Why is a cat burying food? The question is rather strange, because such a behavior is observed mainly in dogs. But, as practice shows, some cats or cats try to not only bury their food, but even hide an empty bowl. Such strange pet behavior can greatly alert the owner.
Thanks to this article, you can find out why cats bury food and how to wean them from a bad habit. Although such a phenomenon does not occur so often, it is still not worth turning a blind eye to it, as if it should be so.
Why do cats bury food
There can be many reasons for this behavior. Below is a list of some of them:
- Loved the food very much. If the diet has changed dramatically and the new food is much tastier than the previous one, then the cat will prefer to hide the leftovers the next time. She can scrape linoleum right next to the bowl or move it to another location. On the other hand, if the pet didn’t like the food, then a similar reaction should also be expected.
- Hard memories. When the little kittens are picked up from the street, they need to be given time so that they can adapt to new conditions. As a rule, the former life was not a fairy tale: often had to flee the dogs, look for food and spend the night on cold, or even wet ground. This period of life cannot be simply removed from the head, so some cats may hide their food, fearing that hard times will come back.
- Instincts. According to scientists, only the feline family has preserved ancient instincts. Predators always buried their food so that other animals could not detect them by smell. The same thing happens with domestic cats.
- Lack of food. Perhaps the food in the bowl wasn’t enough for the four-legged one to get enough, and he decided to dig out the food, which had allegedly buried somewhere nearby. After a while, realizing his mistake, the cat will stop scratching the floor.
- Fear of the owner. Often, a plate of food is located near a pot of sand. Having accidentally spilled water, the cat is afraid that the owner will not understand the true origin of the puddle, and therefore will zealously trace its tracks.
There can be many reasons why a cat is burying food. And this list is far from complete.
Breed features
Studies show that cats differ in their individual character and habits. If ordinary street mongrels can be easily picked up and stroked, then with Persian or fold such a number will not work. The same goes for habits. Some kittens almost immediately understand where you can go to the toilet, and where not. But such a strange thing, why a cat bury food, can occur in any pet.
A little kitten, whether it is a thoroughbred or a mixed breed, will soon have its own habits. Most females are very picky about cleanliness. If the bowl of food or linoleum is dirty, then most likely the cat will begin to bury its food. Shaggy digger will not eat from dirty dishes. Most of them may be averse to food.
Eating disorder
In addition to the individual characteristics of the breeds, there is another reason why the cat is burying a bowl of food. In some cases, this happens when the animal does not like the new food. By his actions, the cat shows that she does not like food and does not need to offer it anymore.
As a rule, a cat will start digging up food if the owner has changed it from dry to wet. Also, a new arrangement of the food bowl can provoke this behavior. This mainly happens only among young animals that are used to eating in one place. But sometimes this behavior can signal a serious illness. If for no reason the cat began to bury its food or bowl, then you should consult an experienced veterinarian.
Reflexes
Unconditioned reflexes are skills inherited by the animal. Cats hunt not because they know how, but because they want it from birth. Rumbling, butting hand, stomping - all this refers to the reflexes, thanks to which pets express their feelings.
If you watch a cat for a long time, you can discover a huge list of unconditioned reflexes, such as:
- Hiccups, chewing, sucking. For example, before lying down on a soft pillow, the cat will gently stomp it with its paws, which is also a reflex.
- The pursuit of security.
- Sexual hunt.
- Caring for children. In most cases, a mother cat buries food. She can hide food even in the most unexpected places (for example, behind a heating radiator).
To find out why a cat decided to bury food is very difficult. All that can be done is to follow her behavior and try to guess the cause of the strange actions.
Instincts
According to many experts, only cats were able to preserve the ancient instincts. In other words, it is the cat that is more prone to wild behavior and burying food.
The first reason a cat can bury its food is because of its smell. Ancient predators always hid the remains of food, so as not to attract other animals. When the food lies on the ground for several hours, it will begin to emit an unpleasant odor.
The second reason is to hide food from competitors. A wild cat does not always succeed in catching prey, so she can bury food in order to satisfy her hunger the next time. Domestic cats act in a similar way. If several pets live in the house at once, then it is highly likely that one of them will hide food from the other.
Habits
What is a habit? A habit is a mode of action learned during a certain period of life. As a rule, habits can be good or bad. But why does a cat bury food and what does it mean?
In some cases, this happens when a pet accidentally spills water from a drinker. If the owner sees this, then he will not immediately understand what happened and, most likely, will punish the cat. Therefore, the shaggy digger will try to hide the puddle as quickly as possible, burying it in the floor. If this happened in your home, you can buy a moisture-absorbing mat, and this situation will not happen again.
How to wean a cat to bury food
It happens that a cat too often hides its food, scratching linoleum, spoiling the carpet and throwing food. If the owner is tired of this behavior, then you can apply several practical tips to wean the pet from this behavior:
- Pour food in small portions. If the mustachioed friend eats the whole dinner, then there will be nothing to bury.
- Do not leave an empty bowl of food. After eating, the bowl can be hidden in a cupboard or, in extreme cases, glued or screwed to the floor.
- Distract with a toy. As soon as the cat begins to bury its food, you can give her favorite toy so that she can switch to it.
- Pour food into special bowls that stimulate hunting instincts. Such feeders have an unusual shape and are installed in a remote place.
Finding out why a cat is burying a bowl of food isn't easy. This will require a lot of time and effort. But if you identify the true reason, then you can easily wean a four-legged friend to hide his food.
Conclusion
It turns out that not only dogs can bury food. Such a strange at first glance habit is possessed by many domestic cats. In this article, you can find some interesting reasons explaining this behavior, and a list of recommendations that will help wean a cat to bury its food or bowl of food.
Do not immediately punish a shaggy digger, or even beat him because he has well-developed ancient instincts or bad habits. Of course, this behavior may not go away by itself, so the cat needs our help.