January 7, 2026, 10:03 am | Read time: 7 minutes
A trend is circulating on social media that seems harmless at first glance but is actually highly problematic for many cats. In short clips, cats are shown not being served their food in the evening but having to search for it: The bowls are placed in different locations each day, and sometimes the cats are even released from another room to find their meal. This is marketed as mental stimulation or “species-appropriate activity.” PETBOOK editor and cat expert Louisa Stoeffler explains why hiding food for cats is a fatal misconception.
Hiding Food for Cats Is Based on False Assumptions
I have lived with cats for over 20 years and have been professionally involved with their behavior for about ten years, including as a cat sitter in various households. I repeatedly see how sensitive cats are to changes. They are creatures of routine, especially when it comes to food. Even small deviations from their usual routine can cause stress.
That’s why I view this social media trend not only critically but as fundamentally based on false assumptions. It oversimplifies cat behavior and draws incorrect conclusions about how cats think and what they actually need. The search behavior shown is interpreted as “natural” or “species-appropriate,” but it fails to recognize that cats need security, predictability, and control as the basis for their well-being.
What the Video Shows and What’s Really Behind It
What is marketed online as creative engagement is based on a misunderstanding of cat behavior. For many animals, it is not enrichment but insecurity. Additionally, the portrayal in short videos shows only a small excerpt and is often misleading.
The cats in the videos often appear alert, searching through the apartment, sniffing intensely, and moving quickly with their tails up in a high-alert position. To many viewers, this looks like curiosity, hunting behavior, or mental stimulation. In reality, this behavior indicates something else: stress-driven searching.
When a cat is hungry, its body expects a clear sequence: activity, eating, resting. If, instead, it is forced into an unclear search situation, its nervous system doesn’t switch to “play” but to alert. Stress hormones like cortisol increase, the cat becomes hyper-alert, and its movements often appear frantic and aimless. This is precisely what is observed in many of these clips, even if it is easily mistaken for positive engagement by laypeople.
Hiding Food? “That’s Not How Cats Hunt”
Another perspective comes from Shani Campbell, a cat behavior expert who addresses a crucial point in a video: “That’s not how cats hunt.” In nature, they don’t search for pre-packaged food that they habitually receive at fixed times. In the wild, they move quietly, purposefully, and controlled, as ambush predators. They locate their prey, approach silently, strike, and eat. Hunting behavior does not consist of frantic wandering in search of small portions but of clear, completed sequences, ideally with hunting success.
This is where the misconception of many social media videos lies. What is portrayed as “natural food searching” does not correspond to typical cat feeding behavior. Instead, it unnecessarily prolongs the natural process, confuses, and leads to unnecessary stress.
Campbell clearly distinguishes between “excited” and “desperate.” Excitement describes positive arousal: focused, curious, controlled. Desperate, frantic behavior, on the other hand, represents stress—restless movements, hasty searching, high tension.
Chronic Stress Is Harmful to Cats
Cats that are fed only once or twice a day suffer the most from the questionable “hiding food” trend. Veterinarians have long argued for offering cats many small portions throughout the day, yet the practical feeding method of large meals remains widespread among owners. However, this is not about a voluntary game in between but a main meal—an existentially important resource. And this is precisely where the problem lies.
If this state is created at every meal, it can lead to chronic stress around such a central resource. If this is also used as a substitute for real playtime, and one sits on the sofa because the animal is already “occupied,” the relationship suffers further. This trend can cause cats to start controlling resources more. They become more suspicious—and eventually competition-oriented.
From a professional perspective, it is clear: A cat frantically searching is not “species-appropriately engaged” but in a state of heightened alertness. And stress at every meal is not training—it’s a risk.
Cats Are Creatures of Routine
Cats are strongly place- and ritual-bound. The fixed feeding spot is not a trivial detail for them but a central point of orientation in their daily life. It signals: Here I am safe, nothing unpredictable happens here, I can eat in peace. Especially as small prey animals, which often have their food contested in nature, and who also keep an eye on their surroundings while eating, this is important for relaxed feeding.
If this place is constantly changed, this security is lost. This is relevant to their behavior because loss of control is one of the strongest stress triggers for cats. Unlike dogs, they do not respond to such situations with playful adaptation but often with internal tension.
The evening implementation of this trend is particularly problematic. We come home, the cats are happy about our presence and want to spend time with us. The evening is the transition into the social phase for cats. Eating is an important trigger for relaxation. If the cat instead has to search, compare, and control, the level of arousal remains high. Typical consequences can be:
- nighttime restlessness
- increased meowing
- difficulty falling and staying asleep
- persistent internal tension
In the long term, this can significantly affect the cat’s mental and physical well-being.
Food Games Are Beneficial—If Done Differently
It’s important to differentiate: Food games are not inherently bad. Puzzle boards, intelligence toys, or small search tasks can be meaningful activities—if they are voluntary, manageable, and not driven by hunger. My cat Remo receives a fixed portion of wet food in the morning and evening at his designated eating spot in the kitchen. These are ritualized processes for breakfast and dinner, when we get up, and when I come home. Throughout the day, he consumes small portions from his food dispenser and puzzle board.
The crucial difference lies in the context. Main meals serve for nourishment and security, not for engagement. They should always take place in the same location. Food games belong in a different situation: during the day, as a supplement, and without time pressure. Turning the entire meal into a daily scavenger hunt, especially in changing locations, is pure overload for many cats.
Many Viral Trends on Social Media Harm Dogs
Cats Watch Us While We Sleep: Here’s Why
Especially Problematic in Multi-Cat Households
In multi-cat households, the risk of conflict increases. Cats that are regularly and simultaneously under food stress may begin to block, harass, or attack other animals. Aggression does not arise suddenly but gradually—as a result of repeated insecurity.
Cats are not social eaters. Even if they get along well, food remains a highly relevant resource. If bowls have to be searched for or are not clearly assigned, resource stress arises. Dominant cats are faster, and insecure animals withdraw or eat hastily. Conflicts increase—often subtly and initially barely visible to humans.
Typical long-term effects include withdrawal, aggression, uncleanliness, or gastrointestinal problems. Fixed, calm feeding spots—ideally so that each cat in the household can eat relaxed, as I can only recommend to every owner—are therefore a central component of stress prevention.
Conclusion
What is celebrated on social media as creative engagement means one thing for many cats: insecurity. A cat frantically searching for its food is not mentally challenged, but under pressure. Moreover, this does not replace engagement and social play with the animal. Fixed play sessions and secure feeding show that the cat’s needs are taken seriously.