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Pawing at litter...



 
 
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  #1  
Old September 20th 06, 07:23 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
[email protected]
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Posts: 4
Default Pawing at litter...

I have two wonderful rescue cats whom I have lovingly dubbed "Crazy"
and "Lazy." Crazy was a stray that I took in after a co-worker found
him and offered him up. I've had him for almost a year now. He's been
to the vet, had his shots and, aside from being overweight (which is
being addressed with diet and play), is perfectly healthy.

But he's appropriately named, because he's driving me nuts.

I suppose it's because he was a stray and had to take measures to
ensure that his scent was covered in the "wild" suburban landscape, but
Crazy paws at the area around the litterbox. All around the litterbox,
which I keep in a spare shower stall (because there's absolutely
nowhere else to keep it). I'm talking standing up on his hind legs and
scraping (with his non-declawed front paws) at the tile until the noise
makes my teeth itch. Did I mention that this generally happens at
around 4 am? It's something akin to:

Crazy (around litterbox): "*SCRAPESCRAPESCRAPESCRAPE*"

Me: *waking up, angry, shouting groggily* "Quit that!"

Crazy (chastized): "Mew?"

*silence for half an hour, then repeat anew*

At this point, I would kill a man for a decent night's sleep. I
understand the logic behind it (burying his scent, survival mechanism,
etc.) but that doesn't mean that I like it or that I know how to stop
it. This cat does the same thing around his food dish (attempting to
"hide" his leftovers from predators or competitors), which doesn't
bother me so much because it's not as loud. As I said, moving the
litterbox isn't an option (when I lived in my last apartment, the
litter was in the laundry room and the pretty little freak scratched
the heck out of the washer/dryer with this pawing) and he's perfectly
healthy. My other cat doesn't do this, but she wasn't a stray (she was
rescued from a bad situation). It doesn't help matters that Crazy does
all of that pawing yet doesn't even bury his poop!

Any suggestions at all would be welcome by both me and my employer, who
doesn't believe "the cat kept me up all night" as an excuse for falling
asleep on the job.

  #2  
Old September 20th 06, 10:08 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Buddy's Mom
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Posts: 243
Default Pawing at litter...

Just my opinion, but perhaps Crazy is doing this to awaken you. And,
it is working!

wrote:
I have two wonderful rescue cats whom I have lovingly dubbed "Crazy"
and "Lazy." Crazy was a stray that I took in after a co-worker found
him and offered him up. I've had him for almost a year now. He's been
to the vet, had his shots and, aside from being overweight (which is
being addressed with diet and play), is perfectly healthy.

But he's appropriately named, because he's driving me nuts.

I suppose it's because he was a stray and had to take measures to
ensure that his scent was covered in the "wild" suburban landscape, but
Crazy paws at the area around the litterbox. All around the litterbox,
which I keep in a spare shower stall (because there's absolutely
nowhere else to keep it). I'm talking standing up on his hind legs and
scraping (with his non-declawed front paws) at the tile until the noise
makes my teeth itch. Did I mention that this generally happens at
around 4 am? It's something akin to:

Crazy (around litterbox): "*SCRAPESCRAPESCRAPESCRAPE*"

Me: *waking up, angry, shouting groggily* "Quit that!"

Crazy (chastized): "Mew?"

*silence for half an hour, then repeat anew*

At this point, I would kill a man for a decent night's sleep. I
understand the logic behind it (burying his scent, survival mechanism,
etc.) but that doesn't mean that I like it or that I know how to stop
it. This cat does the same thing around his food dish (attempting to
"hide" his leftovers from predators or competitors), which doesn't
bother me so much because it's not as loud. As I said, moving the
litterbox isn't an option (when I lived in my last apartment, the
litter was in the laundry room and the pretty little freak scratched
the heck out of the washer/dryer with this pawing) and he's perfectly
healthy. My other cat doesn't do this, but she wasn't a stray (she was
rescued from a bad situation). It doesn't help matters that Crazy does
all of that pawing yet doesn't even bury his poop!

Any suggestions at all would be welcome by both me and my employer, who
doesn't believe "the cat kept me up all night" as an excuse for falling
asleep on the job.


  #3  
Old September 20th 06, 10:17 PM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
[email protected]
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Posts: 4
Default Pawing at litter...


Buddy's Mom wrote:
Just my opinion, but perhaps Crazy is doing this to awaken you. And,
it is working!


So... Any suggestions for stopping the behavior, short of pretending
to be asleep (which gets old after 45 minutes of claws scraping on
tile)? I can't wear earplugs, because I wouldn't hear the alarm in the
morning!

  #5  
Old September 21st 06, 01:10 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
[email protected]
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Posts: 4
Default Pawing at litter...


I would try a couple of things, such as putting a rug under the litter
box with an adhesive that you can remove later (ask someone at Home
Depot for a recommendation). Then he can scratch the rug but you won't
hear it. Or could try putting two way tape all around the litter box.
He won't scratch that for long! Of course litter will stick to it and
it will be a mess, but it may break him of this habit.


See, maybe I wasn't entirely clear, but the issue is that he scratches
the *wall* - the tiled wall of the shower stall. I may try taping a
small rug to it, but I doubt that will work in the long run. I'd
rather break him of the habit than muffle the sound.

Another option might be to get a little sound machine and set it to
play white noise to drown out the scratching noises.


Wouldn't work - I'm a heavy sleeper, so white noise wouldn't even come
close to drowning out the nails-on-a-chalkboard noise he makes!

