Need advice from pet owning friends

[elizilla]

Ant season has arrived. Last night they found all the cat food dishes, including the bowl on top of the file cabinet. Thousands of ants were in each bowl this morning.

Mac is old and doesn't eat quickly, especially since he no longer has Elizabeth to compete with. It takes him all day to eat a very small dab of wet cat food. He's also a messy eater. He picks up each individual piece of dry kibble, carefully drops it on the floor next to the dish, and then bites it in half, eating one half and leaving the rest on the floor, before going back to take another piece out of the dish. Any area with a food dish will quickly grow a ring of crumbs on the floor.

Does anyone have a suggested way to keep cat food available, 24 hours a day, without it becoming an ant farm, and without poisoning Mac?


In other pet-related news, thank you rikhei for the link to the Furminator. Mac barfed up several hairballs the day you posted that. We went out and bought one, and Mac has not thrown up a hairball since. Yay!

Comments

[encorecrazay.livejournal.com]

Put out some of the Combat Source Kill things, inepesnive and I haven't had any ant problems since. Got mine at a local grocery store
http://www.amazon.com/Insecticide-Combat-Source-Kill-Stations/dp/B000QRAXRC

[annaoj.livejournal.com]

What I did when I had an ant problem with my cats' wet food is that I bought two large, deep plates at a Goodwill, and then filled them with water and put the cat food dishes in the middle of each. That 2" moat was enough to keep the ants out of the food.

[fuzzyjelly.livejournal.com]

Rig it up so the bowls sit in/over a tray of water. The ants can't cross it. It's even better if you have one of those metal racks that holds the food bowls so they don't sit right in the water.

[rikhei.livejournal.com]

You might want to research diatomaceous earth. A quick google search seems to suggest it might be effective against ants, and as I recall, it's not supposed to be harmful to animals. I remember reading about it a few years ago when we (I was living with my parents at the time) had an earwig infestation. (We ended finding a commercial spray that worked before we had a chance to try it.)

diatomaceous earth

[talyen.livejournal.com]

I second this if you don't want to do the water suspension trick -- the diatoms are the shells of tiny (sea if I remember from biology) creatures, so they are microscopic and made out of silica. This powder (to us) is like walking through shards of glass (to ants), and they breathe it and track it back to the nest. It cuts them up and also makes them not come back.

It's not poison for humans, pets, or anything mammalian. It'll help with insect pests on plants, and things that walk around in the house. And the cleanup requires a dust broom and pan, or a wet paper towel, depending on how crazy you get with it.

Re: diatomaceous earth

[elizilla]

I've heard of this stuff before, but I don't know where to get it. Do either of you know a source? Thanks!

Re: diatomaceous earth

[ssanfratello.livejournal.com]

Goes by one brand name of Perma Guard, which I got at a local Lawn and Garden store.

Re: diatomaceous earth

[talyen.livejournal.com]

Last time I got some, it was at the farm market at the corner of Carpenter & Ellsworth (SE corner, near past the gas station) if it's still there. I think it was actually called Diatomaceous Earth, but it might have been called some other pest control product. There was only one ingredient.

Re: diatomaceous earth

[robyn-r.livejournal.com]

This stuff has also in the past been used as a Swimming Pool filtering/cleaning agent.. Check with pool supply or even the pool section at Meijer.

Re: diatomaceous earth

[(Anonymous)]

we used to have a pool filter that used it. i suspect it'll be cheaper per lb via a pool supply than through a pet store.

[(Anonymous)]

we can't get out cat to sit still for brushing. twice a year we go and get it a lion cut. it's helps a lot with hair balls and shedding.

[mbumby.livejournal.com]

Hi -- not a pet owner, but the discussion of how he eats makes me wonder if he has pain in his mouth -- one person I cat-sit for has me add some water to the dry cat-food which makes it easier for her to eat.

[elizilla]

Well, he has always eaten this way, even when he was much younger. He's had a few dentals over the years, and the vets check his mouth when he goes in for his shots. I think it's just his style.