If this is your first visit, be sure to check out the FAQ by clicking the link above. You may have to register before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages, select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below. |
|
|
Thread Tools | Display Modes |
#1
|
|||
|
|||
cat behavior - cat puts his face in the litter box...help!
Here's a strange one for you, internet:
One of our cats has some very strange bathroom habits. He executes #1 like a normal cat, but when it comes to #2, he'll spend 2-3 minutes digging in the litter box and scooting litter around with his paws and also WITH HIS FACE. He's done this since we got him as a 9-week old kitten. He'll then take care of his business and make a show out of burying his poop, spending another minute or two "cleaning up," which usually amounts to shuffling more litter around and scraping the sides of the litter box till the liner is in tatters. He's emerges from the litter box with his cute black face covered in white dust. Aggh! I've looked this up to no avail, not a mention anywhere. Here are the facts--maybe someone out there has had this problem before or can help us solve this mystery? ================================ He's just about 6 months old, getting fixed next week. He shares our house with a female kitten about this age. They get along very well, neither of them is a bully, and though they play a lot, they've never been in a fight. We are absolutely religious about cleaning the litter box. We do it every morning and every night, so it's not an issue of litter box neglect. When we realized he had some litter box issues, we changed our litter from a wheatgrass-based litter to World's Best Cat Litter. This had no effect on his behavior. We're using the biggest littler box we could find. Not hooded, not automatic, just a plain old litter box. We tried two other types of boxes as well, no effect on his behavior. We would never scold him for this behavior, the last thing we want to do is have him develop a negative association with his litter box. We got them both from a rescue group. It doesn't seem as though he's playing in the litter box. He's absolutely serious as he goes at the task of out burrowing into the litter with his whole face until he finds just the right spot. He displays some other odd behaviors: He scrapes at his food bowl and place mat incessantly, more "cleaning up" behavior. He also made constant attempts to nurse off our female kitten, but has recently outgrown that behavior. Poor guy must have had a rough start. Our other kitten is just fine. Please--if you've got any ideas for us, it would be much appreciated! We love him to death but are tired of wiping him up after every trip to the bathroom! THANKS. |
#2
|
|||
|
|||
cat behavior - cat puts his face in the litter box...help!
|
#3
|
|||
|
|||
cat behavior - cat puts his face in the litter box...help!
Aww, sounds like he has some issues, bless his heart. But at least
he's using the box. One of my shelter kitties did that for months after I brought him home. He'd come out of the litter box with granules stuck to his little nose. I just wiped his nose with tissue. Eventually he stopped putting his face in it, though he does to this day spend an inordinate amount of time scratching around in there. On Nov 29, 10:44 pm, wrote: Here's a strange one for you, internet: One of our cats has some very strange bathroom habits. He executes #1 like a normal cat, but when it comes to #2, he'll spend 2-3 minutes digging in thelitterboxand scootinglitteraround with his paws and also WITH HIS FACE. He's done this since we got him as a 9-week old kitten. He'll then take care of his business and make a show out of burying his poop, spending another minute or two "cleaning up," which usually amounts to shuffling morelitteraround and scraping the sides of thelitterboxtill the liner is in tatters. He's emerges from thelitterboxwith his cute black face covered in white dust. Aggh! I've looked this up to no avail, not a mention anywhere. Here are the facts--maybe someone out there has had this problem before or can help us solve this mystery? ================================ He's just about 6 months old, getting fixed next week. He shares our house with a female kitten about this age. They get along very well, neither of them is a bully, and though they play a lot, they've never been in a fight. We are absolutely religious about cleaning thelitterbox. We do it every morning and every night, so it's not an issue oflitterbox neglect. When we realized he had somelitterboxissues, we changed ourlitter from a wheatgrass-basedlitterto World's Best CatLitter. This had no effect on his behavior. We're using the biggest littlerboxwe could find. Not hooded, not automatic, just a plain oldlitterbox. We tried two other types of boxes as well, no effect on his behavior. We would never scold him for this behavior, the last thing we want to do is have him develop a negative association with hislitterbox. We got them both from a rescue group. It doesn't seem as though he's playing in thelitterbox. He's absolutely serious as he goes at the task of out burrowing into thelitterwith his whole face until he finds just the right spot. He displays some other odd behaviors: He scrapes at his food bowl and place mat incessantly, more "cleaning up" behavior. He also made constant attempts to nurse off our female kitten, but has recently outgrown that behavior. Poor guy must have had a rough start. Our other kitten is just fine. Please--if you've got any ideas for us, it would be much appreciated! We love him to death but are tired of wiping him up after every trip to the bathroom! THANKS. |
#5
|
|||
|
|||
cat behavior - cat puts his face in the litter box...help!
|
#6
|
|||
|
|||
Quote:
Some cats will instinctively leave their feces uncovered as a way of sending out a signal to other cats that they are top cat. Cats see humans as giant cats by the way. So, I think he is overly careful with checking and burying because of a fearful start to his life and he feels vulnerable. I would hope that with time and reassurance that he might get out of this habit. Michael I run www.pictures-of-cats.org and http://pictures-of-catsorgblog.blogspot.com |
#7
|
|||
|
|||
cat behavior - cat puts his face in the litter box...help!
Thanks for your suggestions everyone! It helps to know other people
have seen this too and that there's a logical explanation. We'll keep all of this in mind and hope that with a little reassurance he'll kick the habit. |
Thread Tools | |
Display Modes | |
|
|
Similar Threads | ||||
Thread | Thread Starter | Forum | Replies | Last Post |
Cat puts food in handles of bowl? | Edna Pearl | Cat health & behaviour | 6 | January 17th 07 04:49 PM |
Lost cat puts pause on house sale | Adrian A | Cat anecdotes | 4 | October 15th 06 11:07 AM |
Purrs that HRFL puts in an apperance soon please... | Helen Miles | Cat anecdotes | 27 | July 24th 06 05:25 AM |
Another odd cat behavior re litter box | Sandy McDermin | Cat health & behaviour | 5 | January 14th 05 06:21 AM |
odd litter box behavior | [email protected] | Cat health & behaviour | 16 | August 4th 03 08:42 PM |