Why? Cat Tries To Bury Food

greypaws

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Well this is a first and I probably have my answer but last night, after putting out Mr Sparky bedtime snack, he hopped onto the counter, took a sniff and proceeded to try and bury it. Same as when he covers something in the litter box. I had only put out more of his regular food which he eats well without hesitation. Bedtime snack usually is NVI rabbit, which is his favorite. I opened a new tin of rabbit, put a topper on his regular food and he chomped right down. He's never been fussy, think I've created a monster
  anyone else's kitty done this?
 

basscat

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Mine does. Instinct.  Trying to hide it so that nothing else gets it.  (saving it for later)
 

MoochNNoodles

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Yep it's instinct!  Mooch has always done this.  She even used to try to bury their water bowl!  She'd splash to drink then tip it trying to "hide" it.  I still have to keep the bowl on a towel if I'm washing their fountain.  Her bowl is in front of the stove and she'll paw at that and make a racket trying to bury her food.  But at least it makes sense.  Noodles paws the side of the washing machine when shes in the litter box. 
  Guests always get the funniest looks on their faces when she does that! 
 

caseydoll

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My oldest cat has always done this. 
 He usually does it when he's done eating and still has some left. Sometimes he eats a little, "covers" it, eats a little more, "covers" it, etc.... I have to make sure I don't have anything around his food bowl because otherwise it will end up in the dish all mushed up in his wet food. 
 
 

mazie

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Yes, that behavior is instinctual.  In the wild, animals would bury their food so as to keep it hidden from other animals.  I am sure you have seen this type of behavior on  animal/nature shows.
 

basscat

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Used to put his food and water bowls on an old bathmat.

That was a mistake.
He'd pick up the corners of the bathmat with his mouth and drag it over his food.

(over his food, in his food, through his food, in the water bowl, and inevitably too far and turn both bowls over)
 
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greypaws

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Well there goes my idea that I'd not put Mr Sparky's favorite bedtime snack into his dish. So it's instinct to bury food, hmm, so if I ignore this behavior and not serve up the rabbit, what are the chances I won't get attacked by my feline monster?
 

basscat

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Not sure what you are asking?   He's just trying to hide it.  (save it for later).
If there's nothing around his food bowl, he will just paw around on whatever it's setting on.  The floor or the cabinet.  
He'll stop after a quick bit and move on to something else.

Mine "tries" to bury it and if he can't, he just stops trying.  It seems very important to him, but, only for a few seconds.
 
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