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Scratches the floor by food dish

post #1 of 13
3/17/11 at 3:19pm
Thread Starter 
This seems bizzare to me. My rescue kitty as of 2 years ago, continues to
scratch the floor by his food dish at every meal before and after he eats! The first few times he did this I thought, "Oh no, he doesn't remember where his litter box is, and needs to use it!" I would carry the poor thing down to the box, plop him it in, and you guessed it, he looked at me like, "What are you doing?" It's definitely not a bathroom issue. But he continues to paw madly at the floor only around his food dish, only when I first fed him, sometimes before he eats and sometimes afterwards. I've had a few cats in my life and I've never seen this behavior. I can't explain it. Sometimes he knocks the dish around so loudly you can hear it across the house, but has yet to tip it over!

Any ideas? Has anyone else experienced similar? I've tried to pet him and hold his paws to calm him, but it doesn't work!

Appreciate any insights!
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post #2 of 13
3/17/11 at 3:45pm
Their covering their food for later only they can't if you know what i mean?

Sophie and Jack do it all the time with their wet food
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post #3 of 13
3/17/11 at 4:30pm
Out of my 9 kitties only 1 of my cats do that often and 1 other one does it sometimes. My Joey does it multiple times a day! Whenever he is done eating he will "save it for later" as my hubby and I call it. I think it is just adorable that he does it.
We gave tuna one day and he ate his fill but frantically tried to cover the area around it for a good 6 minutes, like he was so desperate to hide it so he could have more later!
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post #4 of 13
3/17/11 at 4:32pm
I laugh when Sophie does it because i tell her Jack will find it and finish it for her
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post #5 of 13
3/17/11 at 4:48pm
Wesley and Buttercup both do it with anything that has a strong smell.

If it smells like poo, pee, food, or anything strong, they just wipe wipe wipe all around and then give up.
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post #6 of 13
3/17/11 at 4:49pm
Hi Condocat,

That is a normal instinctive behavior for cats to do. They are trying to hide the excess food. Or in there view excess food .

If you have any other questions be sure to ask. We all love to help .
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post #7 of 13
3/17/11 at 5:20pm
Matti also scratches the floor around her food! She will do the same with the water bowls. I always thought that she was covering her food and water so the other cats will not find it...do cats living alone, with no other pets around, do this too? Or only in multi-pet homes?
It's nice to see that all the "odd" things my cats do are normal
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post #8 of 13
3/17/11 at 5:48pm
He's unburying and/or burying his food! We were just discussing this in another thread. We have one kitty we call The Food Police, because as the others finish their food, he goes from bowl to bowl (if I haven't picked them up) and "buries" their food for them!

This particular kitty also "unburies" the water before drinking it. He paws the air over the water dish!

One of our other kitties paws his bowl until he flips it over if we don't put something under it for him to "dig up" so it flips up and covers his dish when he's done.

It's instinct.

You can put a handkerchief under his dish. That way he'll have something to "bury" his food with.
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post #9 of 13
3/17/11 at 6:38pm
I have one that does it with both food and water as well (but not consistently - I'm not sure what triggers it).
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post #10 of 13
3/17/11 at 7:05pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by LDG View Post
He's unburying and/or burying his food! We were just discussing this in another thread. We have one kitty we call The Food Police, because as the others finish their food, he goes from bowl to bowl (if I haven't picked them up) and "buries" their food for them!
Freya buries anyone's food...including anything DH or I leave on the table.

Wendel is completely obsessed with burying even the smallest bit of food left in his bowl...many of his toys have had to be washed because he pulls any he can find (and any nearby socks, mitts, or scarves) into his bowl.
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post #11 of 13
3/17/11 at 7:57pm
Buddy does it too but since we feed him in the bathroom, we often find pieces of toilet paper or wash clothes in his dish.
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post #12 of 13
3/18/11 at 4:45am
Cleo does this as well and it always cracks us up. Her Mom, Nefertiti (RIP) used to do so as well.
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post #13 of 13
3/18/11 at 5:17am
Thread Starter 
Thanks everyone!

I learned something new thanks to all of you!
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