Digging to China..

[darkmavis]

I joined this site back in March because I couldn't find an answer to my issue/question so I asked about it on here. No one here could really give me any answers or insight either except to say just be happy she uses the litterbox. Well I'm just going to throw it out there again to see if new people have any ideas or if old people have new ideas.

Genever spends SO MUCH TIME digging in the litterbox! She will dig and dig and scratch the walls of the box (we have a covered one), she will scratch the ceiling of the hood, she will keep digging. She will pee/poo, and then she will go back to the scratching and digging forever!! Seriously, it's not uncommon for her to be in there 10 minutes or more. Often at night. And we have a small apartment so the box is in the bedroom.

I've taken off the hood a few times to see if it made a difference. The only difference is she can't scratch the walls/ceiling of it anymore, she still spends as much time in there as always. It's slightly quieter though so i'm in a no-hood stage right now. Took it off about a week or 2 ago because i was going insane. Sometimes I go sleep on the couch even to get away from the noise.

Why does she spend so much time in there???

On a related note, I don't know if this is a normal thing for her or a recent new thing she started, but i caught her last week (without the hood) jumping in the box, rolling around in it and scratching the walls while lying down, getting all covered in litter! Eeew!

Last night I think she was doing that cos she stank like pee and I ended up throwing her in the tub and giving her her first bath. Heh, it went.. kinda well.. I was as wet as she was.

So what the heck? Why does she dig and dig and dig? And scratch ABOVE her head if the hood is on? Is she really that obsessed with covering up her business?

 

[strange_wings]

Digging and thoroughly covering is just an odd habit some cats have. I have 3 who dig like crazy.

I have no idea why Genever rolled in her dirty litter. Multicat homes, maybe it could be some sort of very weird scent marking (picking up scents like a dog would).

 

[fisheater]

DarkMavis,

I used to have a Kitty (5 year old female) that did the same thing. She came from a feral mother and was semi-feral herself. She used a hooded litterbox because she will scratch scratch scratch and splash the litter everywhere! Scratch the litter, scratch the walls of the box, and yes even the ceiling! After she's done doing her business and scratching in the litter box, she would step outside the litter box and scratch the floor, walls, door, and the bathroom rug. Every morning I would have to straighten the rug out as I would find it in a crumpled mess. It wasn't uncommon for her to be in the litter box for nearly 10 mins. At night she would make so much noise that we'd have to yell at her to knock it off after about 5 mins.

One thing she never did though was roll in the litter, fortunately. Though one morning I did find she pushed a good amount of litter out of the box and got it all over the floor. So I started putting a minimal amount of litter in the box, just barely enough. That seemed to reduce her scratching for about a week then she went back to her old ways. Finally we just accepted Kitty for being a very vigorous digger and learned to shut our bedroom door at night.

We always kept the litter box clean so I don't think that was what caused it. No idea why Kitty spent so much time covering her business. But just thought you'd like to know your kitty is not the only one.

 

[darkmavis]

So Genever's just a crazy lady I guess.

I scoop everyday. She is our only pet. I've tried putting a tiny amount of litter in, but that just made it worse, she scratched/dug just the same but it was louder because it was on the plastic of the box. She doesn't really kick out a whole lot of litter while digging, but she tracks out lots when she jumps out even with a track mat, so i do have to vacuum often.

I just never had that experience with other cats, so I thought maybe there is a reason for it. She also does the food 'burying' thing sometimes, and when she pukes she 'buries' that too before i can grab a paper towel. Luckily she scratches around it, not in it to make a bigger mess.

With the rolling in the litterbox, it was so funny, when i saw it, she was doing a crazy kitty running around the whole apartment bouncing off the walls kind of episode, and all of a sudden into to litterbox, kicking and rolling and going crazy, almost like when you see a dog rolling around on its back in the grass, or a pig rolling in dusty dirt. Weird.

 

[stephanietx]

My Hannah spends an enormous amount of time in the box getting it just right for her to do her thing, then she almost goes into a trance after she does her business covering! I've watched her and it's quite comical!

She'll spend TONS of time in their covering up and covering up, and covering up!

You've got a normal cat when it comes trying to escape to China. No insight on the rolling in the litter thing. That's gross!

 

[gloriajh]

I guess you've already tried different types of litter ??

 

[darkmavis]

Yeah, I've tried several brands including corn litters.. right now we're on Tidy Cats, I forget which version of it.

I guess I'm glad to hear Genever isn't the only excessive digger. That doesn't make it easier to sleep at night though.. literally....

 

[gloriajh]

Originally Posted by DarkMavis

Yeah, I've tried several brands including corn litters.. right now we're on Tidy Cats, I forget which version of it.

I guess I'm glad to hear Genever isn't the only excessive digger. That doesn't make it easier to sleep at night though.. literally....

How about the newspaper litter? (can't think of the name - something like "Everyday News" ??
oh, it's "Yesterday"s News" - it would be more quiet, maybe???

