Greetings dear readers and fluffy cat lovers! I wonder if your cat often “digs” the floor before drinking water from a bowl? Why do you think cats and kitties do that? Let’s figure it out together and find out their secret))

We have three cats of different ages living at home: Maxim, Kuzya and Petty. And they all kind of “dig” the floor next to the bowl before drinking, but they do it all in different ways, with varying degrees of activity and noisiness.

The most important and noisiest “digger” – it’s Petty. It is not enough for him just to rummage lightly on the floor, he must by all means “rattle” a plate! And if, God forbid, the bowl turns out to be empty, he shakes it out of its holder and starts to move it on the floor. Why he makes this noise, it is not clear, because the Petty is completely deaf.

So what are the main reasons for this unusual behavior of cats?

1. Natural instincts

As we know, domestic cats are descended from desert cats. In the wild, cats often have to get their own water by shoveling sand or earth, scavenging litter or leaves to get drunk.

Therefore, we can observe a similar behavior in the domestic cat. Even though no earth or leaves hide the coveted water, the instinct of wild ancestors has been perfectly preserved to this day.

2. Habits

The second theory is that the adult cat, even as a young kitten, had to knead the tummy of the mother cat in order to get delicious milk.

This instinct is especially pronounced in those animals that were weaned early from their mother.

Don’t like the water

Also, cats are very picky about their homes. They won’t go to a dirty litter box or refuse food if they suspect their bowl smells foreign. Not to mention water! They will refuse to drink stale water and may even go on “strike”).

This is about the same “strike” periodically arranges us Melky, when the water ran out, even in one of the bowls))) Watch this fun video.

Once you eliminate these annoying “joints”, your finicky will continue his meal or watering as usual.

4. “Marking” territory is required

This reason also exists, because the cat scratching the floor probably wants to mark his territory with pheromones. Experts in phenology tell us that cats have scent glands on their paws between their fingertips. Did you know that cats sweat just through their fingertips?!

And if there are several cats in the house, then you have to mark “their” territory with pheromones quite often.)

5. A bowl of water next to the food

Some cats hate it when water is near the food bowl. The whole point is that the smell of food can be so strong that the cat may think the water is tainted. Therefore, it is advisable to put water bowls separate from the feeding area.

Why does my cat scratch the floor before eating?

Cats are clean animals and want to keep their food and water area clean. Scratching the floor before eating is a way for them to clear up any hair or other particles from the floor. This also helps them to feel more comfortable while they eat.

How can I stop my cat from scratching the floor?

One of the most common reasons for scratching is that cats want to keep their claws sharp and their nails healthy. If you are worried about your floor getting scratched, try to put a scratch post in a place where your cat has easy access to it. Also, make sure that the scratching post is tall enough so that your cat can stretch up and use its back legs.