Cats who mysteriously stop eating may not be full, but simply bored, a new study suggests. This underlying physiological principle in humans is called olfactory sensory-specific satiety , and it explains why we can stuff ourselves full of pizza, then immediately regain our appetite when we catch a whiff of dessert. Yet this feeding mechanism remains a puzzling phenomenon in felinology , stumping scientists and cat owners alike. "Cats often stop eating before finishing a meal, even after fasting.