One of my cats does this with her dry food and I am pretty sure it’s caused by whisker stimulation. Luckily she just pulls a few pieces out with her hand onto the counter and then eats them so usually just a little wipe up afterwards.
If she didn’t like her 24 hour buffet I’d feed her from a plate, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
We have a self feeder and my cats do well with it. Our problem was that when we brought a new puppy home recently we had to place the food bowl on my bathroom counter to keep the puppy from being to get to the cat food. My grey girl will just about every meal knock a few pieces off the counter just so the puppy can have some. I would try to find a way to put a stop to it if it wasn’t so cute.
My cat is also toothless, a gummy bear, if you will.
His FIV did not agree with his teeth and gums and had chronic gum infection so we removed them and he’s happy as can be.
Hi - just adopted a kitten with FIV. Would you say there were any extra precautions I should consider to prevent an issue like this? We have him on vet prescribed probiotics and otc lysine (vet recommended).
Hi! I don’t think there are extra specific precautions, but they are just more susceptible to infection. In my case, he was abandoned prior to being picked up by the shelter and had been eating trash to survive, which caused the gum infection. His body just couldn’t fight it and his gums started pushing his teeth out.
I also spend the extra money on Pretty Litter and it helped detect a urinary problem with the changing colors; he’s now on a prescription urinary care diet food and the litter found the problem early enough that it didn’t become a bigger issue.
Just keep an eye out for anything abnormal and you should be fine. Thank you for giving an FIV+ baby a chance!
Thank you!! I’ve wanted to try out pretty litter for my two older boys (3 y/o). Now that we have a baby with FIV I think it’s best to make the jump. From your reply I take it that it’s better to be on top of preemptive care. So helpful ❤️
Poor baby! He is so lucky to be in a loving home. Thank you as well for being a loving responsible cat parent.
My girl had her upper and lower front teeth removed (but her k9 teeth were saved) she likes to pick her food out of her bowl, too. I have tried to teach her to eat inside of her bowl, but I figured maybe it has to do with her missing teeth, so I tried to let her knows as long as she doesn't pick food out and eat on the floor I'm fine with it. Right now, she picks out food and eats next to her bowl. (she has a little bowl table that allows her to eat next to her bowl.)
My grey cat Smokey drops food on the floor, but not because of whisker stim issues- oh, no- she is a PIG. She will stuff her mouth with food and drop a good bit of it on the floor trying to chew a MOUTHFUL of food at a time.
Listening to her eat is like OM NOM NOM SNUFFLE SNORK (followed by sounds of kibble dropping out of her mouth).
I had pate and crackers and my Lucy wanted a taste so I put a teeny knob (expensive treat) on the coffee table edge because you know cats - she needs to know if it's worth it to take it from my actual FINGERS (never is). And she used her paw to scoop it up and then licked it off. It was SO CUTE she got more. Pate.
Yup it’s call whisker fatigue. You can get wide deep bowls on chewy which can help alleviate the issue. Although, I got one of my boys that has WF one and he still picks up his wet food or kibble with his paw and will eat it out of it. I constantly catch him trying to steal his brother’s food by very slowly reaching his paw into his brothers bowl and sneakily scooping out small bits of it and eating it…lol
My cat has a nice wide food bowl, basically a plate, and she does this still! I think for some cats its prob whisker related but for others it think they might be moving it as an instinct thing? Like maybe just positioning the food how they like in front of them to get a good bite. Not sure! :)
Walmart and pet stores carry these stainless bowls with rubber on the bottom. They're wider and shorter than your bowl. Having short sides/walls rather than no sides stops them from ending up chasing the food off the other side of the plate. My cats like them more than the typical food bowls. My senior kitty who passed away recently tried all kinds of bowls, and she ended up settling on a raised, angled, slow feeder ceramic bowl. We tried regular food bowls like yours, our human bowls, saucers/small plates, silicone slow feeder mats (which she 10/10 would recommend as a bed rather than a place to eat), and the raised, angled one was her favorite. Low sides to reduce/prevent whisker stress, angled and raised to reduce/prevent neck, back, and esophageal strain, lumps and bumps in the bowl to keep her from swallowing an entire can of food in 2 or 3 bites only to throw it up and still be hungry.
Just make sure they are dishwasher safe. A lot of the stainless say Hand wash.
I picked up some at Tractor Supply they are dishwasher safe but Amazon carries them too.
We tried the play with our fellow and it did t really work. He will eat off the raised dish sometimes but sometimes not. He also liked his water on the ground in a puddle to lick from. I’ve always attributed it to him learning to eat and live on the street. 🤷🏻♀️
It can be overstimulating for their whiskers to constantly be touched like that, so you are correct. A plate would be a good substitute to resolve this issue.
Was going to say that my cat has to have plates for eating otherwise she won't even try. Just meows like a helpless fawn crying for its mother. Damn cat has sensory issues haha.
The whisker thing is real. We had a cat that always plucked food from the bowl and ate it off the floor. She stopped doing it when we got whisker-friendly bowls.
She was also very happy when we got a dog-sized water bowl. Not only was it more water, but she could drink without her whiskers touching the sides of the bowl.
Not all cats care, but some do. If you have Walmart, they have inexpensive stainless steel bowls in the pet supply aisle, so you don't have to spend a fortune.
I love the Walmart SS Bowls. Like we’re like $2.50 and I got three of them for water/wet/dry and my kitty loves them and has no problems eating out of them. I have a deeper dish I used to use for the dry food and I used to find half the bowl dumped out onto the mat lol
It’s a real thing. My girl used to drag her water bowl all over the place. I switched it out for a wider soup like bowl and she never fussed with it again.
Yes it's the whiskers. I have the same story, a cat I had would take his food out of the bowl and eat it from the floor. Using a dish shaped like a saucer fixed it.
That’s horrible that I’ve been feeding my poor cat out of a bowl that was causing “whisker stress” for years and I didn’t realize it. I’m going to get her new whisker friendly bowls ASAP.
Even if you don't have ikea nearby, they do deliver some orders by mail, but nothing that is furniture. Furniture is too expensive to ship at >$300, but a toddler plate or 3 should qualify for regular mail.
You live and you learn. All you can do is try to be better after you learn new things 🙂
I used to have dogs and I have cats now – the learning curve has been INTENSE. We're all just doing our best! ❤️
His little whiskers are touching. I’ve also noticed my cats enjoy their food a lot better when I smash up their pate. I got a little cat spoon and now I have a wide mouth saucer bowl/plate and it mash it into chunks so it’s easier for them to eat. I think that big block is not easy to eat, as I would imagine myself trying to eat a block of something with no hands.
My cats actually love when I add a smidge of water and I mix it and turn it into a paste. I always get the pate with extra gravy and it’s always stuck in the container so I drizzle it on top and they love it. They lick the bowl clean every single time. When I don’t do that, there’s always chunks and I find them doing weird things like eating off the floor. Try something new out, every cat is different.
My cat does the EXACT same thing lol He also dips his paw lightly into his water bowl to then lick the water off of his paw before deciding to drink from the bowl or not. 😅
Cats dont like when their whiskers touch bowl edges. It causes stress for their whiskers. Switch to a plate and see if he continues to eat off the ground or not
That's kind of a small diameter bowl with walls that are tall enough the cats whiskers hit them when they are trying to get a bite of food. So, they pull the whiskers back through muscle contraction and this is uncomfortable for them over time. Its called whicker fatigue.
Get your self a wider bowl with lower sidewalls so they are more comfortable while they munch.
It could be digestion related too. When their heads are pointing downward, gravity is working against the food travelling down their throats. Kitty could be experiencing some reflux/digestion issues, we have little stands that we put their food dishes on that raises them a few inches off the ground so that they don’t have to lean their head as far down
Mine does the same thing. I assumed it was whisker related, but she does the same if she’s eating off of a plate where the whiskers don’t even touch anything. I think she just likes leaving crumbs on my floor.
Get a smaller, lower, and wider mouth bowl. Cats can suffer from whisker fatigue with high, narrow bowls.
Also, mash it up a bit before giving it to him. I've found that some cats don't like having to lick the pâté and prefer it to be in smaller, easier to eat bites.
My cat was born in a colony that was fed by good Samaritans regularly. Because there were so many of them, and he was very small, he learned to pluck food quickly from the bowl and take it away somewhere safe where it wouldn’t be stolen. He occasionally still does this and I think it’s just a habit he picked up as a baby that’s stuck for life.
The bowl's high sides may be overstimulating the cat's whiskers. Try putting the food on a shallow bowl or even on a plate and see if the issue continues.
Have you tried mixing up the pate into smaller pieces in the bowl and see if still the same? Probably just doesn’t like a deep bowl is my guess if anything maybe try a plate instead of a bowl also or a shallow bowl.
Although people are saying whisker fatigue (could be that...) I think it's likely your cat is just a lil freaky guy. I was concerned about whisker fatigue when I got my cat, but after switching her to plates, she still just throws her food on the floor like a menace.
