Arriving home from work one day, I had what I can only call a bad case of deja poo. I was at my wit’s end – it seemed useless to train my kitto to use the litter box! “My cat plays with poop,” I faced reality. And enough was enough.
This time I decided to do my research and finally end this habit of hers. She can’t be doing this. Sometimes I feel like she’d be ashamed I caught her, but other times, she wouldn’t even seem bothered. My cat plays with poop and I hate it!
That’s my confession and my yellowish little demon, Luci, is as guilty as charged. I couldn’t handle it anymore. She’d take poop out of the litter box and it would get everywhere! Honestly, I got tired of cleaning afterward. I know I signed up for every inconvenience that may show up once I adopted her, but…
Anyways, time to find out how to stop this stinky habit. Do you want to join me?
1. Kittens mostly do this
Believe it or not, kittens are the most common culprits of playing with their poop. Don’t get me wrong, some adult cats do it as well, but it’s not so common. I’ve mentioned earlier that cats don’t cover their feces because they haven’t learned how to, and the same goes for this. They don’t know that it’s not a toy.
Your cat plays with poop when it’s hard because it has an interesting shape, and it’s lightweight. That’s why she can toss it, roll it around (initiating the chase!) and have fun while doing so.
By nature, kittens are more curious and playful than adult felines. They’ll explore everything in their surroundings. Don’t be surprised if she steps in her poo and smears it around. It takes some time for them to learn how to bury their excrement properly.
2. She’s bored
Did you leave her home alone for longer than usual? You probably forgot to take out her toys from her box and your cat had no other option than to play with her poop. Shame on you, human! If your furbaby is bored, she’ll definitely find a way to entertain herself.
Maybe you still didn’t get her enough toys so she can have fun, with or without you. You should be the one embarrassed, not your kitty. Run to the closest pet shop and get her something to play with.
Adult cats will never opt to play with their feces when they have enough interesting items to entertain them. They’ll be happy with a feather-toy, or even something as simple as a stuffed mouse.
3. Her litter box is not clean
I’m afraid this one is on you, too. If your cat plays with poop, it could mean that her litter box is not clean. That little rebel is kind of protesting by fouling your habitat too. Don’t find excuses, clean her “toilet” more regularly.
She may even avoid her litter box altogether. Even though you’re changing the litter, it may stink. So, if your cat is acting weird and she plays with poop often, make sure you clean the box thoroughly.
Cats’ noses are really sensitive and perhaps you can’t smell her pee, but she’s not going to walk anywhere around her litter box. Make sure it doesn’t have any particular scent since they (mostly) don’t like the fragrance of cleaning products either.
4. Your furbaby doesn’t like the litter box shape
Yup, this can be the case too. If she doesn’t like her litter box shape, you may see your cat playing with her poop. Follow her around when she needs to “go potty.” Does she head for the litter box or simply decide to poop elsewhere?
If you nodded or even loudly answered YES, then you know what to do. Take a trip to the pet shop and find another shape. This may be a bit tricky task since nobody can guarantee she’ll like the litter in a circle or triangle shape more. So, experiment.
If you want to give a try to triangular litter box though, then give this one a try. It’s durable and affordable – two things we love about cat gear.
There are multiple reasons a particular model bothers her, and if you crack her code, congrats!
5. She likes the smell
Okay, (finally) time to blame your cat because she plays with poop. We’ve been mentioning earlier how cats can pick up on scents way better than we do. Well, this may sound weird to you, but she may like the smell of her poop.
Perhaps, there’s an underlying scent that you simply can’t pick up, but she actually enjoys it. It’s possible that there are some undigested proteins in her feces that make her curious and she doesn’t want to simply leave it in her litter box.
However, don’t let your cat play with poop because even though it’s not messy right now and it may even be a comical phenomenon for you, you don’t want her to keep doing it. Try to prevent it on time with these tips.