“I don’t want it, but give it to me”: why pets ask for food from the owner’s table, even though they don’t plan to eat it
Pet owners often notice this peculiarity about their pets: they look pleadingly into their eyes every time it is time for the whole family to gather around the dinner table.
And it would be fine if the object of their interest was a piece of choice meat, but no – the begging does not stop even when the beloved owner eats a vegetable salad.
Let's look into the reasons for this behavior.
Firstly, food may seem attractive to a pet only because its beloved owner eats it. In this case, the animal strives to imitate the person it considers the leader in their relationship.
Secondly, we are talking about status consumption – this concerns primarily dogs, who believe that if they share food with the “leader of the pack”, they will increase their status.
Thirdly, and now we are talking about cats, this is how the instinct of the hunter manifests itself.
Food that has been obtained through the use of numerous tricks seems much more interesting to the purr than the food lying in the bowl.
And fourthly, the reason may lie in simple curiosity, which is characteristic of both dogs and cats.
We previously explained why cats play with mice before eating them.