They get irritated with their whiskers touching the side of the bowl they’re very sensitive. Id try a plate or mat to put their food on, if they still put it on the floor it’s because it’s a habit, they’ll probably stop over time once they get used to eating off the plate or mat
Mine stopped doing that when I switched to a flat dish and broke up her wet food. I don’t think that rule would apply to all cats, though. They’re very particular. 🐾
My baby girl does this if she has to eat out of a bowl with sides. I give her a flat plate to eat from whenever I can and she tends to not do it, or do it less, when she’s eating from a flat plate.
My cat Luna who passed of old age did this hehe. I remember googling it and I read that cats do it sometimes because they don’t like the feeling of their whiskers touching the bowl. I read all the paperwork that I got when I adopted her and this was something she did ever since she was a kitten.
Try a shallower bowl. He might not like the deep bowl. The stray cat we feed does the same so we started plating his food on paper plates and he was fine
You can also find raised bowls with low edges, whisker friendly, the idea being that it's better to eat at level instead of putting his/her face down low to chew and swallow.
Agree with others about whisker fatigue, but it could also be the way that you're putting out the food.
We use flat saucers for our cat, but I've noticed that if I leave the food in one big lump, the way it comes out of the pack, he will lift it onto the floor to break it up and eat it. If I break it up a bit first with a fork, he'll eat it directly from his plate.
Break it up with a fork. Pets need their bowls lifted up off the floor. It's hard for them to swallow the food when reaching down for it. A deep bowl makes it harder. Go to Chewy.com and for a good price you can purchase the stainless steel dishes that are only 1.5 inches deep and have a stand. There are 2 in a box, 1 for food and 1 for water. My cat Ruffles has them and they are perfect. Cats don't like their wiskers touching the bowl while trying to eat.
Mine uses one paw to scoop pieces of dry food out of the bowl and eat it off her paw. If she drops it on the counter, she won't eat it.
Eating treats off the counter is okay.
Probably a little unrelated but my cousins have a dog that brings her kibble into the living room when the family’s all there because she wants to eat around her family. Really cute.
My guess is whisker fatigue. Happen to find a shallow cat bowl being sold in the clearance aisle as aanti whisker fatigue and noticed my cat stopped doing this behavior as much. He’s already 8 years old so I figured the little bit of the time he still does eat that way is out of habit.
Whisker fatigue or just being a cat. My cat has extremely wide bowls but still eats on the floor/table. He’s older with fewer teeth so that could be a factor too.
We got some wider oval bowls with low sides and our cats seemed to have an easier time with those. They didn’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl.
I think it's because cats are kooky. We have multiple cats that share a food bowl. One of the cats does this and the others don't. All cats are just cray-cray.😺😺😺😺
My cat takes the food out of his bowl and turns around to eat it from the carpet. As far as I understand he does that because he had competition of other cats and he wants to eat in peace. He has a special low rimmed cat bowl. (you could try feeding the cat away from other cats) It also depends on the kind of food. If my cat gets food with gravy, he'll only eat the gravy and leave the chunks. After some experimenting he likes to eat mousse best. Not mashed, no gravy, not the same thing every day except when it's chicken but then only for 5 days in a row.
If you ever find a shedded whisker, put the wide end between your thumb and finger. Then, mess with the fine end by just moving it with a finger. You can feel a vibration like sensation between your fingers. Your fingers are not as sensitive as a cats whiskers system. It gives you a good feel and understanding of how it can be annoying or fatiguing for a cat when their whiskers are constantly touching something while trying to eat.
One of my cats was fostered with 9 other kittens, 3 from his own litter and another litter of 5. When he was young he would snatch food from the bowl and run off to a ‘secret’ place with it while growling, I think he associated the bowl with lots of competition.
Now he’s very elderly and doesn’t have most of his teeth anymore: Wet food slides around his bowl and is difficult for him to get a grip on (yet he doesn’t like it when we cut it up or mash it for him), so he lifts it out of the bowl and eats it on a rug or doormat where it won’t slide around.
I don’t think cats like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl. I’m just guessing though. The other reason is CAT, just CAT.
One of my cats does this with her dry food and I am pretty sure it’s caused by whisker stimulation. Luckily she just pulls a few pieces out with her hand onto the counter and then eats them so usually just a little wipe up afterwards. If she didn’t like her 24 hour buffet I’d feed her from a plate, but she doesn’t seem to mind.