Thanks for the suggestions.

  #6  
Old September 21st 06, 01:29 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Buddy's Mom
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Posts: 243
Default Pawing at litter...

I do understand that it is the walls and I think that Kitty knows
exactly what she is doing and why. Yes, you would need to soften the
walls so you don't hear her noise. Unfortunately she will probably
find another way of awakening you though.

Maybe the best idea would be to confine HER to another room while you
sleep?

wrote:
I would try a couple of things, such as putting a rug under the litter
box with an adhesive that you can remove later (ask someone at Home
Depot for a recommendation). Then he can scratch the rug but you won't
hear it. Or could try putting two way tape all around the litter box.
He won't scratch that for long! Of course litter will stick to it and
it will be a mess, but it may break him of this habit.


See, maybe I wasn't entirely clear, but the issue is that he scratches
the *wall* - the tiled wall of the shower stall. I may try taping a
small rug to it, but I doubt that will work in the long run. I'd
rather break him of the habit than muffle the sound.

Another option might be to get a little sound machine and set it to
play white noise to drown out the scratching noises.


Wouldn't work - I'm a heavy sleeper, so white noise wouldn't even come
close to drowning out the nails-on-a-chalkboard noise he makes!

Thanks for the suggestions.


  #7  
Old September 21st 06, 01:34 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
meeee
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Posts: 1,348
Default Pawing at litter...


wrote in message
oups.com...

I would try a couple of things, such as putting a rug under the litter
box with an adhesive that you can remove later (ask someone at Home
Depot for a recommendation). Then he can scratch the rug but you won't
hear it. Or could try putting two way tape all around the litter box.
He won't scratch that for long! Of course litter will stick to it and
it will be a mess, but it may break him of this habit.


See, maybe I wasn't entirely clear, but the issue is that he scratches
the *wall* - the tiled wall of the shower stall. I may try taping a
small rug to it, but I doubt that will work in the long run. I'd
rather break him of the habit than muffle the sound.

Another option might be to get a little sound machine and set it to
play white noise to drown out the scratching noises.


Wouldn't work - I'm a heavy sleeper, so white noise wouldn't even come
close to drowning out the nails-on-a-chalkboard noise he makes!

Thanks for the suggestions.


Hi, I am having a similar problem at the moment. I don't allow my cats in my
room at night, as three of them are under 1 year, decide to play or fight at
3am and I never sleep. One of my girls, however, thinks it's her room and
has recently started scratching the door. Very loudly, for a long time, at
all hours. So I share your frustration. One thing that works (partially) is
tying some noisy, inconvenient things such as pan lids or wire coathangers
onto bits of string so that they hang over the area the cat scratches, so
that when the cat scratches, the objects get in their way and also make lots
of noise. Hard to sleep through, but it worked for a while. Now I am trying
the spray bottle. The minute she starts scratching, I open the door a crack
and squirt her thoroughly. try and do it without them seeing you, as it will
then seem like the direct result of them scratching. As my girl's very
bright, she seems to be getting the message. Make sure you only do it while
they are scratching, and stop as soon as they stop, so they get the message
that it's about the scratching, not the room or the shower. Just some ideas,
hope they help.


  #8  
Old September 21st 06, 02:09 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
Rhonda
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Posts: 864
Default Pawing at litter...

I don't think I'd try spraying this cat while he's scratching, since
he's in a litter box. She could very well train him to stop using the
litter box if he's disciplined or scared while in it.

I think I would do all possible to find another place for the box. Is
there any other corner where it will fit? You can put a pretty screen in
front of it so it is out of view if that's the problem.

Good luck,

Rhonda

meeee wrote:

Now I am trying
the spray bottle. The minute she starts scratching, I open the door a crack
and squirt her thoroughly. try and do it without them seeing you, as it will
then seem like the direct result of them scratching. As my girl's very
bright, she seems to be getting the message. Make sure you only do it while
they are scratching, and stop as soon as they stop, so they get the message
that it's about the scratching, not the room or the shower. Just some ideas,
hope they help.



  #9  
Old September 21st 06, 02:57 AM posted to rec.pets.cats.health+behav
meeee
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Posts: 1,348
Default Pawing at litter...


"Rhonda" wrote in message
...
I don't think I'd try spraying this cat while he's scratching, since he's
in a litter box. She could very well train him to stop using the litter box
if he's disciplined or scared while in it.


Absolutely, I agree. I was under the impression that he was outside the
litter box, scratching at the shower walls. It would depend whether this was
his 'litter ritual' or whether he is just scratching for attention. Do yuo
know whether he does this everytime he goes to the toilet, or just at night
time? If he does it every time, then Rhonda is correct, don't spray him.
It's likely that he feels it's not sufficiently covered, maybe a larger
litter box with more litter? Does he like to dig a big hole? Try just
putting it in the middle of your loungeroom at night so he can't scratch any
nearby walls. I'm not sure.

meee
I think I would do all possible to find another place for the box. Is
there any other corner where it will fit? You can put a pretty screen in
front of it so it is out of view if that's the problem.

Good luck,

Rhonda

meeee wrote:
Now I am trying the spray bottle. The minute she starts scratching, I
open the door a crack and squirt her thoroughly. try and do it without
them seeing you, as it will then seem like the direct result of them
scratching. As my girl's very bright, she seems to be getting the
message. Make sure you only do it while they are scratching, and stop as
soon as they stop, so they get the message that it's about the
scratching, not the room or the shower. Just some ideas, hope they help.




 




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