We all know that cats are greedy, otherwise why would they be called “greedy cats”? Nowadays, owners usually buy good cat food for their cats, but for various reasons, cats may still steal food. If a cat becomes a habitual eater, it is likely to gain weight and cause disease problems. So what should you do if your cat steals food? Here’s what you can do with your cat.
Cats steal food from instinct. They are always curious and have a keen interest in any food and always like to try it out for themselves. Cats in the wild like to steal and hide food even when they are well fed, mainly in case they cannot find it when they are short of food. Although domestic cats live in excellent conditions and have plenty of food, the instinct to steal still exists.
Firstly we need to make sure that cats cannot touch the food by installing pet fences at the kitchen door of the house and other areas where cats are not allowed to enter, which can effectively prevent them from entering. In addition, if you find your cat stealing food, you can stop it and educate it. For example, spraying the cat with water will help the cat form a reflex to know that stealing food is a bad behaviour. You can also buy toys such as cat climbing frames and teasing sticks to distract your cat, which can be purchased conveniently at Pokey Mall.
Another reason for cats to steal food may be that they are really hungry, and it is time for owners to think about whether they are feeding them correctly. As per normal feeding we should all follow the principle of feeding little and often, around 3-4 times a day. Using dry pet food with canned pet food has the high-density, comprehensive and balanced nutrition of dry food, but also has the superior taste and delicious flavour of canned pet food, and does not affect the nutritional comprehensiveness and balance in the pet’s ration. Using this combination of pet food to reward your cat or increase your cat’s appetite can achieve twice the result with half the effort.
It is important to address any cases of food stealing by cats as early as possible, otherwise cats eating something they should not eat such as chocolate or squid may pose a health risk. Although it is the nature of cats to steal food, I believe that with the owner’s teaching, it will change.