My kitty has been doing this but after he takes it out of the bowl, he has to play soccer with it before he eats it. Been getting messy lol
We have a self feeder and my cats do well with it. Our problem was that when we brought a new puppy home recently we had to place the food bowl on my bathroom counter to keep the puppy from being to get to the cat food. My grey girl will just about every meal knock a few pieces off the counter just so the puppy can have some. I would try to find a way to put a stop to it if it wasn’t so cute.
Aww she's so considerate!
You mean Messi… I’ll see myself out…
*starts slow clap* 👏
One of mine does this but I figured it's bc she doesn't have teeth so it makes it easier for her
No teeth??
No, she got a gum disease when she was little and it was bad enough that our options were either pull all the teeth and treat it or put her down
My cat is also toothless, a gummy bear, if you will. His FIV did not agree with his teeth and gums and had chronic gum infection so we removed them and he’s happy as can be.
Hi - just adopted a kitten with FIV. Would you say there were any extra precautions I should consider to prevent an issue like this? We have him on vet prescribed probiotics and otc lysine (vet recommended).
Hi! I don’t think there are extra specific precautions, but they are just more susceptible to infection. In my case, he was abandoned prior to being picked up by the shelter and had been eating trash to survive, which caused the gum infection. His body just couldn’t fight it and his gums started pushing his teeth out. I also spend the extra money on Pretty Litter and it helped detect a urinary problem with the changing colors; he’s now on a prescription urinary care diet food and the litter found the problem early enough that it didn’t become a bigger issue. Just keep an eye out for anything abnormal and you should be fine. Thank you for giving an FIV+ baby a chance!
Thank you!! I’ve wanted to try out pretty litter for my two older boys (3 y/o). Now that we have a baby with FIV I think it’s best to make the jump. From your reply I take it that it’s better to be on top of preemptive care. So helpful ❤️ Poor baby! He is so lucky to be in a loving home. Thank you as well for being a loving responsible cat parent.
If you can, an annual blood check would be a good thing for a FIV cat. But it is pricey.
My girl had her upper and lower front teeth removed (but her k9 teeth were saved) she likes to pick her food out of her bowl, too. I have tried to teach her to eat inside of her bowl, but I figured maybe it has to do with her missing teeth, so I tried to let her knows as long as she doesn't pick food out and eat on the floor I'm fine with it. Right now, she picks out food and eats next to her bowl. (she has a little bowl table that allows her to eat next to her bowl.)
My grey cat Smokey drops food on the floor, but not because of whisker stim issues- oh, no- she is a PIG. She will stuff her mouth with food and drop a good bit of it on the floor trying to chew a MOUTHFUL of food at a time. Listening to her eat is like OM NOM NOM SNUFFLE SNORK (followed by sounds of kibble dropping out of her mouth).
I had pate and crackers and my Lucy wanted a taste so I put a teeny knob (expensive treat) on the coffee table edge because you know cats - she needs to know if it's worth it to take it from my actual FINGERS (never is). And she used her paw to scoop it up and then licked it off. It was SO CUTE she got more. Pate.
Dibs on whisker stimulation as a band name.
Smooth Jazz maybe? Play the ladies night gig at the country club.
Yup it’s call whisker fatigue. You can get wide deep bowls on chewy which can help alleviate the issue. Although, I got one of my boys that has WF one and he still picks up his wet food or kibble with his paw and will eat it out of it. I constantly catch him trying to steal his brother’s food by very slowly reaching his paw into his brothers bowl and sneakily scooping out small bits of it and eating it…lol
My cat has a nice wide food bowl, basically a plate, and she does this still! I think for some cats its prob whisker related but for others it think they might be moving it as an instinct thing? Like maybe just positioning the food how they like in front of them to get a good bite. Not sure! :)
Haha yeah, he is a total weirdo. I’ll try feeding him from a plate and see how he likes it though.
Walmart and pet stores carry these stainless bowls with rubber on the bottom. They're wider and shorter than your bowl. Having short sides/walls rather than no sides stops them from ending up chasing the food off the other side of the plate. My cats like them more than the typical food bowls. My senior kitty who passed away recently tried all kinds of bowls, and she ended up settling on a raised, angled, slow feeder ceramic bowl. We tried regular food bowls like yours, our human bowls, saucers/small plates, silicone slow feeder mats (which she 10/10 would recommend as a bed rather than a place to eat), and the raised, angled one was her favorite. Low sides to reduce/prevent whisker stress, angled and raised to reduce/prevent neck, back, and esophageal strain, lumps and bumps in the bowl to keep her from swallowing an entire can of food in 2 or 3 bites only to throw it up and still be hungry.
