New behaviour

I went away on holidays for a week and left my cats with my friend (who happens to own a cat kennel) while I was gone. First, let me say that I will never do that again because my one cat Max, was very sad and he lost some weight. Now that we are home, he has perked up but he has started doing something different. When I put his food down, he tries to bury it. My other cat, Sydney does this but Max has NEVER done this. I realize that this is an instintive gesture but what exactly does it mean and why is he doing it now?
Thanks!

He is probably trying to protect his food from other cats now. They will do it to put thier scent near the food to ward off any other cats, however I have seen them actually bury it to hide it. I am sure while in the kennel he must have smelled a thousand other cat smells. Little traumas in cats seem to affect them from months to years.

Candy - how are things going - any improvement?

In the wild, wild cats (big & small) don't consume their preys all at once. They burry the remainings & mark the burial place with their scents on their paws, so that they will find the food in this place next time..

Domestic cats do this instictive behavior when they aren't hungry that much...They think that they burried the food & will eat it when they are hungry.