Why do cats pull food out of their bowls to eat?
Have you ever caught your cat scooping kibbles out from his bowl? She might consume it just next to the bowl on the floor, or carry it all the way across the room before dropping and eating it.
What exactly is the purpose of this behaviour? Why do some cats eat outside of their bowls?
This common feline behaviour of removing food from the bowl and eating it elsewhere is thought to have numerous causes which we will elaborate further in this article!
Size matters
The food may be too big for her which causes your cat to pull out a large piece of food so that she can hold it in the right part of her jaws and slice it into smaller pieces. It is always a good idea to break up food into small pieces. This will encourage her to eat it in her bowl. As an additional precaution, you may want to add a mat beneath, which will make it easy to mop up any food spills.
It’s a food bowl issue
Cats can be picky at times and aren't afraid to express their displeasure. The reason may simply be that she doesn’t fancy her food bowl. One reason is the material as some cats aren’t fans of plastic bowls. Another, would be the size of the bowl as deep or narrow food bowls can cause whiskers fatigue. A cat’s whiskers are extremely sensitive and feeding from such unsuitable bowls can cause an uncomfortable or even painful experience for them. Hence, it is recommended to provide a shallow, wide bowl instead.
Paw-licious
Prior to the domestication of cats, they had to forage for food in order to survive. Despite the fact that today's domesticated kitties are aware that they will be fed yummy food daily, the instinct to hunt is still present in them. It's possible that eating with her paws is just an impulse to consider the meal as prey, and paws are great for clinging on to the day's catch.
Swiper no swiping
Another explanation is the desire to protect the prey from other hungry jaws, which comes from their hunting impulse.
Your cat could simply be guarding her food and bringing it to a safe place. In this case, consider putting your cat's feeding bowl in a more private and quiet location. It is more commonly seen in a multi-cat home so, instead of placing all of the food bowls together, try placing them in different areas so that each kitty has some privacy while eating.
Purr-sonal preference
Cats can be picky about their food bowl location. Many cats, in particular, despise having their food bowl close to their water bowl. This is readily remedied by keeping your cat's water bowl separated from her food bowl. The explanation for this is thought to be related to innate hunting behaviour. If the water supply is too close to the prey, the water may become contaminated.
Senior care
Your cat may find it increasingly difficult to stoop down to feed from her bowl as she gets older. Consider elevating the feeding bowl by placing it on a small platform. There are also dishes that are designed to relieve neck strains and pain! By adjusting the feeding height, you can make it more comfortable for your senior kitty especially if she suffers from arthritis or has neck and back issues.
Your cat may start eating from her food bowl again if you observe her and try some of the above suggestions!