Keep Ants Away From Outdoor Cat Food

Keeping ants out of your cat's food can be a challenge, especially during warmer months when ants are more active. Here are some tips to prevent ants from invading your cat's food, both indoors and outdoors.

Firstly, it is important to keep the feeding area clean. Sweep up any crumbs or leftover food, and wash your cat's food bowl regularly with cat-safe detergent. You can also try moving the bowl to a different location, as ants often use scent trails to find food. Additionally, storing your cat's food in airtight containers can help prevent ants from accessing it.

Another popular method is to create a moat around your cat's food bowl by placing it in a larger container filled with water. Ants cannot swim, so this will prevent them from reaching the food. You can also try creating a barrier around the food bowl using substances such as chalk, baking soda, or petroleum jelly, which ants will not cross.

For outdoor feeding areas, you can try using a shallow dish with a water moat or a commercial ant-proof bowl to keep ants at bay.

Create a moat around the food bowl

Ants can be a real nuisance when it comes to feeding your cat outdoors. They will steal your cat's food and prevent them from eating. One effective way to keep ants out of your cat's food is to create a moat around the food bowl. Here's a detailed guide on how to do it:

Choose the Right Containers:

Select two containers, one larger than the other. The larger container should be shallow and wide enough to accommodate the smaller container with some space around the edges. The smaller container will hold your cat's food. For example, you can use a plastic container that CDs come in, or a plant pot saucer, as long as it is slightly bigger than the cat's food bowl.

Prepare the Moat:

Fill the larger container with a small amount of water. Ensure you don't fill it too high, just enough to create a water barrier for the ants. You can also add a few drops of essential oils like lemon or dishwashing soap to the water to help repel ants.

Assemble the Setup:

Place the smaller container, holding your cat's food, inside the larger container filled with water. Make sure there is at least a 1-inch gap between the edge of the larger container and the food bowl. If the food bowl is too short, use a block or another item to raise it above the edge of the larger container.

Maintenance:

The water moat will need regular maintenance. Empty and refresh the water as it begins to evaporate or if it gets contaminated with spilled food or drowned ants. Clean the food bowl and the area around it regularly to remove any pheromone trails that may attract more ants.

By creating this simple water moat, you can effectively deter ants from invading your cat's food. Remember to keep the area clean and maintain the water barrier to ensure the ants don't find their way into your cat's meal.

Use plastic storage bins to store food

One of the best ways to keep ants out of your cat's food is to use plastic storage bins. Ants can easily slip into places that other insects can't reach, so it's important to take some extra precautions to keep them out of your cat's food.

First, choose an airtight plastic container that is slightly larger than your cat's food bowl. Make sure the container is made of sturdy plastic and has a tight-fitting lid. You can find these containers at most home improvement or storage stores, as well as online.

Next, transfer the cat food from its original bag into the plastic container. This will create a barrier that ants cannot penetrate. If you need to access the food frequently, look for a container with an easy-to-use lid, such as a flip-top or screw-top lid.

It's also important to keep the area around the food bowl clean. Ants are attracted to crumbs and spills, so be sure to sweep or vacuum the area regularly and wipe down the bowl and container with a damp cloth.

Additionally, you can place the plastic container holding the cat food inside a larger container filled with water. This creates a "moat" that ants cannot cross, providing an extra layer of protection against ants. Just be sure to keep the water level low enough that it doesn't spill into the cat food and change the water regularly to prevent it from becoming dirty or stagnant.

By following these simple steps, you can effectively use plastic storage bins to keep ants out of your cat's food, ensuring your cat has access to fresh, ant-free food.

Make a boundary around the food

Use Substances to Repel Ants

Certain substances can be used to create a barrier around the food bowl that ants won't cross. For example, you can draw a thick line of ordinary school chalk around the bowl. You can also sprinkle ground cinnamon, coffee grounds, or baking soda around the bowl. These substances are non-toxic and inexpensive, but they may need to be reapplied frequently to ensure the barrier is intact.

Use a Physical Barrier

Another option is to create a physical barrier that prevents ants from reaching the food bowl. This can be done by placing the food bowl on a larger tray or container filled with water, creating a "moat" that ants can't cross. Ants can't swim, so they won't be able to access the food. Just make sure that the water doesn't spill into the food bowl.

Use Double-Sided Tape

Double-sided tape placed around the bottom and sides of the food bowl can trap ants and prevent them from reaching the food. However, this method can be unsightly, and it may not be suitable if your cat's whiskers are long enough to get caught in the tape.

Keep the feeding area clean

Keeping the feeding area clean is a crucial step in preventing ants from invading your cat's food. Here are some detailed tips to maintain a clean feeding area:

• Sweep or vacuum up any crumbs or leftover food after your cat has finished eating. Even tiny crumbs can attract ants, so be thorough in your cleaning.
• Mop the floor regularly with a vinegar or lemon mixture. Ants are deterred by the smell of vinegar and lemons, so this will help create an unappealing barrier around the feeding area.
• Wash your cat's food bowl at least once every two days, or more frequently if possible. Use a cat-safe detergent and rinse the bowl thoroughly with clean water. Ants are attracted to food residue, so keeping the bowl clean is essential.
• If possible, remove the food bowl from the floor when your cat is not eating. Ants will have less opportunity to discover and invade the bowl if it is not left out all the time.
• If your cat has set mealtimes, consider taking the bowl away as soon as they have finished eating. This will help prevent ants from finding and contaminating the food.
• If your cat prefers to graze throughout the day, you may need to explore other methods, such as creating a moat around the bowl or using ant-repelling substances.

By following these steps, you can effectively deter ants from invading your cat's food and maintain a clean and safe feeding area.

Use a water bowl to create a water gap

One of the best ways to keep ants out of your cat's food is to place the food bowl inside a water bowl so there is a water gap between the floor and the food plate. As long as the water can’t get into the food, it will block the ants from getting to the food by creating a type of moat.

How to Create a Water Gap

• Find a shallow container that is wider than the cat food bowl. You can use a silver tray, a cake pan, a pie pan, a roasting tray, or anything else that will fit the cat bowl in.
• Place the cat food bowl in the centre of the container so there's a ring of water around the food bowl.
• Fill the container with water. Place a small amount of water in the moat container. You don't want to fill it too high so that it spills into the food, but you want enough water to provide a barrier for the ants.
• Top up the water as needed. The water may contain some drowned ants or spilled food. It will need refreshing as it begins to evaporate.

Tips

• To help keep ants from crossing the water, try placing some vegetable oil, lemon essential oil, or dishwashing soap into the moat water. But only add dishwashing liquid if the space between the moat and food bowl is too small for the cat to drink from.
• If the container is extra large, put the food bowl close enough to its edge so your cat will be able to reach the food without difficulty, but far enough from the edge that the ants won't be able to hop across.
• If the food bowl is too short, use a block or other item to raise the food bowl above the edge of the moat container.

Frequently asked questions