scratching around the food bowl-revisited

I did a search and read all the postings on this from the past 2 years and wanted to ask if anybody has any new information on scratching around the food bowl like it's litter?? Freddie does scratch around the food bowl after he has eaten and then walks away....it is THE weirdest thing I have seen. Is it really rooted in ancestral behaviors of hunting and hoarding and marking territory? He never did it until after he was neutered at 6 mos. and before he got sick <see health& nutrition-unrelated to this thread>. Is he trying to tell me something else??

My Scarlett does that all the time and she is a normal(?) healthy cat. The only difference between she and the others in my house is that she appears to be more finicky than the others - she scratches anything she finds laying around (food, food bowls, hairballs), and she also goes into the litter box to cover every else's business. I look at it as a lovable quirk of hers!

thank you-- that is good feedback to know. Eric and I were really unable to just let this one go---thinking it was indicative of something much worse that nobody was aware of. I've Googled it, too. Just one of those "a huh????" things. Thank you MOFM/Scarlett.
Elizabeth
PS and oh, yes, Freddie is the most finicky (interesting!), much more than Sasha who was probably a raccoon in his prev life.

My Dirt does this 'scratchy round the food bowl' thing. Only he does not touch the floor! Very wierd he just sort of scratchies the air in a 'robotic' fashion. He can get quite engrossed in this and has been seen to actually fall over mid scratch so intent is he. He air covers other bowls too on the odd occasion. Hes not that keen on covering the litter box though or anywhere else he happens to pee! Dirt by name and nature I'm afraid.

A few of mine do that sometimes,too.

I noticed one time when I bought a different brand of cat food and none of them liked it at all,they would every one go up to the food bowl,sniff the food,and then proceed to try and "cover" it up.LOL.

patches does this all the time too and i wondered what it
meant

Saki does this.. and my RB cat Sasha used to do this. I think it means they're saving their food for later, or, they dont like it

My two do it. And I remember it was my second question I ever asked about cats on this forum. (The first being "What in heaven's name do I do for a constipated 7 month old kitten?") And hissy demystified the scratchy thing around the bowl for me.

Cats have scent glands on their paws. Scratching releases their scent. So they're marking their scent around their food. In the wild, their food is covered and saved for later. Mary Anne also suggested placing an old towel underneath to allow Russell, (my cat), to cover his food. But, I have to admit that I never did do this though.

Oh, and my vet says the same thing.

well, it looks like everyone seems to agree and it's demystified it for me....to Sicycat: Freddie will gulp his beef and eat really well and then start the scratching, so unsure if it means he doesn't like his food. Because he is fighting leukemia we have spent for the best food possible, so the litte guy is gonna have to gt a job or something, jeez.

Happy Sunday to Everyone! It is still rainy and windy up here in the Pacific Northwest while we see all of you have gorgeous weather....so unfair! All the brush bunnies are scurrying and the kitties love it.bunny:

Sammycat does it when I try to give him a different brand of food. He will cover it up and not eat until I get his food.

oh, your kitties are so cool. I see your Oscar is a gray tabby? My Freddie is a gray tabby....does Oscar have any interesting personality quirks or likes? It would be fascinating to hear about him because of my little boy.

I have had cats scratch around the food bowl, but I have never seen Felicia or Beau do it.