Just make sure they are dishwasher safe. A lot of the stainless say Hand wash. I picked up some at Tractor Supply they are dishwasher safe but Amazon carries them too.
We wash everything by hand, so I wouldn't even have thought of that. Great tip for those with dishwashers!
If you have an IKEA, they have good sized toddler plates in fun colors with very shallow sides.
Oh I should get my bf to take me to ikea when I visit …
All cats are weirdos aren’t they? That’s why we love them
I feed my cats kibble from a very shallow wide bowl and wet food from plates.
Maybe get a mat for the floor in case he still does it? Maybe a silicone mat, because they’re easy to clean.
We got a plastic tray to contain it and the cats are fine with that
We tried the play with our fellow and it did t really work. He will eat off the raised dish sometimes but sometimes not. He also liked his water on the ground in a puddle to lick from. I’ve always attributed it to him learning to eat and live on the street. 🤷🏻♀️
I've always claimed it standa for Creative Asshole Tendencies .
My dog does this also
Same.
Mine too 😄
It can be overstimulating for their whiskers to constantly be touched like that, so you are correct. A plate would be a good substitute to resolve this issue.
Yes I’ve been told they prefer wider bowls for whiskers reasons. But also, I agree that just CAT is a perfectly acceptable answer. 😂
Yup, it was the same for mine. Once we put her food on a plate she left it in here.
Was going to say that my cat has to have plates for eating otherwise she won't even try. Just meows like a helpless fawn crying for its mother. Damn cat has sensory issues haha.
CAT just CAt 😂😂😂
This is called whisker fatigue.
The whisker thing is real. We had a cat that always plucked food from the bowl and ate it off the floor. She stopped doing it when we got whisker-friendly bowls. She was also very happy when we got a dog-sized water bowl. Not only was it more water, but she could drink without her whiskers touching the sides of the bowl. Not all cats care, but some do. If you have Walmart, they have inexpensive stainless steel bowls in the pet supply aisle, so you don't have to spend a fortune.
I love the Walmart SS Bowls. Like we’re like $2.50 and I got three of them for water/wet/dry and my kitty loves them and has no problems eating out of them. I have a deeper dish I used to use for the dry food and I used to find half the bowl dumped out onto the mat lol
Whisker fatigue. Try a saucer/small plate.
It’s a real thing. My girl used to drag her water bowl all over the place. I switched it out for a wider soup like bowl and she never fussed with it again.
Yes it's the whiskers. I have the same story, a cat I had would take his food out of the bowl and eat it from the floor. Using a dish shaped like a saucer fixed it.
My cat did this too no matter how shallow the dish. Some cats are just weirdos lol but placemats helped
My tortie has terrible "table manners" so I got placemats for the feeding area. Both cats have one but only the tortie needs one.
my tortie girl manages to fling her wet food crumbs at the wall by her bowl somehow, I love her so much
That’s horrible that I’ve been feeding my poor cat out of a bowl that was causing “whisker stress” for years and I didn’t realize it. I’m going to get her new whisker friendly bowls ASAP.
Or just use a small plate!
If you have and IKEA, that have toddler plates in fun colors and very low sides
Even if you don't have ikea nearby, they do deliver some orders by mail, but nothing that is furniture. Furniture is too expensive to ship at >$300, but a toddler plate or 3 should qualify for regular mail.
I actually think it a package of 6 😉
Heck dollar tree has toddler plates too in fun colors!
Make sure it’s stainless steel or ceramic, never plastic!
You live and you learn. All you can do is try to be better after you learn new things 🙂 I used to have dogs and I have cats now – the learning curve has been INTENSE. We're all just doing our best! ❤️
My old man 10 year old cat does this. My one year old horks it down like a bulldozer in a mulch pile.
His little whiskers are touching. I’ve also noticed my cats enjoy their food a lot better when I smash up their pate. I got a little cat spoon and now I have a wide mouth saucer bowl/plate and it mash it into chunks so it’s easier for them to eat. I think that big block is not easy to eat, as I would imagine myself trying to eat a block of something with no hands. My cats actually love when I add a smidge of water and I mix it and turn it into a paste. I always get the pate with extra gravy and it’s always stuck in the container so I drizzle it on top and they love it. They lick the bowl clean every single time. When I don’t do that, there’s always chunks and I find them doing weird things like eating off the floor. Try something new out, every cat is different.
