So our second little kitty has started with a very annoying habit. Sometime around 4 am every day, he’ll go into the litter box, and start pawing at the litter. He’ll do this for like 15 minutes. Then (I presume)he’ll go to the bathroom, and then paw the litter some more for another 10 minutes. Step out of the litter box, and paw/scratch the little litter mat thingy we have in that same spot. Since the litter box is located about 15 feet from our bed, this has become a source of irritation as it wakes us up every morning. I am unsure how to go about stopping this behavior, as I do not want to discourage the cat from using the litter box. I will note that he also does this in the kitchen, next to his food dish. He’ll just stand there, wiping his paw across the floor, over and over again. Usually not using his claws.
Any advice would be very good, as he is coming closer and closer to death with each passing morning. I considered one of those vibrating collars that they have for dogs, but I can’t seem to find one for a cat. HELP!!!
Hmm. My cat has engaged in this behavior for about … 10 years.
I don’t think there is an easy solution to it. It’s just something some cats do. I think your cat has some of the litter stuck in its paw and it is trying to dislodge it.
Since your cat isn’t engaged in anything really nasty, such as voiding outside the litter box, I don’t know what a vet would suggest.
Does your cat have a scratching post? That could give him an alternative place to scratch.
Cats paw at all sorts of things but as *BobT mentioned, maybe he has something stuck on his paw when he gets out of the litterbox. Maybe his paw feels tender? At least he (your cat, not BobT) is not clawing your house to pieces.
To save your sanity, you night consider s l o w l y inching your cat’s litter box out of your bedroom. I stress the word s l o w l y.
One of mine likes to “play in the sand”. We got him a box full of playground sand (they sell special sterilized sand for sand boxes) to do so- with the understanding he might use it for other uses. So far, he hasn’t.
Or- one of my other cats is anal about covering everything. So he’ll do his business, and bury it- however, if that uncovers another bit of scat, he’ll bury that, and so forth. So, perhaps changing the litter more often will help- or two litter boxes, one for each cat.
Consider putting the “other” litter box I mentioned much further away from you bed- then when they get used to that new location, move the second one there, also, so the noise is undetectable from your bed.
You know, one of my cats used to do this. The only difference is that he only scratches a lot after he is done, and not before. I just yell at him, “That’s enough!” and he jumps out. Weird.
Can’t you just relocate his litter box? I had to move the litter box back when I was using clay litter, because one of my cats dug so long that I could smell clay dust clear across the room.
I’ve noticed my cat does this if I leave it a few days between cleaning out the litter box. It seems to be related to cats’ obsession with burying all traces of their feces.
First, thanks for the advice so far.
Second, while we could move the litter box, when we had the house built, we decided that the logical place to put the litter box was in the utility closet with the washer and dryer. Which is right next to the master bedroom. That way, all the litter stays in that little space, and not all over the carpet. It makes cleanup much easier, and doesn’t skeeve me out when walking barefoot.
We did have two litter boxes for a while, but just got one really big one with a door, hoping that would help keep the litter inside.
sigh. Oh well…doesn’t look like there’s much of a solution here. I’m not much of a cat person, (wife takes care of them) but how often should the box be cleaned out?
Yeah, he’ll stop as well if I sit up and yell at him…but that kind of defeats the purpose. Since I have to be awake to yell at him, I’d rather try and find a way to keep myself asleep.
We have two litter boxes for five cats. (And they’re scooped several times a day).
What my mom did was take some cardboard boxes, cut them up, and set the litter boxes in the cardboard ones. That way, if it gets splashed out, it gets splashed into the cardboard boxes.
Also, our cats can scratch at the walls of the cardboard box, to get litter out of their paws. She even covered them in shelf paper. (Or, as my dad put it, “panelled shit boxes”)
When my cat does this, it’s normally a sign that he’d appreciate having the litter box cleaned; the rest of the time, he doesn’t scratch around excessively.
My suggestion for trapping extra litter is to buy some of that rubberized stuff you put under throw rugs to keep them from skidding (not the foam pad that goes under normal carpet–this is thinner and mesh-like). Cut out a piece and put it under the litter box (edges should be wide enough to extend a few inches beyond the box).
The Top Cat in the house generally “does it and runs” without “flushing.” The “Under-Cat” carefully buries, to hide the scent. It’s the same at my house: Dorothy will do her business and just go tearing out of the litter box; Lillian will dig and dig like she’s excavating the Lost City of the Incas.
One cat? At least daily. Your cat would probably like it best if you cleaned the box immediately after he uses it. This is, of course, because you have nothing else to do except make him happy.
It’s also recommended that for multiple cats, you keep one more litter box than you have cats. For 2 cats, you should at least have 2 litter boxes.
It is in your own best interest to keep them happy in this regard; if a cat decides that the area you’ve provided is too stinky, he will find someplace else until that is too stinky, too. You do NOT want this to happen. The smell of cat urine other places in your house would make you want to burn it down. If you’ve ever been in the home of a “cat person” where the place seems to reek, that’s the cause.
Think of it this way: Suppose you were physically unable to flush the toilet. Suppose it remained unflushed all day, let alone for a couple of days. You probably would be unhappy going in that room at all.
Little Echo, a.k.a. The Troublemaker has an obsession with the deceased Inspector Cleauseau’s kitty box. For sentimental reasons, we kept the box (minus the cat turds) and when we walk in the door after work, The Troublemaker tears into the laundry room and ROLLS AROUND IN IT LIKE SHE’LL DIE WITHOUT IT. I literally have to pry her out of it. She makes herself heavy so it’s really hard to pick her up.
My other cat, Goody Two-Shoes, used to “skate” with her front paws on shiny stuff like binders.
My cat will go use the litter box within minutes of my cleaning it out. She will not leave it unspoiled.
I hire someone to look after my cat when I’m on vacation because she would quickly fill the house with “decorations” without prompt litter box cleanup.
I think it might be an instinctual thing to “hide” food or litter from other animals - my cats have all done this too. Also, IIRC, cats have sweat/scent glands on their paws, and so by rubbing the floor next to their food or litter they may be marking their territory.
Peter, cat #1, will bury obsessively when he drops an especially deadly bomb. Usually, the only solution is for me to clean the box before passing out face down in the litter from the stench. Otherwise he’ll bury obsessively for five minutes, bolt to the other end of the apartment like he’s running for his live, and then return to the box to shovel some more. Lather, rinse, repeat for the rest of the night.
Sam, cat #2, will only give the sand a couple of half hearted swipes before moseying over to wipe her paws on my shins.
Not always, Eve-the second in command, Gypsy, is the most anal retentive feline I’ve ever met. The very first day after she was allowed out of my room (after two days, we then let them have the run of the house), she went straight to the litter in the laundry room and proceeded to clean up and straighten the other litter boxes.
She still does it. Heck, one time the dog accidentally had a dingleberry that dropped on the floor-and Gyppers tried to cover THAT up!
I swear our Purr Dragon must be crosseyed. It took him a year to finally be able to cover anything, but he’d scratch for several minutes, even reaching up on the wall. He also tries to cover his food. The others have never had a problem from day one.
All of them will stand anxiously awaiting a litter box cleaning. I’ve had them jump in as I was putting the crystals in, or the carpet potpourri stuff, before I’ve ever gotten the litter open.
