Litter that's TOO attractive?

[lovesmekitties]

My kitties are rolling around and laying in their new Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat litter.  At times they are all 3 in there together.  It's not the Cat Attract version, yet they seem to love being in there.  Thankfully we keep the litter really clean, but still it's disgusting.  We just got it yesterday because one of them started peeing on the couch and I thought maybe they were protesting the pine litter we'd been using.  Maybe the newness will wear off and they will stop hanging out in there?  Any ideas?

 

[MoochNNoodles]

Maybe it's TOO clean?  I'm really not sure what to do about it.    Do they seem to like snuggling up in there?  Maybe an alternative place to snuggle together would help.  Like a box turned on it's side.  We had some of these collapsible cube toys that my 2 would go sleep in.   We also had a foam cube shaped bed.  

 

[deborahlee]

Sounds to me like they are trying to make it smell like the old litter smelled, and putting their scent in there.

We may find it disgusting, but they don't.  Cat's communicate by scent; it's very important to them.

I'd ignore it and let them do what cats do.  When they feel it's "theirs" again with their scent, they'll probably stop doing it so much.

 

[lovesmekitties]

They just seem to really like the texture or maybe the smell.  Comparatively, when they were using pine litter they walked hesitantly and got out right away (I sure loved that stuff though!)  This stuff they love to dig, smell and lay on.  I'll admit it has a nice texture.  I thought at first maybe they had an herbal cat attractant in it, but I don't see that.  Yes, hopefully the newness will wear off!

 

[deborahlee]

Be grateful.  Most people here are complaining their cats don't go in the litter enough.  

I love that Dr. Elsey's ... use it myself.  I get it from Mr. Chewy, free shipping even on litter over $49.  I get it the next day.  Great place. 

(I don't work for them ...  I just buy from them but they're really great).

 

[lovesmekitties]

 
Be grateful.  Most people here are complaining their cats don't go in the litter enough.  

I love that Dr. Elsey's ... use it myself.  I get it from Mr. Chewy, free shipping even on litter over $49.  I get it the next day.  Great place. 

(I don't work for them ...  I just buy from them but they're really great).

I know right!  Ha!  It just grosses me out a bit that when I go to pet them I'm probably touching residue from their litter box!!!!  It is great stuff though.

Is that Chewy.com? 

 

[deborahlee]

Yes, Chewy.com.

If I worried about all the gross things my cats do ... go in the litter and then lay on my pillow, lick themselves and then lick my face, stick their faces in my food when I'm not looking, lick their butts, then each other, then I pet them ....  I'd go crazy!

So I have decided to live in denial.

 

[lovesmekitties]

Oh I know - that's too funny!

 

[archerbaby]

I think it's just a kitten thing for them to play and lay in the litter box.  Probably about half of the foster kittens we've had thus far have played in, rolled around in and even slept in a litter box (we also use regular clay litter, so I wonder if you're right about it being a texture thing).  One of the fosters we have right now, Alec, seems to love to roll around in one of the boxes in particular.  Not sure what's so special about that one, but there you go.  I guess the good thing is that it really forces me to make sure the boxes in this house stay really clean

And, deborahlee, I definitely understand choosing to live in denial about it all! 

 

[lovesmekitties]

That's good to know.  Do your kitties also ever use the box at the same time?  My 3 1/2 mo. old tends to hop in with my 5 mo. olds and I'm wondering if I should pull him out to wait?  My older kitties are 8 lbs so it kind of crowds them.

 

[archerbaby]

Gabriel & Gibbs in litter box.jpg

• archerbaby
• Sep 24, 2013

Does this answer your question?

I don't think I'd worry too much about kittens hopping in together occasionally as long as they're not getting in each others way, though it can make things a big more messy as evidenced by the photo here (litter kicked out of the box & also onto the tail of the one in the back).  I've had kittens try to hop in with my older boys and I do tend to pull them out if they manage to squeeze themselves in there just because, as you said, it can get rather crowded! 

 

[lovesmekitties]

That's cute!!  My 5 1/2 mos. older kitties are 8lbs and very loooong - so I'm afraid that when JohnnyMac hops in he could ultimately oi

deter them from wanting to use the litter box.

 

[jonesy]

Its a Kitty Poopy Party!  Jump in everyone! 

 

[archerbaby]

 
That's cute!!  My 5 1/2 mos. older kitties are 8lbs and very loooong - so I'm afraid that when JohnnyMac hops in he could ultimately oi

deter them from wanting to use the litter box.

If you have room, you may want to get a second box and put it right beside the one that's used the most often.  That way if JohnnyMac tries to hop in with the older kittens you can just pick him up and put him right into the second one.  Eventually he'll get the idea and jump into the second one on his own.  He'd still be right next to his friends and then they can all, ah, "relax" together

.  I did this and it really does seem to help by allowing them to each have a box without having to wait to use it and still be able to see each other.  I don't think I'd worry too much about him jumping in the box and making the older ones have an aversion to using the litter box, unless they are timid kitties, because if he bothers them they'd most likely just smack him to let him know to let them have a bit of privacy  Try the side by side boxes, if you can though, and let us know if that helps.

 

[buckwheat]

Try chging the liter box style, maybe a covered liter box. That way they wouldn't want to be hide away after doing their business, and may not want play in their liter box. I use a product called "attract liter" it works. Gud luck