Why do cats bury their food bowl

Furry pets, in fact, are excellent predators. But why do they sometimes bury food so intensively? Are they afraid of something?

Sometimes even the most dexterous hunters make mistakes. It is for such a case that the cat makes stocks of food, burying its remains in its den. And she does it so carefully and deeply that other animals do not even smell the food. 

This is also important for the safety of the cat, because in the wild there are many much larger predators, and bright smells can give them away her habitat. These are the main reasons why a cat buries food.

Why does a cat dig at a bowl of food

When a cat buries a bowl of food, it is primarily driven by instincts. But this behavior can have different reasons.

1. Poor quality or tasteless food. If the cat, having sniffed the food in the bowl, does not even touch it, but immediately starts to bury it, then something is wrong with the food. Perhaps it is spoiled or the pet simply does not like it. Many people believe that this is the only reason that makes our pets bury the bowl. But this is rather one of the myths about cats.

2. Too much food. If there is more food in the bowl than the cat needs, she will decide to hide the leftovers for a rainy day. Here the instinct kicks in, and the animal begins to close the bowl with invisible earth.

3. The problem is in the bowl. If the pet refuses to eat any food, perhaps the dishes simply do not suit her. It may be too low or, conversely, too high. Narrow bowls with high edges are also unlikely to please the cat: she will touch the edges of the dishes with whiskers and feel discomfort because of this.

4. Disorder at the eating area. Cats are extremely clean and have an excellent sense of smell. Stale food, a dirty floor near the bowl – all this may not please the graceful beauty, and she will show it by arranging “excavations”. A similar problem, by the way, can be one of the reasons why a cat does not want to drink water from a bowl.

5. Not enough food. If the cat does not systematically eat up, she will try to save food for hungry times and leave it on purpose.

6. Stressful state. Stress can prevent a cat from eating normally, so she will hide it for later.

7. Competition. If several animals live in the house, even friendly with each other, instinct can make the cat hide food from “rivals”.

How to overcome the cat’s habit of burying food

To help the cat get rid of this habit, it is necessary to understand and eliminate the cause of instillation:

• give only high-quality food that suits the pet;
• choose a bowl that suits the cat;
• keep the bowl and the space around it clean;
• try to give your pet food in a timely manner and in the right amount;
• eliminate the causes of stress;
• arrange feeding places for other pets separately from the cat.

Understanding this behavior will help improve your pet’s life. And then you can forget about unnecessary excavations.

See also:

• Feeding multiple cats: setting up a feeder
• Interesting facts about how a cat eats
• How and when to feed an adult cat?
• Choosing food for your kitten