Cat's Table Etiquette

We've all been brought up to understand a level of dinner table etiquette. Don't chew with your mouth open. Elbows off the table. Fork in the left hand, knife in the right. Rules we all know and follow to an extent. But did you know there's an equivalent for cats?

While cat's table etiquette is less "don't talk with your mouth full", it's still useful to know how to 'lay a table' for your cat so they can have the most comfortable dining experience. If they're eating a plateful of the best food, their 'table' should reflect that, after all!

All your cat's bowls should be put in a place that is calm and quiet without too much traffic coming through.

If you have multiple cats, always remember the 'plus one rule'! It's possible for the cats to get stressed if they have to share food/water bowls and litter trays - always have one per cat and then one extra.

Once you have found the best place for all their bits and pieces, don’t move them around too much as this can cause them to become a little bit stressed. Instead, move then a small bit at a time to make the move a little bit easier.

Food and Water Bowls

Choose somewhere a little bit quieter with plenty of open space. Cats don’t often like their food bowls being placed in corners or tight spots. This links back to their ancestral roots, like to be able to detect predators whilst they are eating.

If you can, keep the cat food and water bowls separate from one another. This stops the food accidentally becoming mixed with the water, which would often put your cat off drinking it. In the wild big cats search for food and water separately.

Change their water every single day and ensure their food and water bowls are nice and clean.

Litter Tray

You wouldn’t eat on the toilet, so make sure your litter tray is away from their food and water. Wild cats will not toilet near their homes, this is to avoid alerting their presence to predators. As with all the other essentials, keep them somewhere nice and quiet, as cats really don’t like to be disturbed when going to the bathroom. Keep their litter tray nice and clean by removing stools and urine clumps daily and cleaning the tray thoroughly when you change the contents.

How's your cat's 'table' looking? Comment below!

Cat's Protection have put together a handy game to help you learn where to put what, check it out here.