How do I secure... my bread?
February 4, 2018 9:31 AM   Subscribe

Problem: I like bread. Unfortunately, so does my cat. She'll get into any cabinet or battable object to destroy a loaf of bread. I've been putting bread in the refrigerator to prevent her from getting access but would definitely prefer not to. Are there any solutions for storing a loaf or two in a way that is cat-proof?
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire to Home & Garden (20 answers total) 4 users marked this as a favorite
 
Bread box? Child lock on the cabinet bread is stored in?
posted by mollymayhem at 9:38 AM on February 4, 2018 [5 favorites]


Fridge and microwave are the two we've come up with.
posted by LobsterMitten at 9:38 AM on February 4, 2018 [2 favorites]


Put it in a breadbox.
posted by migurski at 9:38 AM on February 4, 2018 [5 favorites]


What about a largish Tupperware bin?
posted by floweredfish at 9:47 AM on February 4, 2018


I have a giant sealable glass Pyrex bowl that I invert to store bread in, but that's because I don't want to buy a breadbox.
posted by dismas at 9:55 AM on February 4, 2018


I think what I would do is add a baby-proofing latch or strap to the cabinet.

But if you want something on the counter, a cheap tool box with locking clasps would give you the right shape and be cat proof. You'd just have to make sure any inside trays are removable.
posted by zennie at 9:57 AM on February 4, 2018


Literally a bread box! I always wondered what they were for!
posted by masquesoporfavor at 10:02 AM on February 4, 2018 [2 favorites]


Just as a note: if your cat really really likes bread, and she sees that the fridge is where it lives now, she may eventually figure out how to get your refrigerator open. I have met cats who have learned how to do this; it usually ends in their owners buying locks for the fridge. So, finding a (heavy and perhaps boltable-to-counter/otherwise-securable) breadbox now may end up sparing both the quality of your bread and the security of your other perishable provisions.
posted by halation at 10:04 AM on February 4, 2018 [8 favorites]


Best answer: Bread box, definitely. I put a hook and latch on mine. I totally feel your pain. I have a dog and two cats and they are just as in to bread as I am.
posted by Bistyfrass at 10:10 AM on February 4, 2018 [18 favorites]


Bread box! We use ours to keep the bread fresh a day or two longer, it has a secretary-style sliding lid that I'm confident a cat couldn't open.
posted by foodmapper at 10:14 AM on February 4, 2018


My dog does this, I have a bread box and also I put something heavy on top of it.
posted by mumimor at 10:22 AM on February 4, 2018


This is why my family got a breadbox when I was a kid. One of our cats was obsessed with bread. I remember going to the kitchen pre-breadbox to get some water in the middle of the night and seeing that cat chowing down on some bread while the other one looked on in concern. Breadbox with the aforementioned secretary desk top solved the problem
posted by lunasol at 10:34 AM on February 4, 2018 [3 favorites]


1) Bread keeps better in the freezer than the refrigerator (and this would be harder for your cat to open, probably);

2) I have no evidence to back this up, but I wonder if making sure your cat has fresh greens / grass will help to alleviate the intense craving for bread. Cat grass does not make cats throw up, and it's an important part of their diet, though cats' desire for greens seems to vary from cat to cat. (It's easy to grow greens from some wheat berries bought from a bulk section at a specialty grocery, or from a seed packet -- but they are only good for 2-3 weeks before you need a fresh batch).
posted by amtho at 10:35 AM on February 4, 2018 [3 favorites]


Best answer: If you search for "bread keeper" you will get links to minimally sized containers to keep your bread in. We have the kind with two parts that telescope together. No cat, though. We also have a sheet metal "bread drawer insert" of long forgotten provenance.
posted by SemiSalt at 10:42 AM on February 4, 2018


We keep bread in the freezer, mainly because we can't get through a loaf of it before it goes bad. We almost never eat it untoasted - and it toasts up from frozen just fine. My guess is that the freezer would be harder to get into than the fridge...and if your kitty DID get the bread it would be just a frozen hunk, less interesting than room temp bread :^)
posted by Elly Vortex at 10:57 AM on February 4, 2018


Unless you always prefer bread fresh, toast is actually better from frozen and of course lasts longer that way. So nthing that as a potential solution.
posted by limeonaire at 1:44 PM on February 4, 2018


Even untoasted, frozen bread comes out fresher and softer and better-tasting than refrigerated.
posted by amtho at 1:54 PM on February 4, 2018 [2 favorites]


We got a breadbox for this purpose. Now our home is low-carb and wheat-free, so we put fruit and avocados in it. Because the cat also likes to eat fruit.
posted by matildaben at 5:50 PM on February 4, 2018 [1 favorite]


Consensus here seems to be bread box, but I'll second the suggestion of in the microwave, if you have one and would prefer not to take up the counter real estate. I do it because my cat has a plastic obsession and just loves to eat the bread bag. Downside is you have to take the whatever out of the micro when you want to use it.
posted by Preserver at 6:15 AM on February 5, 2018


Response by poster: Thanks, SemiSalt! Bread keeper seems to be the term I was missing--unfortunately, my cat's clever enough to open most boxes but pulling two items apart is beyond her motor skills.
posted by Hot Like Your 12V Wire at 1:55 PM on February 20, 2018


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