Content
- Why do cats steal food?
- They don't like your cat food
- bad habit
- How to make a cat stop eating my food
Have you ever found your cat climbing the kitchen counter trying to steal a piece of your food? Or, almost climbing the table to steal food from your plate? If the answers are yes, don't worry, because at PeritoAnimal we will explain the possible reasons why your cat steals food from you and how to correct this inappropriate behavior.
Educating a cat from an early age is essential to make your pet understand what it can and cannot do and how it should behave and live with its human family. However, animals often learn unwanted and uncomfortable behaviors for us. Therefore, in this article "my cat steals food from me, why?", you will be able to discover the factors that may have promoted this behavior and you will also discover how to re-educate your cat to stop stealing food.
Why do cats steal food?
Do you have what many people call a "cat thief" at home? There are several cats that take advantage of our carelessness to steal any piece of food that has been left on the kitchen counter. They can also climb directly onto the table when you are eating to order and/or steal food. We know this is a very uncomfortable situation, but why do cats steal food?
To know the answer to this question it is necessary review the behavior of our pet and the habits he acquired with us, his tutors. Perhaps the problem started due to our own attitudes and the stimuli offered to the cat. But what is certain is that this is a behavior that must be stopped and corrected as soon as possible, because it can become a very serious problem if, for example, the cat ingests some food that is toxic to its body.
Next, we review possible reasons why cats steal food.
They don't like your cat food
One of the main reasons cats steal food is the simple fact that they don't like their own kibble or when the wet food they have at their disposal. it is not to their liking or does not satisfy them completely.
Remember that gatox are carnivorous animals, so it is recommended that you give them a feed that mainly contains meat and that is not mixed with other food products such as refined flours, cereals, etc... If you believe that the feed that is giving it to your cat is not the most suitable and you notice that he doesn't like it very much because he always leaves some part in the feeder without eating, ideally you change brands, buy a better quality feed and keep experimenting until you get the best food for your cat, or better yet, you can experiment with making your own homemade cat food.
It's also possible that the kibble or wet food you give him is to your liking, but your cat doesn't eat it because it's gone, that is, it's aged or doesn't have the crunchy consistency of a cat. fresh feed. Cats are very fussy animals and don't eat everything they're given. Therefore, in some cases the solution is very easy: simply serve the amount of daily food that touches you (according to age and body weight) at the right time, and after eating remove the food. That way you won't waste food.
Furthermore, we can also think that our feline does not eat his food not because it is spoiled or because we have not found his favorite ration, but because he likes more than what is on our plate on the table. The truth is, that's not how it is. There's nothing cats like better than the food that is specifically designed for them.
bad habit
Have you found the best food or wet food for your pet and your cat still steals food? So the problem is likely to go further and it's a bad habit you've picked up over time.
It is possible that at some point in your life, the cat climbed onto the table while you were eating and your reaction was to give a small piece of meat or tuna from your plate. At that time started the reinforcement of a bad habit, once the cat understood that it was normal to eat the food off our plate and even more so if we were the ones who offered it. If this situation has been repeated more than once over time, it is very logical for the cat to steal food from the kitchen or the table, because for him it is a learned behavior.
The solution to break the bad habit of this "cat thief" is to create a new one, so pay attention to the tips in the next point.
How to make a cat stop eating my food
The truth is, it's not easy to teach a new habit and even less to cats, who we all know how special they are. Therefore, the ideal is to educate them when they are small because the sooner they learn the better and it is also necessary to have a lot of patience with them. But if your cat is an adult and steals food, don't worry, there's still hope.
- Stop offering food. First, we must be aware and help the cat to eradicate this bad habit, avoiding leaving food unprotected on the table or in the kitchen (including leftovers) and also we shouldn't offer more food from our hand while we are eating.
- Draw your attention. Also, if we ever get distracted and see that the cat is approaching to steal some leftover food that has been forgotten or that comes up on the table with that intention, what we have to do is get his attention by saying "NO" in a firm and calm way. Then, it is necessary to take him away from this place, taking him in his arms and not letting him in until he has hidden all the food and leftovers. That way the cat will gradually understand that it cannot do this.
- Positive reinforcement. Another way the kitten understands that he cannot steal food is to reinforce his behavior when he eats in the feeder. So once he's finished eating (which doesn't mean he's finished eating, but he's finished doing the action) and not before, because it's better not to interrupt them when they're doing something right, we can reward them. him for this good behavior by petting him, playing with him, or giving him some cat treat. Obviously, the food we give you must be healthy and as appetizing as possible for our pet, so the chances of him stealing the food will be less and less.
Now that you are familiar with the actions of a cat thief and know what to do when a cat steals your food, you may be interested in this other article on how to train a cat. Also, in the video below you can see the 7 things people do wrong when caring for cats: