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Why Does My Cat Put His Paw In His Food?

If your cat keeps putting his paws in its food bowl you may be wondering why it keeps doing it…

Why Does My Cat Put His Paw In His Food?

Some cats like to bat a small bit of food out of the bowl, and this relates to an instinctual urge to ‘take their own’ piece of the food to eat privately, some like feeling the temperature of the food, and lastly, a form of self-defense.

Therefore, there are different reasons for this and it will vary from cat to cat.

If it’s the latter, defense, by using their paws to scoop and eat the food, your cat can be more alert about what is around them, as they can quickly look if they hear a sound nearby while they are feeding. Your cat may do one, or more, or even all of these things, and it’s perfectly natural.

Is it normal for a cat to put his paw in his food?

A grey cat eating food from an orange food bowl.

A grey cat eating food from an orange food bowl.

Yes, cats often touch their food, so it’s no cause for alarm. Some cats will even make feeding time a little more fun by actually playing with their kibble. This is nothing out of character for your cat, so you don’t have to worry – they like the food just fine.

Should I discipline my cat for putting its paw in its food?

No, there is no reason to discipline your cat for putting their paw in their food. In fact, if you have another animal, then your cat might simply be doing this so that they are ready to defend their lunch from another cat in the house or the household dog.

If you think that this is the case, moving the bowl somewhere out of reach or even using a microchip feeder, which will open only when the cat with the right microchip is close to the bowl, can reduce or eliminate defensive feeding behaviors.

Still, you could just let them. Placing a paw in their bowl is normal and nothing to be concerned with or to discipline them about. It’s just a case of a cat being a cat.

Could a narrow food bowl cause a cat to use its paws?

Yes, if the bowl has a narrow aperture and is a bit on the deep side, then your cat can’t really lower their head easily into it without obstructing its view. Cats won’t usually do this, as they hate being ‘snuck up on’, and doing so would partially block their vision when they are quite vulnerable.

Try a wider bowl, instead of a deeper one, and that way you can feed your cat the same amount without compromising their ‘guard’ and everyone will be happier for it.

How can I prevent my cat from putting its paw in its food?

A gray and black cat feeding from a blue narrow food bowl.

A gray and black cat feeding from a blue narrow food bowl.

If your cat keeps scooping out food and then batting it around to other places, there are certainly a few things that you can do.

Offer your cat a shallow dish

A wider bowl is the first step, as this will be shallow, rather than deep, and allows for the easiest access to the kibble without having to dip their head into a deep bowl.

Replace the food bowl with a different material

Sometimes cats fish around in their bowl because they know that they can push it around and they find this amusing. Try a bowl made from a heavier material, such as a ceramic bowl, or you could put some double-sided tape under the cat’s bowl and place it in a corner. This should minimize ‘bowl-batting’ from your cat.

Relocate the bowl

You could also relocate the bowl so that your cat feels less of an urge to ‘be defensive’ by watching out for threats while they eat. Remember, it’s nothing personal – cats don’t like feeling vulnerable and even though the house is safe, they are geared to watch for other predators while they are eating.

Why do cats sweep the food area with their paws?

When your cat pops some food out of the bowl and then uses their paws to relocate it, they aren’t always just playing with their food. Cats have an instinctual drive to hide a little food for later and this is useful in the wild.

By relocating the kibble-bits, your cat is simply saving up a snack for later, and keeping that snack safe from other predators, be they another animal in your house or simply part of your cat’s imagination.

Why does my cat paw dry food out of the bowl?

Sometimes the shape and depth of the bowl make it a little hard to eat out of for your cat. This leads to ‘whisker stress’, which is when your cat’s sensitive whiskers are brushing against the bowl while they are trying to eat.

You can easily test for this by transferring their food to a flat plate. If your cat stops scooping it out, then you have your answer!

Do some kittens paw food out to hide it from their littermates?

Yes, kittens paw food out of the bowl so that they can get it away from their littermates and eat it on their own. This is an instinctual behavior that they practice early and it comes in handy.

It makes good sense when you think about it. If they were in the wild and found a large food source, by separating a bit of it they are making sure that they get to eat if another animal were to arrive and take over the resource.

Why does my cat paw food out and offer it to me?

This adorable behavior is a message. Your cat sees you as the ‘leader’ of their pride and by offering you food, they are acknowledging this and asking for your protection. It’s quite cute and as you can see, it’s also quite practical from your cat’s point of view.

They are paying you a little respect by feeding you first before they settle down for a ‘by-your-pardon’ meal of their own.

Lindsey Browlingdon