Cat digging outside of her litterbox, instead of inside

[catminator]

So for some reason my cat forgot how to use her litterbox, once she knew but now she keeps digging outside of her littebox and on rare occasions inside of it. It can literally go on for an hour, and it's quite annoying to listen to expecially at night beacuse she keeps going on with the digging on woodfloor sounds. How can i fix this weird behavior?

 

[sivyaleah]

How old is she?  Older cats can sometimes have cognitive issues and litter box problems are one sign of their aging.

If younger, she just might be telling you she isn't happy with something.  Could be the size of the box.  Is it one she's been using since she was smaller? Perhaps buying a new one that is large might do the trick since it would giver her extra space to dig.  

The last thing I can think of is are you keeping it clean enough?  Some cats have a higher tolerance than others for the condition of the litter.  Maybe scooping more frequently could help?

Just throwing ideas out.  Hope someone else with this experience may be able to help.  I guess you could always try putting a large mat under the box which would at least muffle the noise.  I'd also take her to the vet just to rule out any kind of health problems that are going unnoticed.  It is a LONG time to dig!

 

[catminator]

It might be about the tolerance, since when i try to show her how to dig she's not happy about getting her little paws in the litterbox. So i will try see, if it helps cleaning it more regularly. She's 7 months.

 

[sivyaleah]

 
It might be about the tolerance, since when i try to show her how to dig she's not happy about getting her little paws in the litterbox. So i will try see, if it helps cleaning it more regularly. She's 7 months.

LOL, well you can't really "show" a cat how to do anything!  

Try a new box also.  If you've had it for a while, it could just be that the box is starting to wear - they do need to be replaced periodically.  Perhaps she's just picky but there is almost always a good reason why a cat will suddenly have litter box avoidance or changes of behavior with them.

 

[MoochNNoodles]

My Noodles doesn't like getting her paws in the box no matter how clean it is.  When we had a LitterMaid box both DH and I found her balancing herself on the wide edges of hit and hovering to go.  Or she'd have 3 legs on the sides and one in the box.  She also "digs" at the wall or the side of the washer.  

  We have traditional boxes now; but she still doesn't bury.  She is just in and out.  She is 11 now and had been this way for at least the last 6-7 years.  

 

[captain dave]

Zoey has done everything from digging in the box to scratching the sides of it to scratching the walls above it.

I've never understood her reasoning, as it has nothing to do with the cleanliness of the box. She'll do it even with completely fresh litter and a box that's been thoroughly cleaned and deodorized.

However, she's meticulous. She'll go back in five minutes later and continue to do her weird "burying" routine.​

Some cats are just...

Weird. ;-)