Understanding Why Cats Cover Their Food: Insights into Their Instincts

If your cat is burying their food, it doesn’t necessarily mean they dislike it – it just means you are getting a glimpse of their wild side. Covering food is an instinct cats have carried over from before they were domesticated.

So why do cats bury their food?

Cats in the wild do this as a protective measure to avoid attracting predators in the area that might threaten them or their young. Another reason for burying food is to prevent prey in the area from detecting their presence. This isn’t an attempt to save it for later; cats aren’t scavengers, so they do not bury food to come back and eat it later.

This is a fairly common and harmless behavior, so no need to worry if your cat starts trying to bury their food. However, if it does bother you, there are a few things you can try to get them to stop:

• Give them smaller portions – watch what they eat and make sure you aren’t over-serving them.
• Distract your cat with play if you see them starting to bury their food.
• Don’t leave the food bowl out once your cat is finished eating. Take the bowl away, clean up anything on the floor, and simply refresh their water bowl.
• If you leave food out all day, try putting it in puzzle feeders instead. This way they will have to “hunt” for their meal, which will distract them from covering – and give them some mental stimulation!

These tips might help break your cat of the covering habit, but remember it is completely natural for a cat to scratch around their food bowl or try to bury their food – just a hunter’s instinct even an indoor cat can still carry with them.

Does your Ragdoll cat cover their food? Do you try to stop the burying? What tricks do you use? Share below!