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How cat spends way too much time in the litter box, am I doing something wrong?
My cat is always in the litter box. Sometimes he will scratch around in the litter for literally hundreds of swipes of the paw, and he might do this routine two or more times an hour. I keep the box clean, and I’ve tried every kind of litter I can find. Even if I’ve just put new litter in, he will scratch around in there over and over again. It’s driving us crazy! Is something bothering him, or is there something we can do to take away his need to scratch around so much?
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Member 1024344
on Feb 22nd 2011
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in Behavior & Training
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First thing to think of is if he has a urinary infection. Does he cry when in the box? Does he try to go to the bathroom but not much comes out? If either of these things are happening, please rush him to the vet IMMEDIATELY. Male cats are at risk for becoming blocked - a crystal formed in the urine from an infection can block the urethra so that urine cannot escape the body. Because urine is essentially toxic, having it backed up within the body can be deadly in less than 24 hours. Otherwise, he may just enjoy digging and scratching more than other cats. Is it bothering you because he's kicking out the litter? If so, try a larger box with higher sides or a cover. Make sure he has scratching posts and lots of toys around the house. If he just enjoys scratching, I wouldn't try to remove the behavior but instead divert it to other things. When he begins excessively scratching, divert his attention by dragging a string toy nearby. Personally, I think it's kind of cute :) Best of luck!
Dahlia
answered on 2/22/11.
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Since he's going to the litter box 2-3 times an hour there is a high chance that he has a urinary tract in fection and/or crystals in his urine. Take him to the vet for a check up and urine test and they should be able to confirm if that's the problem. If he has a UTI they'll give him antibiotics and if he has crystals they'll give you special food that will prevent the crystals forming. Either way it's treatable.
Sassy
answered on 2/22/11.
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You've gotten excellent advice. Surreptitiously observe him if you can when he enters the box. Does it look like he's actually trying to "go"? Or, could he just be "playing", or as we say, "Zen gardening", which is what Izzie does. I have to think though, that if he has a urinary tract infection, he'd want out of the box asap since it's probably painful in there and he thinks the box is causing it. This is why cats with uti's stop using the box. After he's left, look in the box to see if he's actually produced anything. He may be constipated. Check his paws for possible irritations. If his paws itch and he doesn't have a scratchypost or use furniture, he may be using the litter to "itch" his paws. Some cats just like to do this. After he was done eating, Shizzie used to scratch the walls, countertop and anything on there. When he was at PetsMart before I adopted him, he also clawed at the sides of the cage. But, as the others said, it's not normal and a visit to the vet is best.
Izadore (Izzie)
answered on 2/23/11.
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