Playing with food

Hello everyone! I am new to posting messages on this forum, however I have been reading all your posts for the past year now. I have two cats both are 1 yr old and male, Toby and Max.

Max is very quiet and independent, unlike Toby. Even though Max loves to be held and kissed it can only happen on his own terms. He also does not listen to anything we say, unlike Toby who follows directions very well.

The problem started in November after we moved into our new apartment (which the cats seem to love), Max started reaching his paw into his food dish and flinging food onto the floor. He'll then bat it around or pounce it and sometimes he eats it but usually he just gets bored with it and leaves it on the floor.

We tried playing with him more but he hates toys. We tried giving him different food but that doesn't fix it. We even tried to teach him that when he throws his food around it gets taken away from him but when he eats it like a good kitty we give him positive attention.

Right now we have to clean the entire kitchen floor about three times a day because it gets covered in food and he drags it throughout the rest of the house when it gets stuck to his paws.

I really don't know what to do to get him to stop playing with his food. Is there hope for this crazy kitty of mine or do I have to trade him in for a monkey?


I appreciate any help you guys can give me.

Thanks,
Amy

Hi,
Thats a funny cat you have there. The only thing I can think of is when you see him playing with his food, tell him no, put the food back in the bowl, and offer him something he can bat around:the plastic that holds the cap on a gallon milk jug,balls,soda bottle caps. I had a cat that loved all these toys, that also did play with her food, but not as much as you have said you kitty does. Good luck!

Try raising the dish off of the ground - put it on top of several books or something so that it isn't as easy for him to get his paw into it. I don't know if it will help but it may.

And remember, it could always be worse . . . it could his litter box leavings that he plays with!

Kathryn

Thanks you guys!

I will try what you said and get some bottle caps to give him or some other toys that are similiar.

We actually made this strange contraption out of cardboard that created a rim around the bowl so that when he reached his paw in to drag the food out it would get caught on the rim of cardboard. It actually worked for 3 weeks until he got too smart and figured out how to work his way around it.

We have raised their bowls off the floor because of this food situation (and it helps them digest better) but it doesn't stop him. He is one very very determined kitty.

You are right, it could be worse. I am glad he hasn't found a way to scoop his poo out of the litter box and bat that around! I think he's too vain to do that...

Thanks again for all your help. I will let you guys know if it works out.

Amy