Content
- the feline instinct
- Why does your cat scratch near the feeder
- Put objects to cover your food because...
- Cat burying food and not eating it again
- The cat not only covers the food, it hides its toys in the drinking fountain
- cat burying food suddenly
Cats are animals that always have a compelling reason for their every action. In this way, if your cat buries the food, make sure this is not an act done for pleasure. Likewise, there are cats that scratch the floor right after eating or place objects on the feeder, why?
In this article by PeritoAnimal we will talk about these issues and help you to understand a little better the behavior of your furry companion, both to offer all the care you need, to improve coexistence and, mainly, your communication. Keep reading and find out why cats bury the food and scratch the ground.
the feline instinct
The cat is an excellent natural survivor and its natural instincts demonstrate this. If our furry companions lived in the wild, they would have a lair or burrow they would use as a home. In it they would eat, sleep and hide their most precious objects because they would consider it a safe place and safe from predators. For this reason, and to ensure that their territory remains a completely safe place, once all the food is swallowed, they would excavate and remove the earth to cover the odor and avoid attracting other animals that could end your life. Likewise, in the case of food left over, they would bury it for the same reason: to eliminate evidence of its passage.
Other behaviors typical of the feline instinct to survive are burying feces, also to eliminate their tracks, urinating to mark their territory, hunting smaller animals, snorting to warn, etc. How many of these behaviors does your cat exhibit? Possibly the majority, and the fact is that felines are animals that have managed to conserve their wild essence very well, despite the species' domestication.
Why does your cat scratch near the feeder
Although cats have lived with humans for decades, the truth is that they still retain some of their most primitive instincts that have helped them so much to survive.As we mentioned in the previous section, one of them is the hide your trail to prevent bigger or more dangerous animals from coming to your lair and devouring them. In this way, some cats tend to scratch the ground right next to the feeder when they finish eating, a fact that leads their human companions to ask themselves: why do they do this?
We came back to the same thing, by pure instinct. In the wild, the feline would dig to disguise its odor and that of the food it just tasted, in order to keep itself safe from predators or other cats willing to take its precious home. Since his furry companion is not wild and has no earth to dig alongside his food, he simulates scratching the ground. Of course, not all cats exhibit this behavior, and if you live with more than one cat, you'll likely notice that one cat does this and the rest don't.
Put objects to cover your food because...
Want to hide the evidence that indicate he was there. As we said, your instinct leads you to protect yourself from predators and, in case there is food left over, it is very likely that you will try to bury it or cover it by placing objects on it. Of course, although we might think they do this to protect the food and finish it again after a while or the next day, nothing further from reality. Your goal is to hide your trail to keep yourself safe, not save the food to eat again. In this way, many cats cover the food and then don't come back to finish it, but wait for their human to exchange it for new food. Therefore, there are also cases of cats that come back and just eat leftovers, but constitute a minority.
Cat burying food and not eating it again
If your furry companion is one of those who no longer eat the leftovers they left hidden and you want to stop this behavior to avoid throwing away so much food, don't worry. You won't be able to eradicate your natural instincts, but you can choose another very effective measure that will allow you to enjoy all your cat's food. Such technique is nothing more than control the amounts of food that you offer your feline, this way you'll get him to eat everything his body needs and not leave any leftovers in the bowl. For this, we suggest that you consult our article on the amount of daily food for cats. Thus, you will also help them find their ideal weight, avoiding the dreaded feline obesity.
The cat not only covers the food, it hides its toys in the drinking fountain
On the other hand, it is also common to see cats that, in addition to burying food scraps, submerge their toys in the water of their drinking fountain and even place them on the empty food bowl. As we mentioned at the beginning of the article, in the wild, the cat eats and sleeps in the place it considers safe and has as its lair, thus, the animal hides its most precious objects in the water because your instinct tells you that there they will be safe. The same happens when you deposit them on the empty feeder.
cat burying food suddenly
If your cat previously did not tend to cover food with objects, bury it or scratch beside the feeder, but has suddenly started exhibiting this behavior, it is more likely that it is trying to tell you something. Here, the feline's wild instinct does not come into play, but the animal's language to communicate with you, your companion, and indicate that something is not right. At most frequent causes that can cause a cat to cover food or scratch the floor suddenly are as follows:
- You changed his food and he doesn't like the new food.
- You've moved the pan and he doesn't think it's completely safe.
As you can see, both reasons are easily recognizable and easy to solve. If new food doesn't appeal to you, just keep looking until you find the one that meets all your needs. For this, you can consult our recipe for homemade food for cats with meat, a natural food that, in addition to providing many nutritional benefits, they love because it simulates the food they would consume in "freedom". As for the second cause, ask yourself why you change the location bowl and whether this change is for your own benefit or the animal's. If you can put it back where the cat felt safe, do so.