My old cat used to do this and would tuck into “old” food with gusto when I sat down next to her: I figured out that it was her wanting someone to watch over her while she was vulnerable while eating.

I get why people do it (and I do too, cleanup and access) but I do wonder if putting food at floor level near a heavily trafficked area like the kitchen (which also tends to have multiple entrances/be open concept) would contribute to need to be watched over while eating. It’s not really practical to, say, stick a cat’s bowl up high, but I do wonder if they’d eat more freely as a result.