Food is acquired (foraged for) and frequently stored (hoarded) across animal taxa, including humans, but the physiological mechanisms underlying these behaviors are virtually unknown. We found that peptides that stimulate food intake in rats stimulate food foraging and/or hoarding more than intake by Siberian hamsters. Neuropeptide Y (NPY) is a potent orexigenic peptide that increases food foraging and hoarding (appetitive) and food intake (consummatory). Given that hypothalamic paraventricular nucleus (PVH) or perifornical area (PFA) NPY injections increase food intake by rats, it is possible that they may stimulate food foraging or hoarding by Siberian hamsters. We also tested whether antagonism of the NPY Y1 receptor (Y1-R), the agonism of which stimulates hoarding, would inhibit post food deprivation-induced increases in foraging and hoarding. This was accomplished by injecting one of three doses of NPY or vehicle into the PVH or PFA and measuring these behaviors 1, 2, 4 and 24 h post-injection using a simulated foraging/hoarding housing system. A subset of animals was subsequently food deprived and then given PVH or PFA Y1-R antagonist microinjections before refeeding. NPY PVH microinjections decreased foraging, but increased hoarding and food intake, whereas NPY PFA microinjections increased all three behaviors, but hoarding the most. PVH and PFA Y1-R antagonist injection inhibited post food deprivation-induced increases in hoarding and inhibited foraging when injected into the PFA. These results support the view that NPY is involved in both appetitive and consummatory ingestive behaviors, but each may be controlled by different brain areas and/or NPY receptor subtypes.