 

[darkmavis]

I'm not sure that would make a difference, since she spends probably half the time not even scratching in the litter but actually scratching the sides of the box and/or hood.

I'll think about it though. Thanks for the suggestion!

 

[cheshirecat]

My Chester is a digger. Sometimes he digs clear to the bottom of the box and heaps it up in one corner. The funny part is he almost never covers his poo. He just digs.

He also digs on the floor when he gets out of the box. His back end will still be in the box while he is digging on the floor next to the box. A couple of times I have even noticed him digging in the corner next to the sink.

He will bury his food when he is done.

Fortunately his box is in the guest bathroom so I don't have to deal with the messy floor right away. If I am in a rush I just scoop.

The only other odd habit he has is sometime he will get his back foot wet. I don't know how he does it or why he won't move the foot when it's in the wrong place.

And you know what a cat does when he steps in water. He shakes his foot and if there is litter stuck to the wet foot it ends up on the wall.

 

[rianna]

Both my cats love to dig too... I got them one of the cardboard scratching posts and it seemed to deter the behavior a bit. They still scratch in the litter box, but not as long. Maybe that can help your kitty?

 

[gloriajh]

Originally Posted by Rianna

Both my cats love to dig too... I got them one of the cardboard scratching posts and it seemed to deter the behavior a bit. They still scratch in the litter box, but not as long. Maybe that can help your kitty?

You know ... That seems like a real good idea!

 

[nekomania]

My cat does this too, he will sometimes spend 10 minutes or more in there just scratching the walls of the box, sometimes he digs so furiously that he kicks out old poo onto the floor.

Sometimes I walk up there and I tell him "It's covered you can come out now" and he flies out to do his "mommy I'm happy I made a poo" run.

 

[lyrajean]

I have a digger too. I also live in a small apartment and I attribute at least part of this behavior to boredom, even though I try to keep her supplied with lots of toys.

She also likes to supervise the box cleaning. And proceeds to renovate the newly changed boxes once filled with litter or while I am still pouring it in. This usually consists of mounding the litter up in one corner. (High-sided or hooded boxes are your friend here!)

Mine also tries to dig me out from under the covers in the morning almost everyday.

 

[darkmavis]

Originally Posted by Rianna

Both my cats love to dig too... I got them one of the cardboard scratching posts and it seemed to deter the behavior a bit. They still scratch in the litter box, but not as long. Maybe that can help your kitty?

She's got a few cardboard scratch boards, and she scratches the towel that's in her basket. And always the litterbox....

Originally Posted by Lyrajean

I have a digger too. I also live in a small apartment and I attribute at least part of this behavior to boredom, even though I try to keep her supplied with lots of toys.

I have thought this too, especially since she mostly does it at night when we are sleeping or trying to sleep and not paying any attention to her. Or maybe she just needs to go at night. But sometimes I really don't even think she's going on there to go, just to dig and scratch walls!! During the day when we're up and about, she still digs a bunch but not nearly as long as at night.

It's just so strange to me. I had 2 other cats, one passed in 2006 and the other is still with my mom, and they never did this! That's why I thought Genever is just a mad cat. But I guess it's common. Great.

I mean, I can see wanting to really cover up any evidence of being in there, from instincts and whatnot, but WHY THE WALLS??????? There is no litter there!! Since about 5AM today i was awake most of the time because she just wouldn't stop! And as it got light I saw she was mostly scratching the lip of the side. Over and over and over.

My babygirl makes me CRAAAAAZY!

 

[strange_wings]

Originally Posted by DarkMavis

It's just so strange to me. I had 2 other cats, one passed in 2006 and the other is still with my mom, and they never did this! That's why I thought Genever is just a mad cat. But I guess it's common.

Since you've only had three, it makes sense why you haven't seen it as much. I currently have 7 in and 2 out. Of those 4 are diggers - 3 in and 1 outside (so there goes the theory some have about it being litter related). I've lived with a lot of cats over the years, and there's always seemed to be one who dug more.

My indoor girl Siri will stand on the rim of her litter box and scratch everything around it BUT the litter.

At least I can see her poo shape and texture that way.

Tomas used to dig and cover a lot every time, it has lessoned with age but he'll still do it and avidly covers everyone elses.
Male kitten, Blaan is just a kitten yet - so he could still lose the habit.

At least I can usually tell, by sound alone, who is using the litter box.

Boo the outdoor boy has left piles of leaves and sticks (each a minimum of half a foot tall and around a foot across) for me to clean up... at least I know where all the "surprises" are. He, like other past outdoor cats, also has the habit of digging 2-4 spots before he finds the perfect one to use.

The very basic reason is just that cats don't want to go on their feet and, being a small animal, want their scent thoroughly covered from predators.

 

[shanynne]

Originally Posted by DarkMavis

I joined this site back in March because I couldn't find an answer to my issue/question so I asked about it on here. No one here could really give me any answers or insight either except to say just be happy she uses the litterbox. Well I'm just going to throw it out there again to see if new people have any ideas or if old people have new ideas.

