Okay, so we’ve discovered all the reasons why cats play with their poop, but since it’s a gross habit, we have to learn how to stop it, right? Here are some techniques people swear by. I’ve tried out all of them, including the catnip, and they worked.
You may not need to experiment with all five ideas, but I simply wanted to make sure it won’t happen again. I really hated cleaning Luci’s poop from my floor. How she somehow managed to cover every inch of it is beyond me!
1. Replace the type of litter or add more
The first thing I did was add a bit more of the litter I was using to fill her box. Apparently, cats tend to play with their poop if they can’t cover it. I highly doubted that was the case with Luci, but I gave it a try.
When this didn’t work out, I completely changed the litter I was buying. Some people advised that I should try out a litter substitute, but I chose not to. So I changed the brand and did the next step right after.
2. Change the location of her litter box
Apparently, if she doesn’t like the place where her litter box is, your cat will play with her poop as a sign of protest. Fascinating, huh?
For this reason, I decided to take her box from the corner of the room outside to the terrace. Since her bowls for food and water are in the corner of my living room, this option was the best. And it seems like she’s loving it!
3. Buy her toys
Another thing I immediately did was buy her a bunch of new toys. She had quite the collection, but it seems like it’s never enough. This time I chose a lot of interactive toys, and now she spends hours rolling that ball in this tower of tracks I found on Amazon.
Also, I got a little laser toy and she sometimes brings it to me so we can play together. I swear, there’s nothing as entertaining as your furbaby trying to catch something and failing! All those funny videos of cats chasing the laser ray finally started making sense.
4. Spend more time with your feline
This is one thing I didn’t really have to improve upon, but it always gets tricky when I have to leave for work in the morning. That’s why toys help a lot! I let her play with puzzlements pockets mostly and lock her in the apartment.
But then once I get back home, I give her all the love she deserves. Also, I’m now more careful when it comes to business trips as well. I carefully pick a person to take care of her while I’m away and try to make our separations as short as possible.
5. Give her catnip
If I’m being honest, I’d been extremely curious about catnip. I had never given it to her before, so I was a bit cautious of her reaction. She had rubbed her face on celery leaves a couple of times and it was absolutely adorable how she behaved. (In case you missed it, this has a similar effect as catnip).
So, when I found these in one of the cities I was traveling to, I decided to give it a try. Place it around the house, outside of her litter box, and watch your feline enjoy herself. These small balls smell enticing to her – and put her on a bit of a kitty-high!
The positive thing, she’ll forget about her poop-playing days completely.