Cats may develop a special liking for human food. While most are content with their own wet cat food, some tend to favor human food. This could become annoying, especially if your cat starts naging and following you everywhere for a taste of your food.
Cat Keeps Trying To Eat My Food: What Are The Reasons?
Cats are curious by nature.
Your cat may be trying to eat your food out of curiosity. Cats, and especially kittens, are very curious and they want to explore the world with their senses. They are curious to know what you are cooking and what you are eating at the table. While some may grow out of this curious stage, others may decide that human food tastes better than their usual cat food.
They are good imitators.
Cats are like small children, and tend to follow everything that their owners do. This may include trying to eat what their humans are eating. If they are tempted to sample your food, some may go as far as begging, or jumping onto the table to accomplish this.
Cats know when they are being spoiled.
Some cat owners tend to spoil their cats by allowing them to join them during mealtimes. This may seem cute, but it could turn your cat into a spoiled furbaby. The cat may eventually prefer human food over regular cat food, while some may resort to stealing food from the table.
Some abandoned cats survived on human food.
Have you recently adopted a cat and are wondering why it only eats human food? It could be that your cat was abandoned or lost, and was able to survive thanks to left-over human food in garbage bins. Thus, once your cat is adopted, it will naturally stick to the food it has become accustomed to eating.
How To Stop Your Cat From Eating Your Food
- Discourage your cat from eating human food. It should continue eating its standard cat food, as it is packed with the right nutrition.
- Ignore your cat if it starts to beg for food.
- Forbid your cat from jumping onto the kitchen counter, begging or rummaging through the trash can. Say “no” in a loud voice.
- If your cat keeps jumping onto the dinner table, put it back down on the floor. If it stays on the floor, reward it with treats.
- Feed your cat only on the floor and on its own plate.
- If your cat insists on jumping on the table, you may place its bowl on a chair and allow it to take a peek, but never allow it on the table.
- Provide your cat’s meal before you eat with your family, so that your cat is less likely to disturb you during mealtime.
- Keep all food away from where your cat can reach it. Do not leave any unattended food on the table or on the kitchen counter.
- Use a cat deterrent spray to discourage your cat from coming near the table or kitchen area.
- Increase your cat’s activity. Provide interactive toys to keep your cat busy and expend energy, so that it no longer feels the urge to eat your food.
- Increase the number of daily meals for your cat. If you normally feed your cat twice a day, spread the same quantity of food over three meals. This will allow the cat to be full for most of the day and it will be less likely to want to steal your food.
Common Behavioral Problems Among Cats
- Obsessive licking
- Excessive vocalization
- Unwanted and destructive scratching
- Chewing
- Issues with the litter box
- Aggressive behavior
Conclusion
Cats are inquisitive and curious, and may eat human food out of curiosity and sheer fun. They are also great imitators, and may try to eat your food simply because they have seen you eat it. However, cats may also try to eat your food because they are too spoiled or pampered.
Image: istockphoto.com / Lubo Ivanko