Ants can be a huge nightmare for anyone who owns pets. They can be an especially big problem if you have a cat that grazes and has food in its bowl all the time.
To keep the ants in check, whether your cat is an indoor or outdoor cat, you might have been looking for solutions for your cat’s bowl. The great news is that there are DIY projects you can work on to keep your cat’s bowl free of ants.
The 3 Awesome DIY Ant Proof Cat Bowls
1. Easy DIY Ant Proof Cat Food Bowl
Materials:
Cat food bowl, saucer for plant pot, water
Tools:
None
Difficulty Level:
Easy
This DIY ant proof cat food bowl is exceptionally easy and will take you minutes to put together, assuming you already have a plant pot saucer that’s deep enough to hold a little bit of water and wide enough to hold your cat’s food bowl with a little space between the edges. You won’t need much water for this project, but you will need to keep an eye on the water level to continue to keep the ants out of the food. Keep in mind that if your cat’s food is outdoors during the warmer months, the water will likely evaporate quickly.
2. Floating Cat Food Bowl
Materials:
Plastic container, large bowl, water
Tools:
None
Difficulty Level:
Easy
This floating cat food bowl DIY is also easy to make and can be put together in a few minutes. The most difficult part of this project will be selecting the right containers to put it together. This bowl doubles as an enrichment activity for your cat, and it’s a great way to stimulate your cat to tap into their hunting instincts. Make sure to select a lightweight container that will float, and it should be deep enough for your cat’s food to fit inside of it with space to spare at the top.
3. Ant Proof Pet Food Dish
Materials:
Food bowl with rubber base, cookie sheet, water
Tools:
None
Difficulty Level:
Easy
This ant proof pet food dish is likely one you can make with things you already have around your house. If you don’t have a spare small cookie sheet, you can usually pick one up for a low price at a resale store or garage sale. This particular project will work best if you use a heavy plastic or glass pet bowl that has a rubber base. This will ensure the bowl doesn’t float in the water, doesn’t scoot across the cookie sheet, and doesn’t rust from sitting in water. Consider adding a pet-safe silicone or waterproof coating to the cookie sheet to keep it from rusting.
Pesticide-Free Ant Control
Pesticides can be unsafe for your cat, so it’s best to avoid using them when possible, especially anywhere near your cat’s food or water. The primary trick to keeping your cat’s food free from ants is likely obvious at this point, but water is a great way to keep ants out of just about anywhere you don’t want them to go. Ants are capable of climbing a variety of objects of just about any texture, even slick textures, but they aren’t able to swim. Ants won’t attempt to cross water to get to food and even if an ant or two manages to luck into your cat’s food, they’re unlikely to be able to get back out to alert other ants to the presence of the food.
Final Thoughts
These DIY ant proof cat bowls are great ways to keep your pet’s food bug-free and are quick projects for people who do not want to build something elaborate or complicated. Your cat will be grateful for this food dish!
