There’s a good chance you’ve had to deal with the occasional missing food. And if you’ve got a cat, that food is probably their primary source of nutrition.
So when your kitty’s food dish is perpetually empty, even after filling it up multiple times a day, it can be frustrating to figure out who’s taking the goods.
I’m not sure who was stealing the cat food, but I’ve finally figured it out. It wasn’t the dog this time – it was the cat!
We’ve been putting the cat food in the dish on the porch, and by the next morning, it’s gone. We thought maybe our cat was overeating, but this was not the case.
Finally, we caught the thief last night when we saw the neighbor’s dog sneak into our house and eat all the cat food.
Well, we may have finally solved the mystery.
While on the other side, according to recent research, most cases of pet food theft are caused by the family dog! So next time Fido starts eyeing your cat’s dinner bowl, don’t be so quick to punish them – they may just be trying to help out!
Also, read about the best hypoallergenic cat food with taurine, these foods are capable enough to deal with allergies without getting into veterinarian’s hands.
Tips to Stop Stealing Cat Food
- Put the cat’s food higher up Put: Put the dish on top of a cabinet or at any higher place where other pets cannot reach. It will make it harder for different pets to get to the food.
- Schedule feeding times: A particular feeding time allows cats to finish their meal in full and never leave anything in the bowl for other pets around.
- Use physical barriers: Get the pet gates in place and place obstacles to ensure only authorized pets access the feeding area. So no intruder will eat the food only served for the cat.
- Use an automatic pet feeder: Such machines come with pet tags that you can attach with their collars, and this will allow you to monitor who has access at specific times. Only pets with the tag get access to the feeding station.
- Teach your dog commands if He is the Culprit: If the dog is a good boy and doesn’t mind petting, you can use the “leave it” command. You can apply this when he walks in to steal food or when he looks like planning to do such a thing.
- Use your detective skills: If it is the case that other pets are still getting to the food or if your pet continues stealing, then all you need do is have a camera in place, and this way, you can follow up. The video recording should detect who has been eating from the cat’s dish.
- Finally, Use a Deterrent: If the same problem persists, use distasteful spray on the cat food. The idea is to keep other pets away from the food without making your pet uncomfortable.
Is the Bad for Your Cat
It’s terrible because this activity left the cat hungry many times, and she may start losing weight.
It is bad for the cat and indicates that your pet is starved. You can either figure out how they are getting into the food or put the dish on a higher spot.
You might think that putting it higher up will cause other pets to jump over and eat anyway, but that’s not true. If you choose to put it on top of the cabinet, most dogs won’t jump up for it; they will knock it down and eat whatever falls out. And stranger cats wouldn’t dare to go that up.
In a recent comparison, we compare Cat Food Premium vs Generic Brands to figure out which is best, hope it will educate you to make better decisions about your cat’s food.
What is the Most Preferred Solution
My most preferred solution is an automatic pet feeder that allows me to monitor who has accessed it at specific times.
This is also great for when I am on vacation or just out of the house for a couple of hours.
The most important thing you should know about automatic feeders is that they come with tags so only pets with them can access the feeding station.
They also have anti-jamming technology, which is very helpful if the machine jams up.