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Plays in litterbox

Chatanuga Nov 26, 2007 06:39 PM

I'm having an issue with Casey that I hope can be solved. Since bringing him home, when he uses the litterbox, he'll get in, dig his hole, do his business, and then bury it. Only he then doesn't stop there. He wipes his front paws on whatever is available (side of litterbox or the box enclosure, trash can next to litter box, wall, etc.). He then turns around and starts digging and stomping away all over in the litterbox, even putting his feet into the deposit(s) he just made, flinging his and Chessie's deposits all over. He then starts the wiping thing again, turns around, and digs even more. That'll repeat a few times. He'll then get out and shake the pieces of his fresh deposits off his feet, which splatters all over in the bathrooms.

While Chessie might occasionally track something out of the litterboxes, he goes in, does his business, buries it, and then gets out.

Since the day I got Chessie, I've had a litterbox in both the upstairs and downstairs bathrooms, and since Casey's come on board, both cats have been using both litterboxes.

Is Casey's behavior normal? Is there any way to get him to do like Chessie and not go through his messy routine all the time?
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Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

Replies (4)

PHKitkat Nov 29, 2007 04:53 PM

Hi,

This kind of thing isn't all that unusual. Sometimes cats kind of get "carried away" when they use the litterbox and overdig/overscratch. I don't think you can change this behavior, just try and figure out the best way to keep the floor protected. You might want to try a covered litterbox, but not all cats will use them.

Some cats go to the other extreme and don't cover up at all. I have a few like this.

Regards,
PHKitkat

Chatanuga Dec 04, 2007 10:09 AM

Well, it's getting worse. The past two days that I've been at work, he's gone crazy in his litterbox in his kennel, flinging litter and his stool all over. Of course, it doesn't help that he's also taken to playing in his waterbowl, getting himself and the floor of the kennel soaked. Thankfully he's got short hair so it's easy to wash him out in the bathtub.

I talked to my vet's office, and they said that there's possibly something he doesn't like about the litterboxes. But this only started after his intestinal infection he developed a week after I moved him home. And he's also doing it in the kennel, which is everything that he had at my parents' house, including the same exact litterbox.

One thing that lessened the mess yesterday was that I didn't leave as much water in his waterbowl since he's taken to playing with it, splashing it out all over and getting the litter in what is still in the bowl.

One thing I'm trying to do is when I can and he's using his litterbox, after he's covered what he's left, I've been guiding him out of the litterbox and praising him. I'm gonna try using toys to distract him from playing in the litterbox as well. I'm open for other suggestions too.
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Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

Chatanuga Dec 04, 2007 03:22 PM

Well, I've been doing a bunch of reading as well as rethinking of what I've observed Casey doing at slow times today, and I think I'm onto something.

When Casey's using his litterbox and is "digging" around, he's not actually digging. It's more like when he's trying to cover up what he's left. I think he's not satisfied with his covering up job and tries it again, accidentally uncovering what he's just covered as well as whatever else is in the litterbox. He then wipes his paws, isn't satisfied with his job, and then repeats the process for about 10-15 minutes. Since this started when the loose stool issue began, I'm thinking that might have triggered it, especially since he wasn't doing it that first week he was with me and never did it at my parents' house.

One thing I've been doing is trying to redirect him out of the litterbox once he's covered his business and then praising him once he's left it alone. Based on what I've been reading, I'm also going to try getting his attention with toys and treats to get him to leave it alone once he's done. Also, the next chance I get, I'm going to completely clean out all three litterboxes and scrub them clean, using more of the Arm & Hammer litterbox baking soda and whatever else I can find at the store to try and give the litter a better smell for him. Granted, I've never smelled the litterboxes (can't smell things unless it's a strong odor), but then I'm not as sensitive to smell like cats can be.
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Chessie and Casey Jones relaxing together.

catlover101 Dec 05, 2007 12:18 AM

Hi there.... My cat, Bentley, does the same exact thing. I personally think for him, it's a mixture of having fun and a little obsessive-compulsiveness. He actually spends about 5-10 minutes "attempting" to bury his food when he's finished eating too! A behavior (I guess) carried over from being born a stray. I have to run the dust buster a little more often, but I'm not bothered by it.... This is one behavior I CAN live with Good luck!
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Rachel and Bentley

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