding the feeder itself. 🐱