Cat Scratching beside food plate.

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Originally posted by yorkster
Yes, I have heard that too.
I thinks it's something that wild cats do, in order to save their 'leftovers' for later (and it keeps other cats from smelling their food. ;)
One of my cats does this with both his food and his water =(MESS) :eek:

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Hmmm. perhaps a marketing opportunity for "kitty tupperware".....:D

Ritzy occasionally does this too, but not as much with her food as with new toys I buy that don't meet her approval. I have purchased no less than 5 catnip toys, each of which has been sniffed once, then subjected to the "ritual air burial" and subsequently ignored for all time thereafter.

The litterbox, however, is another matter....while she does eventually "cover up", she spends almost 20 minutes each time pawing at the air around and above the litter box before actually hitting the dirt. Maybe she's waving the smell away?:eek:

I have never seen a cat do this or even heard of it, best of luck! Sorry that I couldn't be of more help, just a little support.

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Originally posted by tuxluvr



Ritzy occasionally does this too, but not as much with her food as with new toys I buy that don't meet her approval. I have purchased no less than 5 catnip toys, each of which has been sniffed once, then subjected to the "ritual air burial" and subsequently ignored for all time thereafter.

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Ritzy's not a catnip fan? One of my cats does not care for it :confused:


An old boyfriend of mine had a cat that would try and cover-up our morning coffee................would jump up next to it and spend a few minutes with each cup: scrape,scrape,scrape, then some pawing in the air. Don't know what that was about. :D

Misty is my neat freak. If she has gotten crumbs on the floor from her eating she will take her paws and go all around her dish and put the crumbs as far under the dish as she can so it looks clean in her area. She does this often I don't think much about it because that is just the way she is. I think a lot of cats are like that they like clean areas.
http://cards.webshots.com/cp-2963435...7090AFWyJWoHQi

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Originally posted by yorkster


Ritzy's not a catnip fan? One of my cats does not care for it :confused:


:D

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Nope, never has been. Every little "gift" evokes that "kitty stinkeye look" from Ritz like 'Mom, you're kidding, right?"

I've learned my lesson

My Joey does the same thing, he would scratched around his food before he eats and after he eats. Now Toby, he does the same thing. I don't why they do it but I would love to know. I was thinking why he would scratched around his food plate, is that he is marking his territory. He doesn't want anyone stealing his food. They are telling this my food, you can get your own.

Tigris does it from time to time. I always took it as a proof that cats can use metaphors ;) I understand it as "This tastes like sh...". (I try to change the flavor of food so that they get not used to one single flavor -sometimes Tigris tells me that way he would like some other)

There are a few in my managerie who do this same thing, although not consistantly. I do not understand why they do it and it is not done whenever they are presented with a less-liked food type. It could be for several reasons, such as purring.

Our Maya does this too sometimes !
It mostly means she is not really happy with her meal ... you should see her face then !!!!!
But I then reply wit : "no Maya , this is what you get !!" ,
and she starts eating it !!!! LOL LOL !!

http://pages.prodigy.net/rogerlori1/emoticons/cat67.gif

I have heard this is the cat's way of marking their territory, using the oil glands in their paws...similar to when they mark a tree (or my couch) with their scratches! So, they are letting the others know this is their food by scratching around it, as if to cover it up. I don't think it has ANY thing to do with not liking the food...

Mine are more prone to do this when there has been a stressor in their lives, and they feel the need to be territorial (what, like I am going to start eating their food?).

Same thing with the litter box..it is two fold. Yes, they are covering up their gifts, but, they also are marking the area around it to let them and others know it is their gift.