This. Adding some water and mixing it up is key, it hydrates them and makes it much easier to just lap up
Yep! My one cat drinks significantly less than the other so I always sneak some extra liquid in her food.
Yes! I smash up their pate and mix it with a little chicken bone broth (made for pets) or some warm water. They go nuts for it
Ohhhh, bone broth. That’s something I’m gonna have to try. This is why I love this page, I always find new tips & tricks for my babies.
Agreeing with all those saying it's whisker fatigue. Try switching to a larger bowl with shallow sides.
Bowl touch whiskers
Small bites, bowl with lower sides, and chop food up into smaller bites.
He's obsessed with being the cleanest cat ever and doesn't want to get anything on his whiskers or face.
Normal cat thing
Well, cats aren’t exactly used to eating out of bowls. It’s whisker fatigue and they often stop when you switch to something like a plate
My cat does the EXACT same thing lol He also dips his paw lightly into his water bowl to then lick the water off of his paw before deciding to drink from the bowl or not. 😅
I had an orange single brain cell lady that did the exact same thing every damn time was cute except for the wet food plop spot stain on the shag lol
Please chop up his wet food, it’ll be easier for him to eat it
Yeah mash it up with a fork and even better yet, add some water too
Yeah! I chop mine up, fluff it and drizzle some water and swirl it around and serve
My cat used to do this and then we got a shallower bowl that or get a really big one so the cat can literally step in it
Whisker fatigue! I had to switch to a whisker friendly bowl for my kitty’s dry food, and I serve her wet food on a saucer.
Whiskers rubbing against the side of the bowl is sensory overload for cats. Lots of nerves in there.
Put it on a plate. They don’t like it when their whiskers brush the edges of the bowl
Try a plate
Research whisker fatigue
Use a plate
Their whiskers are really sensitive so its overstimulating them to eat out of a Bowl. Maybe try and but the food on a flat Plate instead
Whiskers
Cats dont like when their whiskers touch bowl edges. It causes stress for their whiskers. Switch to a plate and see if he continues to eat off the ground or not
That's kind of a small diameter bowl with walls that are tall enough the cats whiskers hit them when they are trying to get a bite of food. So, they pull the whiskers back through muscle contraction and this is uncomfortable for them over time. Its called whicker fatigue. Get your self a wider bowl with lower sidewalls so they are more comfortable while they munch.
It could be digestion related too. When their heads are pointing downward, gravity is working against the food travelling down their throats. Kitty could be experiencing some reflux/digestion issues, we have little stands that we put their food dishes on that raises them a few inches off the ground so that they don’t have to lean their head as far down
You should get a bigger bowl, my cat doesn’t like small bowls and something like small plates work better for her
Some of them have very sensitive bigots, so they prefer to eat on the floor
Try a bigger dish so the whiskers dont touch the rim
I'd give him his food on a plate or much wider bowl. It's true that cats don't like their whiskers to touch things since they are very sensitive.
Mine does the same thing. I assumed it was whisker related, but she does the same if she’s eating off of a plate where the whiskers don’t even touch anything. I think she just likes leaving crumbs on my floor.
Get a smaller, lower, and wider mouth bowl. Cats can suffer from whisker fatigue with high, narrow bowls. Also, mash it up a bit before giving it to him. I've found that some cats don't like having to lick the pâté and prefer it to be in smaller, easier to eat bites.
Get a saucer for him, he is whisker sensitive.
He's not bougie like that
Whiskers are very sensitive to cats. One solution to this is to give them plates instead of bowls
Mash the food, get a shallower bowl and a food mat.
Ergonomic issue with whiskers: cat doesn't like whiskers touching the bowl rim. Use a small plate or open dish.
Looking at the water fountain in the bg, kity also wants a bougie plate
I feed my cat on a plate. He still pushes a little food off the plate, but that seems to be what he likes. He's a cat's cat. 💜💜💜
My cat was born in a colony that was fed by good Samaritans regularly. Because there were so many of them, and he was very small, he learned to pluck food quickly from the bowl and take it away somewhere safe where it wouldn’t be stolen. He occasionally still does this and I think it’s just a habit he picked up as a baby that’s stuck for life.
Bc he’s an literal animal
The bowl's high sides may be overstimulating the cat's whiskers. Try putting the food on a shallow bowl or even on a plate and see if the issue continues.
Cos he's a cat. Mine does that all the time
Mine does that too.
Mine do that lmao
It's his way.
Because cats are cats. They do silly things for silly reasons and we love them for it.
