pawing the ground

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jr - 03 Jun 2005 02:46 GMT

I have noticed that the cat will often sniff her food and that starts
pawing the ground around her bowl (similiar to litter box covering). I had
previously thought that this was there way to say, 'no way' to the food but
she just comes back later and eats it. Is she just trying to cover the
food for when she returns later?

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Catnipped - 03 Jun 2005 02:54 GMT

> I have noticed that the cat will often sniff her food and that starts
> pawing the ground around her bowl (similiar to litter box covering). I had
> previously thought that this was there way to say, 'no way' to the food but
> she just comes back later and eats it. Is she just trying to cover the
> food for when she returns later?

Cat are predators with a very keen sense of smell. They bury their
droppings and their left-over food; they scrupulously clean themselves and
their kittens; and they go off away from their family to die.

They do all this so that those smells do not attract scavengers that would
take their food or kill their kits (or other weak members of their family).

Hugs,

CatNipped

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jr - 03 Jun 2005 02:55 GMT

If she is burying her leftover food, why does she come back to eat it? Or
does she think that she is hiding her leftover food so noone else will get
it?

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CatNipped - 03 Jun 2005 14:08 GMT

> If she is burying her leftover food, why does she come back to eat it? Or
> does she think that she is hiding her leftover food so noone else will get
> it?

Burying food is the cat's equivalent of putting it in the fridge until
you're ready to eat the rest. ;> Or, to answer your second question, yes.

Hugs,

CatNipped

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John Ross Mc Master - 03 Jun 2005 02:59 GMT

>> I have noticed that the cat will often sniff her food and that starts
>> pawing the ground around her bowl (similiar to litter box covering). I
[quoted text clipped - 10 lines]
>They do all this so that those smells do not attract scavengers that would
>take their food or kill their kits (or other weak members of their family).

Not only are cats beautiful and alive, they are also intensely moral
beings.

>Hugs,
>
>CatNipped

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Philip - 03 Jun 2005 04:36 GMT

snip

> Not only are cats beautiful and alive, they are also intensely moral
> beings.

What moral code embraces capturing an animal much smaller than you ....
playing with it until nearly dead ... and then leaving it behind to die?

This must be a Johnny Ross troll. Funny too.

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mlbriggs - 03 Jun 2005 06:10 GMT

> I have noticed that the cat will often sniff her food and that starts
> pawing the ground around her bowl (similiar to litter box covering). I
> had previously thought that this was there way to say, 'no way' to the
> food but she just comes back later and eats it. Is she just trying to
> cover the food for when she returns later?

Yes!

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TheHermit - 03 Jun 2005 11:59 GMT

Many cats show this behaviour. If they are not hungry, they will make
an attempt to bury the food, much as they would do in the wild. Burying
it will mask the scent to some extent to stop other predators or
scavengers getting to it and eating it. As its such a natural instinct
for them to do it, even domesticated cats still exhibit this trait, not
all of them, but a fair number do.

I would not worry about this behavior, its perfectly normal.

The Hermit.

---
Visit http://www.thehovel.com/bb for friendly chatter with cat minded
people.
The Hovel - Feline Friendly Internet.

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Rhonda - 05 Jun 2005 03:29 GMT

We did have one very snooty cat who would "bury" the food if she didn't
like it. She'd walk up, take one sniff, and then spend about 5 minutes
burying it from all angles. She was a drama queen.

Maybe her instinct was telling her to bury that crap so that no other
cat would be poisoned by it.

Rhonda

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