Scratching around food bowl

mxphs

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Hey guys
Humphrey has started to scratch around his food bowl before he eats. I know when they do it after they’ve eaten for a bit to be a signal that they’ve had enough but apparently, if they do it before they eat it means they don’t want the food.
He began doing this ever since I started adding his Gabapentin to his food ( yeah pretty obvious probably ) but he has gone and finished the food each time he’s done the scratching.
Any ideas everyone?
 

tabbytom

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My boy sometimes does that too. He'll scratch (dig?) like covering the food and then he smell it and he'll eat his meal. Most of the times he'll cover after eating.

It's their instinct to cover the food. Guess before eating when they try to cover and then discover that there's food, better eat it before other preys on it and I think they a\re actually hungry too.
 

susanm9006

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It is either an instinct to protect their food or because they dislike it. One of my girls will take a plush toy from even across the room and use that to cover her food until she is ready to finish, so all her toys are food crusted and stinky.
 

syzygycat

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Hey guys
Humphrey has started to scratch around his food bowl before he eats. I know when they do it after they’ve eaten for a bit to be a signal that they’ve had enough but apparently, if they do it before they eat it means they don’t want the food.
He began doing this ever since I started adding his Gabapentin to his food ( yeah pretty obvious probably ) but he has gone and finished the food each time he’s done the scratching.
Any ideas everyone?
My cats do that when they don't like the food, they do a lap, look at me forlornly, accept better food isn't coming then eat it.
 
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mxphs

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Ok wow good to know this. Do you all have several options on hand? I keep hearing people who have a variety of foods but also hearing people say you need to gradually introduce every new thing.
 

susanm9006

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Ok wow good to know this. Do you all have several options on hand? I keep hearing people who have a variety of foods but also hearing people say you need to gradually introduce every new thing.
I do have at least two foods that I rotate. I have gradually introduced when switching dry foods and when going from dry to wet but not when offering a new wet food. That I just set out and they either eat it or not. The annoying part is when they love it once and then won’t eat it again.
 

Willowwombat

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It's the cat telling you that what you've given them to eat belongs in a litter box. :biggrin:
 

Alldara

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I don't tend to do gradual with wet food. Just dry

I do choose similar formulas though.
 

susanm9006

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Today’s example, as I found it this morning
8B417DD6-C18E-46EC-8FB1-18E478B35186.jpeg
. This catnip fish is her favorite to use, I think because of its size. I always put it as far away from the dish as possible so she had to pick it up and drop it here.
 
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