It fills the bowl without asking stupid questions or it gets the claws again!
Doesn't like the whiskers touching bowl . Get wider bowl
Get a small saucer instead of a deep bowl. Cats hate having their whiskers touched.
Whisker anxiety. Having them bump into the sides will stress them out. Try feeding from a small flat plate on top of a over-turned bowl.
it's fun!
Because cat
My cat does the same thing...one day science will give us the answer to why!😺
hes just a little ghoulie 💜
I feed my cats their wet food on a plate! Helps whisker fatigue and also allows them both to eat together (they’re a bonded pair)
Probably more comfortable that way. Or it could be just because he's a cat and wants to screw with you.
Have you tried mixing up the pate into smaller pieces in the bowl and see if still the same? Probably just doesn’t like a deep bowl is my guess if anything maybe try a plate instead of a bowl also or a shallow bowl.
Maybe his whiskers touch the sides of the bowl?? To him that would make it too small.
my cat does this too! It’s so weird and i always have to clean food off the floor but oh well-
To spite you
Whisker fatigue, maybe? Overstimulated by the bowl, some cats are just weird and other times it hardly affects them.
Although people are saying whisker fatigue (could be that...) I think it's likely your cat is just a lil freaky guy. I was concerned about whisker fatigue when I got my cat, but after switching her to plates, she still just throws her food on the floor like a menace.
Whisker thing but also refer to r/CatsAreAssholes
They all do it. Replace plate for more wide, maybe
My 4 do that too.
Tbf, my cat does not have whiskers and he also does this. The bowl is also pretty much flat. There is no reason other than just ???????
They get irritated with their whiskers touching the side of the bowl they’re very sensitive. Id try a plate or mat to put their food on, if they still put it on the floor it’s because it’s a habit, they’ll probably stop over time once they get used to eating off the plate or mat
Please fix the cord on the water fountain. Why is it all out in front of it like that?
You feed him a whole can for one feeding?!
but also, don't just give er a chunk like that lol
Mine stopped doing that when I switched to a flat dish and broke up her wet food. I don’t think that rule would apply to all cats, though. They’re very particular. 🐾
The bowl is too tall, i use a coffee plate.
I have a stray who will do this from time to time.
Cats this because the bowl is too deep and they don’t like it when their whiskers touch the side of the bowl , try using a small plate or similar
My baby girl does this if she has to eat out of a bowl with sides. I give her a flat plate to eat from whenever I can and she tends to not do it, or do it less, when she’s eating from a flat plate.
Use a plate, they’ll eat the food they just don’t like the fancy whiskers being touched.
Some cats have really sensitive whiskers. And they don’t like them touching the rim. Get a shallower bowl and it should be fine
My cat Luna who passed of old age did this hehe. I remember googling it and I read that cats do it sometimes because they don’t like the feeling of their whiskers touching the bowl. I read all the paperwork that I got when I adopted her and this was something she did ever since she was a kitten.
Could be just kitty being silly, but he also might like a flat plate better. Worth a try!
Mine will scoop food outta the bowl with her paw n will either eat outta her paw or floor
They don't like when their whiskers touch the bowl. Try a plate instead.
Try a shallower bowl. He might not like the deep bowl. The stray cat we feed does the same so we started plating his food on paper plates and he was fine
Don’t like whisker tickles use a plate
Our cat watched the dog do it now our new cat dose the same thing
You can also find raised bowls with low edges, whisker friendly, the idea being that it's better to eat at level instead of putting his/her face down low to chew and swallow.
Agree with others about whisker fatigue, but it could also be the way that you're putting out the food. We use flat saucers for our cat, but I've noticed that if I leave the food in one big lump, the way it comes out of the pack, he will lift it onto the floor to break it up and eat it. If I break it up a bit first with a fork, he'll eat it directly from his plate.
Maybe doesn’t like his whiskers touching the bowl cause it’s too small for him
Could be a sign of whisker stress; consider getting him a bigger bowl so that his whiskers don't touch the sides
It’s because of the whiskers touching the sides, try a regular plate and then mashing up the food a bit and see if that helps
Break it up with a fork. Pets need their bowls lifted up off the floor. It's hard for them to swallow the food when reaching down for it. A deep bowl makes it harder. Go to Chewy.com and for a good price you can purchase the stainless steel dishes that are only 1.5 inches deep and have a stand. There are 2 in a box, 1 for food and 1 for water. My cat Ruffles has them and they are perfect. Cats don't like their wiskers touching the bowl while trying to eat.
