Ants can be a major problem when trying to provide food for a cat, even indoors. After they find a way into the house, they will search for sustenance. Once they locate it, they hundreds more are likely to follow. It is best to use natural ways to kill the initial intruders and prevent others from getting into pet food bowls and other areas of the home. Forget about buying buttons, sprays and other chemical products. Use safe and natural ways to keep ants out of indoor cat food bowls. It is possible to stop an entire army using these tried and true methods.
Begin by Thoroughly Vacuuming, Sweeping or Cleaning Floors
Ants are not difficult to get rid of with a household vacuum, broom and/or mop. Begin your quest by thoroughly vacuuming, sweeping and/or cleaning the floors, especially where the cat is fed and where the food is stored. Leave no traces of crumbs behind, and be sure to thoroughly clean around baseboards. Remove the cat food, clean the bowls, kill the intruders and start over from scratch.
Create a Moat for the Cat Food Bowls
Instead of placing the cat food bowls back on the floor, create a simple moat. Place the dishes inside of a baking pan, and surround them with a barrier of water. The ants will not be able to reach the kitty chow, and you will be able to eliminate the water dish. Just be sure to clean and refill the baking pan each day.
Use a Chalkboard as a Placemat for Indoor Bowls
If you would rather not use a baking pan with water, try an alternate method to keep ants out of cat food bowls. Buy a chalkboard to use instead of a placemat for your pet’s dishes. Place the filled water and food bowl in the center, and draw a chalk line around the perimeter of the board. For some strange reason, ants will not cross it. Chalk is natural, non-toxic and it can be easily wiped away should it end up on the floor.
Feed the Cat in a Single Location for Better Control
It is also important to feed the cat in a single location when trying to keep pesky ants out of indoor food bowls. It is much easier to clean and maintain a single area than it is to take care of multiple locations. Provide one bowl of food and one bowl or pan of water with a feeding dish in the center, even if you have multiple cats.
Keep the Food Area Neat and Consistently Clean
Thoroughly vacuuming and/or sweeping and washing the floor where the cat food is served is not a one-time task. To keep ants out of indoor cat food bowls, crumbs must be cleaned up on a continual basis. Cats are clean animals, but they are not always neat eaters. Bits of kibble often end up all around the food bowls. Use the aforementioned steps to keep the area clean and free from ants and they will no longer be a problem indoors.
Source: Lifelong Cat Owner
