Why does this cat keep scratching the floor around his food bowl?
Sunday, March 7th, 2010 at
1:09 am
I am cat-sitting for a friend of mine and her cat is weird. After he eats a few bites he scratches the floor all around his food and water dishes, causing them to tip over. It’s really annoying. Why is he doing this and is there any way I can prevent him from doing it?
Filed under: Cat Furniture
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Yes, they are trying to bury the food to keep predators from smelling it and stealing dinner. It’s instinctual behavior, so not likely to change easily. I have a plastic dish with places for food and water that is big enough for the cat to be unable to tip it over. I put the water and food in disposable plastic bowls that I put inside the pet dish compartments so that I don’t have to wash the pet dish every day. This has worked well for keeping the food and water dishes clean for the cat and keeping the floor clean for me.
My cats do that as well. They usually don’t knock over the bowls, so I just let them do it.
All the cats I have ever had have done this, I think they are trying to cover up the left over food so that no one else will get it. Kinda like a dog hiding his bones.
It is trying to burry it’s food….. my cat does that too….. can’t change em….. enjoy!
He’s doing it because you havent slapped his ass yet
idk
I think it’s because they’re trying to keep other animals away from their food (even though there may not be any other animals around). Our kittens use to do that. They eventually grew out of it though.
I’m chuckling at this question. Some people believe, myself included, that they are "burying" it so that no other animals will find their "kill." Other people say they don’t like your choice of food. Being cats and being Kookie, I just add it to their list of funny stuff, like sleeping with their heads hanging over the edge of something, or laying on their backs with all four paws out, laying their bellies open to attention. You should try and get water/food dishes that are heavy or the two bowls in one….Chances are he won’t ever stop so it will be up to you to try and make it easier on yourself. Good luck, and try not to be to aggravated with him
Interesting, I thought that mine was the only one to do that. I feel relieved now. However, my theory is that the food was given to him too close to his litter box, so now, when he smells the food, he feels like he needs to cover it, as he would with his poo-poo.
I have a similar yet different theory on this- My cat does the same thing, like he is burying his food, as if he does not like it, like it is not good, like when he burries the little treasures in the litter box. I could be wrong, but thats my take on it.
yes exactly the pets usually dogs,n cats r usual in doing such things. this is becuse they have got the tendency of digging,and they feel that they r digging in and seating themselves comfortable.it is true not only at the time of eating he acts like this even every time u pour water into its bowl the next moment he does the same act.there is no prevention for this but otherwise cats or dogs r habituated to dig in the mud,as they feel cool,and comfortable either.yet please do not get annoyed with that let him enjoy the way he is doing,pls do not stopp giving food or water but if possible try the place where u can find mud where ur pet can play happily.thank you.
Put the dishes in a tray, perhaps the top of a plastic storage box from Target, and get wide bottomed dishes for both food and water. Cats do that instinctively because in the wild they would bury their food to save it for later.
This is a hold-over from the days when all cats were wild. They would cover their food and mark all around it so another animal would not steal their food.
My cat does that too, but she doesn’t tip the bowl over. My guess is they’re just playing or trying to hide their food.