Smelly cat it IS your fault!
January 10, 2008 6:41 PM   Subscribe

How can I get my 4-month-old kitten to stop laying with poop?

I recently adopted a 4-month-old kitten who is wonderful except for one thing: he LOVES hanging out in the litter box. Even when he's not doing his business, he really likes playing with his waste. Sometimes he'll use the litter box as a hiding space from my other cat, sometimes he'll hang out in it when my other cat is doing his thing, and sometimes he'll just lay down after a movement.

I find it difficult to train him because I don't ever want to reprimand him for going in the box. Is there anything I can do to stop this behavior? I don't want my sweet kitten to be a smelly cat.
posted by missjamielynn to Pets & Animals (7 answers total)
 
It will pass. Four months is an odd age, and by six months you'll wonder where this old-man-cat came from compared to now. Just encourage him to play with other toys, and bide your time. It's not unlike how toddlers get a little obsessive about poo; he's just learning about the world in his own way.
posted by Lyn Never at 7:05 PM on January 10, 2008


I've heard time and time again that the best way to get an animal to stop doing something you don't like is to distract it with something more fun. You can't just make him stop, you have to give him something else to do instead. So maybe you could bust out the laser pointer or the dangly string toy to convince him that it's more fun to be out of the litter box than in. Also, make sure he's got plenty of other comfy places to lay around the house. And, like Lyn Never said, don't despair - he'll probably grow out of it before you know it.
posted by vytae at 7:34 PM on January 10, 2008


I've noticed that in shelters and pet stores, that most of the cats are chilling out in their litter boxes. I think it's because it is the only soft spot to sleep in those cages. Perhaps place a soft cushy kitty bed near the litter box, and get kitty to use that for sleeping more often. Eventually, you can start moving it to a better location away from it's box.
Distracting kitty with something more fun is a good suggestion, too.
posted by idiotfactory at 9:46 PM on January 10, 2008


I've noticed the same thing idiotfactory mentions at cat shows - CFA grand champion show cats chilling out in their litter boxes. It seems to be pretty common.

Providing fun things to play with and other comfy things to sleep in sounds like a good idea. Also, it's possible he's hanging out in the litter box for security reasons; since he is a recent addition to the household and you do have another cat, it's a good idea to make sure these sleeping spaces are secluded and possibly have one or two that the other cat won't get in.
posted by Metroid Baby at 10:08 PM on January 10, 2008


Maybe you can make him a replacement lounge.... a critter box?
Get a a covered cardboard box and cut a little door hole. Line the box with something soft, like a blanket or towel or some sheets of tissue paper, and put in a few little poop-sized toys (mice, balls, yarn, etc). Every time the kitten starts hanging out in the litter box, use a friendly voice to call him over to the critter box and give him praise and a treat when he goes in it (maybe catnip?), and play with him if he's in the mood. By creating a very similar play area that recreates the litter box amenities (enclosed, soft, little things to play with), you'll give him another zone to hang out. Even better, make the entrance to the critter box too small for the adult cat to get in, so the kitten can use it as a sanctuary. Good luck!
posted by pseudostrabismus at 10:21 PM on January 10, 2008


In my experience, litter lurkers (usually young) are figuring out territories. One male was obsessed with the litter boxes (one for each cat) and would go on poop patrol, covering (or uncovering and examining, then re-covering) what the other three did. I lived in a huge house then, with plenty of places for him to hang out--but he designated himself guardian of cat boxes. As he matured, those tendencies transformed themselves into patrolling where the humans relieve themselves. Bathroom audience--huzzah!

Suggestions to give your cat a hidey-hole and soft place to hang out are great. I now have just one cat in small apartment. She's pretty old (>10 yrs.) and recently became very concerned with having herself covered but within sight of me. I bought a pop-open cat play cube, threw a cushy blanket in it, and she goes to it any time she wants to nap or chill.
posted by bonobo at 12:56 AM on January 11, 2008 [1 favorite]


Maybe it's not so much he likes to play in doodys and more that he's into digging about in dirt. (Hahahaha your kitty plays with doodys).
My Scruffas likes poking about in there, but she is meticulous... Loopy gets in there and he thinks it's funny to mess up her system. Ugh!
How big is his litter box? Maybe get him a little sandbox as well. You could put things in there, hide new stuff in there from time to time for him to 'discover'. Get friends to keep old stuff for a bit so it picks up new and interesting smells.

*shakes head* ..doodys. :)
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 11:12 AM on January 11, 2008


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