Use a cat safe detergent and rinse thoroughly with fresh, clean water.
You may consider moving the bowl off the floor when your cat is not eating, or leaving it out during certain hours, but picking it up at night.
Keep pet food inside the house where there are less ants around.
Draw a line around the bowl with chalk. Place a newspaper under the bowl and surround the bowl with a line of ground cinnamon, coffee grounds, chili powder, or ash. [2] X Research source Surround the edge of the food container with petroleum jelly. Spray vinegar or lemon on the floor around your pet’s bowl. Mix 1 part vinegar or lemon juice to 1 part water. Place in a spray bottle and spray around the bowl, creating a boundary. [3] X Research source
You can also place this on the outside of the moat container as an extra line of defense.
You can also use lemon, orange, or grapefruit oil to repel ants. Try wiping the floor around the bowl with a cotton ball covered in the oil. [6] X Research source Essential oils are natural products and do not contain chemicals; however, make sure your cat never ingests undiluted essential oils as these can be toxic. Any essential oil that is applied where a cat might accidentally lick should be well-diluted.
One way might be to screw a box directly into the floor or deck. It might be possible to jamb the cover box behind a stove or refrigerator, but only if the space is excessively narrow for your cat to access it. Just remember that cats are curious and can get into unimaginable places.
You can also mop the area around the food container, or the entire kitchen floor. You can use what you normally use to mop, or use dish soap.
Make sure the container you put the cat bowl in isn’t too big. However, there should be about an inch between the edge of the moat and the food bowl. This distance helps keep ants away. [8] X Research source Some companies manufacture bowls that already incorporate the moat around the bowl’s edge. These are great and easy to use and the entire bowl can be picked up and cleaned in one go. However, if you don’t want to spend the money on that before seeing if it works, you can try this DIY method.
To help keep ants from crossing the water, try placing some vegetable oil, lemon essential oil, or dishwashing soap into the moat water. But only add dishwashing liquid if the space between the moat and food bowl is too small for the cat to drink from. [9] X Research source
If the container is extra large, put the food bowl close enough to its edge so your cat will be able to reach the food without difficulty, but far enough from the edge the ants won’t be able to hop across. If the food bowl is too short, use a block or other item to raise the food bowl above the edge of the moat container. [10] X Research source
