To keep ants out of your cat’s food, you can smear the area around the food bowl with petroleum jelly. Likewise, it is helpful to remove all food scraps immediately after your cat has finished eating. If there is a major ant problem, it is a good idea to get help through an exterminator.
Why do ants seem to particularly like cat food?
Ants particularly prefer protein foods, of which cat food has a very high content. Especially the easy access to the cat food makes ants especially like to attack the fresh cat food.
Many cat owners know the situation, that fresh wet food is placed for the cat and a little later many ants cavort in the food of the dearest.
Ants are not particularly demanding in their search for food and often take what they get. They are absolute small eaters, snatching up any food they can get access to.
Carbohydrates, fats and proteins are very important for the health of ants and cat food is now quite high in protein. There are types of ants that tend to go after sugary foods, but even they would go after the free-standing cat food.
Ant hordes have so-called scouts, which often perceive the cat food from far away and show the direction to the other ants.
Even if you think that the ants are especially interested in the cat food, this is more likely to be due to chance and the ants’ ability to look for food scraps. It is also very convenient for the ants that the cat bowl is directly on the ground and they do not have to climb up a big table.
If you want to know if it is harmful for your cat to eat only wet food, you can find out in our great article Cat wants only wet food, is it harmful?
Is it safe to treat my cat’s food bowl for ants?
Make sure your cat doesn’t get a hold of the chemical toxins and accidentally swallow them.
If you are trying to solve your ant infestation with chemical toxins, you must be careful that your cat does not accidentally swallow the toxins.
If you are trying to use certain chemicals on the ants, it is advisable to make sure that your cat does not have access to that area.
Certain pesticides can be very toxic to cats and cause severe allergies. Consider carefully if there are other alternatives besides chemical treatments.
If you want to know what your cat doesn’t like or even hates, our current and informative article What doesn’t my cat like? will definitely help you.
What can I do against ants?
Against the ant plague you can try to dispose of the food leftovers from the food bowl as soon as possible, so that no ants are attracted in the first place. Likewise, an exterminator or an ant trap can be a fight against the ants.
To combat the ants, we have some good tips ready for you, which will certainly help you with the problem quickly.
- No leftover food
As soon as your cat has eaten its wet food, you should store it in an airtight container in the refrigerator. This way, the ants won’t have a chance to get their hands on the beloved food. Also make sure that there is no leftover food around the bowl and clean everything at the feeding site.
- Exterminator
If you have a major ant problem not only at the feeding site for your cat, but also throughout your house or apartment, it is advisable to get professional help such as an exterminator. They have a lot of experience with fighting ants and can help you very quickly.
- Build a barrier between the cat food and the ants
Another way to keep the cat food safe from the ants is to build a barrier so that the ants can’t get to the food bowl. You can achieve this, for example, by using petroleum jelly. Smear this around the food bowl and the ants will not be able to reach the cat food.
- Ant traps
There are numerous ant traps in every specialty store. Some of them also do not contain chemical toxins, so your cat can walk around without worrying.
Is it dangerous if my cat eats ants?
Ants can be safely eaten by cats. However, your cat should be wary of certain types of ants, such as the fire ant, because they can sting.
Your cat can eat ants without hesitation, only a few species of ants might sting or bite your cat.
It happens more often than some cat owners would think, that cats also gobble down ants that are in their food bowl. Especially cats, which are susceptible to hunting, like to experiment with their food intake and eat all sorts of things.
Usually it is not a problem if your cat eats some ants. However, some ant species such as the oak ant or the fire ant can sting your cat. You should be careful and try to get rid of the ants immediately. If your cat is in pain, it is advisable to seek veterinary advice.
Also, if you see dead ants that have been killed by a pesticide, it is advisable to remove them immediately so that your cat is not tempted.
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Summary – How to keep ants out of cat food
To keep ants out of your cat’s food, you can smear the area around the food bowl with petroleum jelly. Likewise, it’s helpful to remove all food scraps immediately after your cat finishes eating. If there is a major ant problem, it is a good idea to get help through an exterminator.
Ants particularly prefer protein foods, of which cat food has a very high content. Especially the easy access to the cat food makes ants especially like to attack the fresh cat food.
Be careful that your cat does not get to the chemical toxins and accidentally swallow them if you use pesticides as a control against ants.
Ants can be eaten by cats without concern. However, your cat should be wary of certain species of ants, such as the fire ant, because they can sting.