Have you ever wondered why your cat can be so obsessed about cleaning his paws, and yet can be so messy whenever he’s eating? Don’t start thinking that it’s your cat dish that needs to be constantly changed, it’s not. When it comes to cat’s eating behavior, the cat dish has nothing to do with it.
Do you know that no matter how home tamed your cat is, he still has his natural hunting instincts, and these show specially when he is eating. Cats do have a natural tendency to play with their food on the plate. If your cat quickly scatters the cat nibbles that you placed nicely on the plate, the cat is “hunting” for that perfect bite.
When he does find it, he would normally try to hide it, either under the table or behind a chair. You may even find it upsetting that he would continuously play with the food before he starts eating it.
You will just feel frustrated, if you don’t try and understand your cat’s behavior. It is but a natural thing for cats to show this kind of behavior, so do not scold nor hurt your cat whenever he spreads his food around.
Your cat has his wild nature, no matter how comfortable your place may be. His instinct tell him he is a cat on the loose. Your cat will treat food as if he is out in the wild hunting for it. He will do this, even if you interrupt him by picking up the food and placing it on the dish.
Your cat simply likes spending his time catching and stalking prey for food. Notice how most cats will catch a mouse, play with it a little bit, torture it, let it go and then chase it again. In a cat’s mind, his dinner is more appetizing if he plays with his prey first. When everything is in order, his food neatly placed on his dish, two times a day like a pampered cat, he is then missing an activity which is second nature to him. A part of him will always instinctively crave the wild chase.
So don’t take it seriously when your cat plays with his food. If he doesn’t get into some chasing activity, he’ll only turn into a fat fur ball, and will just be lazy. This is not really good for your cat’s health, and having mice inside your home that he could chase around is not an option, either.
You can buy your cat some cat toys like those with refillable centers where you can place snacks. Put these toys all around your house so it can motivate your cat to play and discover the snacks. It will make him feel like he’s conquering his prey, because he had to first find the toy, play with it a little and then discover what’s inside. Use only dry foods that do not spoil easily. These toys are the perfect alternatives to a live prey!
Ted Sikkink, is very much into helping people making better choices using internet marketing and social media.
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/expert/T_Sikkink/510088
Good job. Nice article.