Genever spends SO MUCH TIME digging in the litterbox! She will dig and dig and scratch the walls of the box (we have a covered one), she will scratch the ceiling of the hood, she will keep digging. She will pee/poo, and then she will go back to the scratching and digging forever!! Seriously, it's not uncommon for her to be in there 10 minutes or more. Often at night. And we have a small apartment so the box is in the bedroom.

I've taken off the hood a few times to see if it made a difference. The only difference is she can't scratch the walls/ceiling of it anymore, she still spends as much time in there as always. It's slightly quieter though so i'm in a no-hood stage right now. Took it off about a week or 2 ago because i was going insane. Sometimes I go sleep on the couch even to get away from the noise.

Why does she spend so much time in there???

On a related note, I don't know if this is a normal thing for her or a recent new thing she started, but i caught her last week (without the hood) jumping in the box, rolling around in it and scratching the walls while lying down, getting all covered in litter! Eeew!

Last night I think she was doing that cos she stank like pee and I ended up throwing her in the tub and giving her her first bath. Heh, it went.. kinda well.. I was as wet as she was.

So what the heck? Why does she dig and dig and dig? And scratch ABOVE her head if the hood is on? Is she really that obsessed with covering up her business?

I could be way off base, but it sounds to me like is trying to cover odors. It could be that your kitty has a higher than usual sense of smell. Maybe changing the litter type would help. I know you mentioned that you've tried different litter types, but If you're using a clay based litter that will definitely be "louder" when she scratches.


Now there are other type of litters out there that are more of a powder based type and come in scented and unscented like Arm & Hammer. Check out Petco and Petsmart to see the different types they offer. At least with that type of litter it should be a lot less noisy when she scratches around.


Also the litter you are using currently Tidy Cats, is that scented? It could be she does not like the smell of it.


Next thing that comes to mind is when you change out the litter box what are you washing it out with? Are you using bleach or that sort of heavy chemical? How often are you changing out the box completely?


When you do wash out the litter box, just use hot water and plain old dish soap. Nothing else. Your baby could be scratching at the walls etc. because she can smell the lingering odor of chemicals and is trying to cover it up. Especially bleach, no matter how well you rinse it out, most cats will still be able to smell it.

I know that you said you scooped each day, but how often? I would scoop at least twice a day, that not only keeps the litter clean but minimizes odors. I would also avoid using the hood for that reason. Hooded litter boxes tend to keep the odors in.


Only other thing I can think of is you mentioned you have a track mat. What kind is it? Is it one of those cottony types or the plastic ones that have "spikes"? The reason I'm asking is that she might also be scratching so much in an effort to clean her paws. Usually the spiked mats are pretty good for that.


I wish I could think of something else, and If you've already tried something I suggested, then I apologize.

Anyways, let us know how it goes. Hope something works out for you!

 

[otto]

This thread has me giggling. Ootay (rb 5/09) was my scratcher and digger, and like some others mentioned, after she was done digging, and scratching the sides and walls, she would get out and scratch the floor/newspaper too.

Putting a cardboard scratcher next to the litter box is a great idea, if I still had Ootay I would do that, but I guess she can scratch to her heart's content at the Bridge. (I might try it for the others, though. I don't have much of a tracking problem, but it might cut down on even the little I do get!)

Mazy cat is my roller. It IS gross! At first I thought it was cute and funny how she would greet me at the door, then jump up onto the platform and do spins in one of the litter boxes.

Then one night as I was cuddling her I got a face full of litter dust and realized it's not cute, it's gross, so I stopped making a fuss about her doing it (oh you cute little clown, etc).

I would instead say, Oh NO, Mazy, yuck, and turn my back on her when she rolled in the box, and then, as soon as she got out I would wipe her down with a damp paper towel.

Now she spins on the newspapers outside of the boxes instead. That's still not exactly hygienic, but it's better than IN the boxes!

You might try adding another box for Genever. I don't know how much difference it would make, but it might make her happy, many cats prefer a choice.

 

[alleygirl]

Xander is a digger too. Sometimes I think its just an OCD disorder

 

[darkmavis]

Hmm.. I kind of like the idea of putting a scratcher NEXT TO the litterbox. We have a few but they're in the other room. I think Santa just got another xmas present idea!!

As for litter types.. I think the loudest noise comes from when Genever scratches the walls of the actual box, not necessarily in the litter. I hate that too but a different litter I don't think would help the box scratching. However, I've been thinking about trying that Dr. Elsey's litter since I hear it's pretty much dust free, and since it's unscented too that might help. Probably won't, but it can't hurt anyway! (i hope!)

I use clumping litter so I admit I don't wash out the box all that often. Last time was about a month ago, yeah, I guess I usually do it about once a month. I just use softsoap hand soap to clean it. Nothing chemical-y and smelly.

It's a good thing G-cat is such an awesome cutie-pie, otherwise I think either BF or I would've thrown her out the window already in a sleep-deprived frenzy!

(yes... i'm joking. no yelling please!)