She's trying to bury her leftovers. This is an instinct retained by some cats from their undomesticated days. When cats lived in the wild, it was prudent to cover any remaining food, both to hide the scent from predators and to preserve it for eating later.

My cats both do this too. They were both semi-feral kittens, so the behavior also had a practical application in their lives and was likely trained into them by their mother. If your cat ever lived outdoors, the behavior may be more deeply-rooted in her as well.

I don't know that there's anything you can do to stop her, as this behavior may be deep in her psyche. Maybe as she gets older, she'll realize that it's not necessary to "bury" and stop on her own. Ralphie doesn't always "bury" his food anymore, but Randy does it every time. I don't know if Ralphie knows it's not necessary, or just figures Randy will take care of it.

I suggest you put the food bowl on a mat to protect your floor, and move it away from doors and walls.

Ralphie & Randy answered on 2/10/12. Helpful? / 0