Why do cats sweep the floor

Scratching around a cat's bowl looks like she's trying to dig or bury something. And though it seems weird, there's nothing wrong with your feline if she behaves like that.

The question is, why does she scratch around? Here are the reasons and some tips on how to stop your cat from scratching, in case you find such behavior annoying or damaging to your floor and carpets.

Cats are obligate carnivores, and they have to hunt for food when in the wild. Hunting and eating portionwise, they get food leftovers and need to hide them so other predators couldn't smell out their presence there. So, one of the reasons why your domestic cat attempts to bury food leftovers is her instinctual behavior.

Doing so, she wants to hide the scent as it can alert predators that she has been there. If you have a female cat with kittens at home, her reason for burying the food is that she wants to protect her kids from other predators. As well as in the case with her own scent, a cat tries to prevent others from finding out that there are kittens nearby. As already mentioned, cats scratch over the food leftovers.

If you notice a feline burying her food, it may be a signal that she gets more food than she can eat. It's similar to hiding feces: A cat sees the excess food as something she is not going to return to, so she instinctively wants to bury it. As a responsible and loving cat parent, you need to control how much food to feed your cat to prevent undesired behavior, obesity, and other health issues.

Another reason for a cat to bury her food may be her inherent neatness. Litter boxes are also a factor to consider. I find that most commercial litter boxes are too small for most cats.

I recommend uncovered quart Sterilite storage containers. If there was a paper towel or other easy-to-move object near the food dish, she would probably cover her food with it, moving it by scratching and pulling at it with her claws. Often this behavior can be observed in our little domestic cats as well as wild cats, after eating. Covering the food theoretically keeps other predators from finding it and ups the odds that there will be food available for later.

Additionally, covering the uneaten food can help keep the cat safe, since the smell of food attracts predators and other hungry animals. Published: January 1, By: Chewy Editorial Updated: March 18, If the bowl is gone, he won't have anything he needs to cover up. Only feed him enough for one meal at a time. If you free-feed, leaving a food bowl full of kibble out all the time, this will only encourage the behavior. As soon as you notice kitty starting the behavior, distract him.

Tease him with his favorite feather toy or laser pointer. Getting his mind on play and off of food will help bring the behavior to a halt. Cat Health. By Melissa Schindler. Kitty's Lair In the wild, a cat has some sort of lair. It can also mean that the cat is not accepting the changes in its routine.

You should try to keep the schedule as it is and keep introducing new members to the cat family. It will help in mitigating the habit of scratching the floor. This behavior of scratching or pawing the floor just before or after drinking water does not have any implications.

Some cat owners find it incredibly cute. So, it is often not necessary to stop this scratching habit. However, this behavior can get excessive, and cats can mess up the area where you keep the water or food bowl. They can damage the carpet or bring clothes or papers to cover their water bowl. When this habit becomes excessive, one can use the following methods to control it.

We have curated a list of all the things you can do to stop your cat from scratching the floor. It takes years for cat owners to understand why their cats are behaving the way they are. It is puzzling when they scratch, paw, or knead the surface near the food or water bowl just before drinking from it. It is an innate characteristic of the cat, and one cannot control this habit.

When the behavior goes out of hand, one needs to keep an eye out for it and follow the steps that we have mentioned. Hi There, AJ Oren here.