Nikita's strange, almost obsessive quirk.

[Nature9000]

So Nikita has this habit that I always wondered what reason she did it for. When eating her food, she'd paw the ground like the cats in the wild do to store food (at least that's what google said). I noticed many times she'd go out of her way to literally put whatever the nearest item on the floor was into the food dish. But then I noticed she doesn't just do this around her food. If I have a glass of something I'm drinking sitting on the end table next to my chair, she'll come up and sniff, then start pawing the end table in a similar manner as if trying to store the drink. She has done that also with my own food if I step away-she'll not eat it, but she'll be pawing the countertop.

The other day, I had a bowl of peanuts I was eating while watching tv. She hopped up on the end table and proceeded to paw the table like she was storing the peanuts.

Prince does not do this, never has. He'll sit and eat his food until he's had his fill, and then walk away. To which when I didn't have this automatic feeder and had two separate bowls for them, Nikita would do the same thing to his food. Is it something to do with pack behavior? I know that in the wild, the big cats, the females are usually the hunters. So is she perhaps tapping into some primal ancestral instinct and trying to store "the pack" food for later? What is this odd, almost osessive-compulsive habit she's got going on?

 

[She's a witch]

I think cats do it for different reasons. Mine do it only with food they are not thrilled with, never ever with their preferred. My girl never did that until she learnt it from my boy when we first brought him. She’s recently covered my breakfast

 

[Tik cat's mum]

She's trying to bury it for later I had one that did this just his food, He would chuck none existent earth over it and go all round his dish. It's cute your cat is saving your food for you I'd take it as a compliment she's looking out for you like the presents they bring.

 

[Nature9000]

I suppose that's one way to look at it certainly. It is nice, she's a sweet little cat who adores attention.

 

[Tik cat's mum]

I suppose that's one way to look at it certainly. It is nice, she's a sweet little cat who adores attention.

Yep definitely sorry I can't advise about fur or paws in your food but she loves you.

 

[Nature9000]

Haha I got a picture of her cuteness in action

 

[glittercat]

My Feora does this all the time Their wet food is in the kitchen and I often hear the silicone mats being flapped about when she's scraping and 'hiding' the dishes.

Their dry food is around the house and she scrapes diligently at the laminate flooring. Quite often I find she's popped toys into the bowls to hide the kibble...

 

[Nature9000]

Yep, that's exactly how it is haha.If there's a toy or some moveable object within reach, it will soon find it's way into the food dish. I'm just amazed she does this with my drinks when they're beside me, most commonly is when I have a beer. Not so much other drinks, though she's been known to do it with other drinks. She's an adorable little kita