Flies can be serious pests inside the home. They’re attracted to the slightest hint of food, including cat food. If you leave your cat’s food out like many cat owners, then you may be disappointed to find the flies attracted to it only a few hours later.
It might be easy to overlook a few flies near your cat’s food bowl, but their presence can lead to serious concerns. Flies often carry harmful bacteria, including Salmonella and E. coli, which they pick up from unsanitary environments like trash, feces, or decomposing materials. When they land on your cat’s food, they can contaminate it with these pathogens. If your cat’s food is left out too long, especially if the environment is warm with high humidity or the food is high in moisture, bacteria can multiply rapidly, putting your cat at risk of digestive issues such as vomiting or diarrhea.
For this reason, keeping flies away from your cat’s food is vital. There are several ways to go about this. We recommend trying a few different options to figure out what works best in your home.
The 5 Tips on How to Keep Flies Away From Cat Food
1. Set a Time-Limited Feeding Schedule For Wet Food
If your cat is consuming wet food, flies can become attracted to it very quickly due to the higher moisture content. Moreover, the high moisture content of wet food means bacteria have the perfect conditions to reproduce and can take over even faster. Wet food should be fed at specific mealtimes and fully consumed within a 30-minute to one-hour timeframe, depending on the weather where you live. Most manufacturers have guidelines on the back of their food stating how long you can leave it out at room temperature. Any leftover food in the bowl must be disposed of. If you have leftover wet cat food still in the can, it should be covered and refrigerated.
It may take your cat a bit to get used to scheduled feedings, but many do adapt after only a few days. Keep this in mind when feeding your cat wet food.
2. Choose a New Location
Most flies come in through outside doors and hang out in the kitchen, where most food is located. Therefore, if you want to keep flies off of your cat’s food, you should place it away from these locations. You do not want flies flying into your home and finding your cat’s food right by the door. If you keep the food in the kitchen, the flies may wander over from their usual spots to eat there.
While it may seem natural to feed your cat in the kitchen, this is not the best location if you’re looking to keep flies away.
Similarly, you should avoid very warm areas, especially if they are in direct sunlight. Shaded areas are a great option for feeding your feline. Sunlight can heat up the food and make it “smellier” than it usually is, attracting more flies. It can also lead to a higher spoilage rate.
Of course, feed your cat indoors when possible. Outdoor areas tend to have many more flies than inside your home so it can attract quite a few flies very quickly. Indoors also remain at a reasonable temperature, while it can get warmer outside. As we’ve previously stated, warmer temperatures speed up spoilage.
3. Keep the Area Clean
Of course, flies are attracted to dirty areas. Therefore, you should keep the room you feed your cat in clean. If there are flies in that room anyway, they are absolutely going to be attracted to the food when you open it in the room. We recommend keeping the room as clean as possible to avoid these issues.
Be sure to toss any leftover fresh food. Avoid serving more dry food than your cat can eat daily and wash the bowl every day. Allow it to dry before refilling it.
Of course, if your cat makes any sort of mess around the bowl while eating, you should clean it up right away. Otherwise, flies may become attracted to the spoiling food and then to your cat’s fresh food when it arrives.
4. Control the Flies
Many of these methods only work well when you focus on controlling the flies, as well. If you have lots of flies in your home, you’ll need to combat these with some pest control methods. Fly traps, electric zapping racquets, or even a professional pest controller may be useful.
5. Add Mosquito Nets to Your Door and Windows
Installing mosquito nets on doors and windows is an effective way to keep flies and other insects out of your home while still allowing fresh air to circulate. These fine mesh screens act as a physical barrier, preventing flies from entering your home and contaminating your cat’s food. By keeping flies outside, mosquito nets help reduce the risk of bacteria transmission and maintain a cleaner, healthier environment for both you and your pets. They are especially useful in warmer months when doors and windows are often left open, providing protection without compromising ventilation.
Conclusion
There are tons of ways you can keep flies out of your cat’s food. Preferably, your cat’s food shouldn’t be out very long. Dry food lasts a bit longer than wet food, and it usually doesn’t attract very many flies due to its low moisture content. However, wet food should only be left out for an hour or two.
If you aren’t leaving food out for too long, then there are several pest control options you may want to consider. A professional may be needed for homes with serious fly issues, just make sure it’s pet-safe. Furthermore, installing mosquito nets on windows and doors works as a preventative option to help keep your home and your cat’s food cleaner.
Featured Image Credit: Johnny Harvester, Pixabay
