When a cat sniffs canned food and then makes a digging or burying motion (like covering waste in the litter box), it can mean several things:

Natural instinct
In the wild, cats often cover leftover food to hide the smell from predators or competitors. Even house cats keep this instinct.

Dislike of the smell or taste
If the food has a strong odor or isn’t to the cat’s liking, the burying gesture can be a way of saying, “I want to hide this.”

Saving food for later
Some cats “pretend” to bury food as if to store it. It’s a symbolic behavior, like saying, “I’ll come back to this later.”

Environmental or emotional factors
If the cat isn’t hungry, feels uneasy, or is distracted by noise or other animals, it may bury the food instead of eating right away.

So this isn’t hostility toward the canned food — it’s a mix of instinct and the cat’s current mood.

 You can try:

• Noticing if this happens only with certain flavors or brands.
• Serving smaller portions to avoid leaving food out too long.
• Making sure the eating area feels safe and quiet.