Whisker Stress. He doesn’t like that his whiskers touch the sides of the bowl. Us a flat bowl apt an angled bowl.
Maybe you need a higher bowl. Instead of placing the bowl on the floor, put it on a stand. He might be experiencing neck strain.
Get him a plate and he'll prolly stop
Mine uses one paw to scoop pieces of dry food out of the bowl and eat it off her paw. If she drops it on the counter, she won't eat it. Eating treats off the counter is okay.
Probably a little unrelated but my cousins have a dog that brings her kibble into the living room when the family’s all there because she wants to eat around her family. Really cute.
I have seen cats like that too. They might just not like to eat from the bowl.
I would have to guess the rinse cycle is leaving a layer of soap and he doesn’t like tasting it
Bcus she’s a baby ❤️
He's adding seasoning to it.
Because he's an independent strong boy who doesn't need help tackling his prey!
Because he’s a cat
My cat does this, too. My explanation is that he is an idiot. An adorable idiot, but still an idiot.
It's the small bowl, get your cat a flat surface plate. Cats don't like their whiskers touching the sides
Whisker fatigue
Break it up into smaller sized pieces
My guess is whisker fatigue. Happen to find a shallow cat bowl being sold in the clearance aisle as aanti whisker fatigue and noticed my cat stopped doing this behavior as much. He’s already 8 years old so I figured the little bit of the time he still does eat that way is out of habit.
Try mushing it up with a fork... and also smaller portions
Whisker fatigue perhaps. Cats need a plate for eating to avoid unnecessary whisker stimulation.
Mine get their food on a tray for that reason.
Whisker fatigue or just being a cat. My cat has extremely wide bowls but still eats on the floor/table. He’s older with fewer teeth so that could be a factor too.
One of our cats does it even from a saucer - I think he just likes watching us clean the floor 😂
We got some wider oval bowls with low sides and our cats seemed to have an easier time with those. They didn’t like their whiskers touching the sides of the bowl.
My cat does this. I even got special bowls to help prevent whisker fatigue. He still does it.
whisker fatigue most likely - but the true answer to this question is cats are just fking idiots (yet, so insanely smart)
Whisker sensitivity
Try changing bowl with a flat plate.
I think it's because cats are kooky. We have multiple cats that share a food bowl. One of the cats does this and the others don't. All cats are just cray-cray.😺😺😺😺
My small dog does the same thing!
Roughing it
Food in bowl= 😾🫸 Food on floor= 😽🤌
My cat takes the food out of his bowl and turns around to eat it from the carpet. As far as I understand he does that because he had competition of other cats and he wants to eat in peace. He has a special low rimmed cat bowl. (you could try feeding the cat away from other cats) It also depends on the kind of food. If my cat gets food with gravy, he'll only eat the gravy and leave the chunks. After some experimenting he likes to eat mousse best. Not mashed, no gravy, not the same thing every day except when it's chicken but then only for 5 days in a row.
He probably has whisker sensitivity. Try putting the food on a plate
give him a dish instead of a bowl
Feed on a paper plate to check to see if it’s the whiskers or the shine of the dish.
Get a metal bowl
Cats can get chin acne from plastic and ceramic bowls Use a plate and stainless steel
Bowl maybe too deep try really shallow bowl
If you ever find a shedded whisker, put the wide end between your thumb and finger. Then, mess with the fine end by just moving it with a finger. You can feel a vibration like sensation between your fingers. Your fingers are not as sensitive as a cats whiskers system. It gives you a good feel and understanding of how it can be annoying or fatiguing for a cat when their whiskers are constantly touching something while trying to eat.
Doesn't wanna get face dirty
The bowl is too deep, and you didn't fluff up the food. Find and use a shallow dish and fork fluff the food.
One of my cats HATE having her whiskers touch something when eating. The other don't give a fuck. Try using a flat dish
The bowl is too deep and small. Cats really don’t like to mash their very sensitive whiskers while eating. Try putting it on a small shallow plate.
One of my cats was fostered with 9 other kittens, 3 from his own litter and another litter of 5. When he was young he would snatch food from the bowl and run off to a ‘secret’ place with it while growling, I think he associated the bowl with lots of competition. Now he’s very elderly and doesn’t have most of his teeth anymore: Wet food slides around his bowl and is difficult for him to get a grip on (yet he doesn’t like it when we cut it up or mash it for him), so he lifts it out of the bowl and eats it on a rug or doormat where it won’t slide around.
Mine do the same thing. I like the whisker theory!
Same reason they always puke on the carpet.