Cat owners: how do you keep ants out of the cat food bowl?

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I've got Terro baits at various locations, but there are still ants around, and I noticed them crawling in and out of the cat dish. This is dry cat food only, too. How do I make the food and water dishes available to the cat but out of reach of the ants?
Thanks!

[Swede]

1. Cats don't eat ants?

:shrug:

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5. not mine anyway

[LoveMyCali]

18. Mine either

I have a 17.5 pound cat that is afraid of ants, he actually backs away when he sees them.

Glad you asked this, I've just been trying to keep a close eye on his dish and dumping it if necessary but the moat idea sounds much cheaper.

[HiFructosePronSyrup]

2. Fill the cat dish full of ant poison.

One problem solved.

[Critters2]

Put the cat food bowl in the middle of another bowl filled with water.

The ants will drown in the water. To make it extra effective, put dish soap in the water.

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4. I'll give it a try

[Arkansas Granny]

13. This one really works. It's like surrounding the cat food with a moat.

[emilyg]

19. Works at my house and yard.

[DS1]

3. Clean your house

:shrug:

[GoddessOfGuinness]

6. ...

(just kidding)

[Blue-Jay]

7. .

[GoddessOfGuinness]

12. Awwww

[Adsos Letter]

8. What mycritters2 said....works for our cats.

[rug]

9. A ring of ant poison.

[bluethruandthru]

10. Put a line of Gold bond powder or baby powder

anywhere you don't want ants. The ants won't cross the line...really.

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14. Thanks - I have a bottle of Gold Bond that I never use.

[csziggy]

11. For our barn cat we have a bowl that keeps the ants out

It is up on feet that the ants do not walk over. It works good unless she shoves the dish against hay or stuff. I am not sure if this is the same brand, but it is similar: http://www.thepetstoreonline.com/pefobo.html

Of course, that does not keep the gray foxes from eating her food...

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15. Thanks!

[Haole Girl]

16. Sounds like you need pest control

Don't mean to be flippant, but if you get pest control to form a barrier around your home you will solve your ant problems. :hi:

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17. Ants are the only pests we have right now, because

on May 21 we had the house tented and fumigated with Vikane to kill the termites. In the process it also killed every other living thing that was in the house at the time. (Of course we were out of the house for 3 days.) Since then, I haven't seen a single bug, spider, cockroach, anything - except a daddy-longlegs in the bathtub the other day. But nowhere near the usual summer spider population - even outside! Unfortunately the ants were not around at that time, they have recently appeared. We could add coverage for ants to our contract, which I think right now only covers termites. But I don't know how much it will cost. The ants are a problem here only in the summer - around Labor Day they disappear until next summer. You see them outside, but they don't come in the house, at least in any quantities.

[Kali]

20. I put a line of DE where they are coming in

also the second dish with H20 works but ugh make sure you clean it often - a few kibbles spilled in the water sure can get stinky

you can buy a special "moat" pet food holder that works better, not positive it is worth the $, though