Burying Behavior

I have a 7 month old male cat, named Silas. Everytime he finishes eating, he proceeds to move around his bowl "burying" it. He'll do this to me too if I've just eaten at the coffe table and I leave my empty plate on it. He's been doing this for about 2 months. It doesn't bother me or anything, I actually find it entertaining. Just wondering if anyone else's cat does this. Thanks!

My Peedoodle does the same thing. If memory serves me correctly, there was mention of it on another thread that cats bury their food to hide the smell from other scavengers. I think its a way to protect their food and I guess it is part of their instincts.

I wonder if it is a gender thing too? Hmmm.

Ivo buries her wet food, but not her dry. And once or twice, I've seen her bury her water. I think it's really cute, but sometimes she get's so into it, it's like she's in a trance, and only stops if I repeatedly call her name (though when she's going for a long time and won't stop, I call her zombie kitty).

Thats funny about Ivo - Peedoodle also does it while he drinks his water!

Hi there ,

I know it's entertaining . My oldest cat (14 ) has had the practice of swiping the ashtray clean to moving his water dish , actually , tilting it . He cannot stand water unless it's from a bottle and YES , I'm guilty , I've held the glass of Spring water from a fresh glass for him to drink . It's just a thing that they have .

As far as food , the ONLY thing he wants to bury is anything that smells like fish but yet loves tuna......go figure !

Rebecca P

Here's one thread out of I believe a dozen on this very subject.

Burying

My 9 month old kitten, Aiden (seen below), does this. Previously I had two females that also did that. He does it to his dry food sometimes, but mostly to his wet food. First he will "bury" his dish, the our Maine Coon's dish. Funny thing is, half the time there is nothing left on either plate. But he has to have his ritual. LOL! One of my females often "buried" stuff if you gave her something to try and she didn't want it.

I can totally relate to all of you. I have a 10 month old kitten named Blaze. He has a big habit of burying his water bowl. The type of water bowl that he has is the kind that has a jug & keeps the water bowl full. He must not like the jub either b/c whenever I have it attached to the water bowl he attacks the jug & knocks the water bowl over & wrestles around w/the jug. He also has a habit of getting on the toilet seat, having all 4 legs strattling the opening of the seat & doing the burying motion into the toilet. Cats can have the strangest personalities but they make the best pets around!

wow, Silas did that on the toilet seat too. But then he sat on the edge and looked like he was going to use it!lol

piper my 3yr old cat does it when she eats wet food, and dry occasionally but not water. She is a girl and has always done it even when she was the only cat. Now I have a boy kitten and he does it too, for wet, dry and water, although I think he learned it from her. It is entertaining, I thought my cat were the only ones doing it, cause I asked my friends who have lots of cats and said they never did that, but it sounds like a territorial thing! Hide where I ate so no one can take my food! They look so funny doing it, me and my husband love to watch!

your little furbabies are adorable!!!

Thank you! I love them to death! Even though Piper doesn't like much attention or play. I got her from the animal shelter, she was abused by a man for three years, who said he treated her like a dog. The vets have said there is little hope she will change since she is three, but I have disproved them. Although petting is limited, I can stare in her eyes, she is always looking at me, ears perked, and sits with those adorable slanted eyes! I can now pick her up, give her bum-rubs, and she always stays in the same room with me, she also likes to go in the halls and explore...however with any stranger or person more males than females, she gets really scared and runs under the bed. I've had her for about 5 months now, when we first got her she wouldn't come near us at all, tail always wagging no matter what and if you walked near her, she lookes so scared like you were going to kick her. I know she may never be a lap cat, but I think she is so gorgeous just watching her makes me love her! I had gotten Leo the kitten to help her become more social, he is the best, loving playing purring all the time, just when I talk to him...they are getting along better and better and never really fight except playfully! Piper has fear agression, she hisses and growls whenever she is scared. But she is improving she doesn't hiss at me anymore like the beginning, even if I have to give her a pill. I have always liked cats, and she was they very first cat of my own, she was quite a challenge, but I have no regrets because of her, I have become obssessed with helping her and all cats with social problems. I don't fear even very agressive cats, and for some odd reason, aggresively known cats, don't behave badly with me. I now go to the local animal shleter to help socialize abonanded cats so they can become adoptable. It's very hard not to bring them all home. But the more and more I see get adopted the better I feel. My husband would also kill me if I came home with one more, eventhough he has grown to love are cats as much as me, which was a good surprise that we both share this adoration for cats!!! He plays with them constantly, we both do! Sorry I don't knwo what possessed me to babble....

I could babble on and on about my kittie. Everyone tells me i do ! heehee. I think some people should not be allowed to own animals, like that man who had your kitty. I've never had a cat before, but growing up we've always had dogs. And my mom spoiled them rotten lol. I think thats why i spoil silas so much! And my mom always said to me "Don't trust a man who is mean to animals".

Your Mother is TOO right !

If they will treat an animal in a mean way , they'll sure as hell won't mind treating a human the same.......

And If I'm going on too much about my kitties....I'll stop , I don't want to bother anyone with my incessant posting !!!