I have to feed my cat in the garage because of small children around. The cat will only eat wet food. It stinks and draws flies! The cat eats a little bit all day, so it makes it hard to feed her in the house in the morning or at night. How can I keep the flies away? Thanks.
By cheryl from Oakley, CA
It may take a little while but your cat will eat dry food if you stop feeding her wet food; the cat will start eating the dry food when she's hungry.
it will also be much better for the cat in the short term (no flies eggs in her food) and in the long run too. Cats and dogs that eat only soft wet food end up with terrible dental problems as they age.
My eight year old Rachel eats both wet and dry food and she is like yours and nibbles when she is hungry throughout the day. What I do is give her just half of her wet food in the morning and put the other half, covered, in the fridge for later in the day.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
I have over ten cats plus kittens we feed out side, but the flies are so bad they won't eat and are losing weight. I have put fly strips, sprayed apple cider, everything, and gets worse!
The only thing I can think of that is keeping it so bad is that we have raccoons, possums, and armadillo that eat the food. Are dirty raccoons and possums the issue? If so what do I do? I can't handle it much longer!
Vacuum the flies before feeding. This may allow enough time for the cats to eat. Don't leave the food out. Feed only once or twice a day. Clean up any leftover food after each feeding. The cats may also be losing weight from anemia if they have flea infestations.
I need to leave some dry cat food outside. How can I keep the flies away? I've never had this problem in prior years.
More worrying than flies, leaving opened cat food and such can invite vermin or racoons, so you may want to keep it all sealed in a metal trash can with a rock on top of it so that nothing can upset the lid.
Aside from that, a bowl of vinegar can often attract, then kill flies
Hang up a ziplock bag with water.
I tried the baggie with water just about 30 minutes ago. I put down my cats fresh food and water then walked across the yard to feed the stray and when I came back about 3 minutes later his bowl was full of flies. And it doesnt really matter if its wet or dry food. I feed my cat both and the flies swarm around both of them equally. If anyone finds a working solution I'd love to hear it.
I have been feeding feral kitties for a while and have had the same problem with flies. Putting the food bowl in front of a blowing fan helps to deter many of the flies.
Did this, not working...
I have a fan outside it doesnt keep the flies away, if its not the flies on wet food its hundreds of ants that are in the dry food, yes the dishes are picked up after food is eaten
A food dish cat or dog with corner feet or some kind of lip and wipe vegetable oil or any cooking oil all around the sides and edges and the ants will stay away.
If you are still having trouble with ants getting into the dry food, set the food bowl inside of another larger bowl and fill that bowl with some water. Ants will not cross the water and will leave the food alone.
For ants I also spray ant killer in a fine line on the ground around the bowl. I find this works but this summer I will also try the water method.. I bought 2 frisbees and will put the water in them and set the dish of food in the middle.
To keep ants/snails/slugs out of bowl of dry food: I put dry food in a bowl with 2 inch sides. Then put this bowl in a soup bowl that is 2 inches wider and 1 inch high, and I fill the soup bowl with water. Ants snails/flugs cannot cross water to get to cat food bowl.
Keeping its way its easy you just want to take a bigger bowl and put water in it and then put the bowl that youre putting the food in in the bowl with water that way the water is a barrier and the ants wont cross it
