Playing in kitty litter

[munchie]

Hi Everyone

Pikachu has this "game" at night where she runs to the kitty litter and lays on top of it, the moment she sees me she runs and hides then runs back to the kitty litter, digs to China, lays on top of it,then runs and hides. I'm sure this some kind of game to her...but it's not a game mom wants her to play because
a) She stinks from laying in the kitty litter
b)She digs out all the kitty litter onto the floor when she is burrowing
c)When she flys out of the kitty litter to hide she takes half of it with her

Okay any ideas on how I can let her know the other games are more acceptable???

Munchie

 

[gayef]

Out of curiosity, have you noticed whether or not she uses the box shortly after commencing this "game"? I have had several cats who would behave in a similar fashion right before they used the litter to poop. One kitty in particular always had problems with hard stool, and the vet suggested that he was running around like that because he was uncomfortable - he advised me to try a little unflavored Metamucil in his food, and after I began doing that, he stopped running around like a crazy thing before he pooped.

Do you have other cats, or people who interrupt her as she is "doing her business"? Is she running away and hiding so they won't bother her? A lot of cats like privacy when they use the litter. Maybe she is just making sure no one will bother her while she is potty'ing.

As for getting her to stop ... my suggestion would be to get her favorite toy when you see her instigate this game, and throw it around to draw her out of the box. Toss it down a hallway, or other long area where she can run and jump around some. It may be that she just wants to play at night, and this is her way of telling you.

Other than that, the only thing I can tell you is to keep the box nice and clean so she won't smell. *grin*

Best of luck,

Gaye

 

[hissy]

You can provide her with an alternate box but this one fill with packing peanuts. She will lay in them to get the texture but more than likely won't use this box for her business. Instead of using a regular litterbox, go to walmart and buy one of those plastic bin drawers and use that. It has worked for me in the past when kitties and cats liked to lay in their litter pans.

 

[munchie]

Thanks for your suggestions

I'm in South Africa and we don't have a Wal-Mart, but I can get similar stuff. The packing peanuts do you been those polystyrene peanut shaped things??. I honestly haven't noticed if she goes after doing this. My two boys are ever so prim and neat with the literbox, but she is a nightmare. I have to clean it at least twice sometimes three times a day. I use Everclean which costs a fortune because it's imported, but it's the only thing that keeps the litterboxes in a decent condition. She likes to wee in a spot then go back and dig in that same spot which breaks everything up, even if the other two boxes are clean. The boys will do their business in one spot and if they have to go again they will go to another corner or use another box. I wonder if this is a female thing?? ...and then of course there is this jump in race around thing.

Munchie

 

[alicat613]

My cat does something similar, but only right when I clean the boxes, never before or after using them. He goes crazy, spinning in circles. I don't know why he does it. He's just a nut and I've given up hope of stopping it. It does get a little litter all over, but he seems to really enjoy this.

 

[hell603]

My Loki likes to play with his pee-clump, how gross is that and then of course it's stuck to his paws. So, when he leaves his covered litter box he shacked his front and hind legs sending what was stuck on his paws all over the bath room.

Thank god he is growing out of this ritual - I think..

 

[hissy]

Just go to the local hardware store and buy a short sheet of astro turf. Big enough for the litter box to sit on with enough to spare that kitty has to pass over it before going anywhere else. His contact with the fake turf will pull most of the litter out of his pads and leave it on the grass.

Also if you use clumping litter and it sounds like you do, make sure you check between his pads periodically for small balls of litter. They work their way into the feet after awhile if not cleaned out and cause some pain for the kitty.