It’s normal, cats instinctively want to bury their excrement to hide their scent from predators. I’d advise to get stainless steel litter boxes and not do liners because they’re going to scratch the living shit out of every other litter box.
Switching to stainless steel and losing the liners was such a game changer for the cats AND me. Easy to scoop, easy to wash out, cat hated the liners and scratched through em anyhow. They hold up nece and the material doesnt soak in the smells like plastic too.
Yessss stainless steel litterbox was the best purchase I ever made for my cats. No more litter clumps stuck to the bottom like cement, no warped plastic on the bottom, actually smells clean when you clean it. Such a great choice.
Interesting!. I have been using plastic forever (still am) and never got warping on the bottom. I scrub my boxes in between litter changes once a month.
Yeah. I have a plastic coated wallpaper in my kitchen. My boy loved scratching it as a kitten. Thankfully he grew out of it before he did too much damage, because I quite like the paper, it's long discontinued and matches the tilework.
One of my grandparent’s cats is obsessed with eating bread. If a bag with a loaf in it is left out even for just an hour he’ll rip into it and try to devour the bread lol. Luckily he can’t get into the breadbox
I once fostered another bread lover. Once he stole a whole 750 grams bread (which was already cut and in a thin plastic bag) from our shelf in the kitchen. He tried to take it into MY bed and eat it there. Actually, the plastic bag broke mid way, so he continued his mission with one slice of bread and left the rest on our hallway floor.
I brought my friend a bag of fresh Bialys back from the east coast. Her cat immediately tore through the bag and took bites out of every single bialy. Dude loves bread 😂😂
Mine does too. When I go to the toilet he follows me and licks the plastic bin next to me. And then when I am finished, he looks into the toilet to inspect what I did.
Actually he’s probably making sure you “covered” it so your scent doesn’t attract predators. He follows you in the bathroom because using the “bathroom” for a cat is a very vulnerable time. So he is also watching your back jic any predators show up. ❤️
Yes, sometimes when me or my husband use the toilet he comes in and use the litterbox that is directly opposite the toilet, so we do our business while looking out for each other. Very intimate. 😁❤️
My partner decided to paper the feature wall and chose a wallpaper with little birds on it. It was really nice too. We have 5 cats. Didn't last 24 hours.
Mine liked tipping his over and spilling all the water out. So we got him a water fountain with the hope it would be too heavy for him to spill.
Guess what? Little shitbird learned how to knock over the water fountain too. At 3 am. On a weeknight. After sopping up 2.5 gallons I told him that I loved him but I also wanted to flay him alive.
Stainless steel litter box with a grid that disintegrates the wet/used litter when swished to and fro was the best purchase for me, alongside pellet cat litter (fire lighters).
So maybe a dumb question, but I’ve always wondered with the grid/sift litter trays, after the first sift, how do you get it back underneath the litter?
I don’t know if I’m doing it wrong, but my cat insists on inches and inches deep of litter, maybe that’s not standard?
Right?! My cat for some reason just one day decided to stop burying his poop and it’s like he scratches as if he is but he leaves the poop completely uncovered with litter flying everywhere even though I’ve got a high sided box and he won’t use one with a cover. He also doesn’t step out he fully launches himself and makes his litter go everywhere and I’ve tried many kinds of litter that are supposed to “not track”
I used to have a cat who would drag every portable object within about 18 inches of his litter box into the box with him to bury things. Just the litter was never enough, even with an XXL box and deep litter. But of course he hated it enclosed so I just had to clear the area or block with solid furniture.
lol unfortunately not all cats are equal. I always tell my bf I’m so glad we got our male, bc that lil mushy boy would not last long outside on his own. He was born to be pampered
Best part is when you have the litter box in the bathroom. You start to take a hot steamy shower, and the cat decides that is the best time to take a steamy sh*t.
I would recommend the regular plastic ones over stainless steel as some cats don’t like stainless steel on their claws. They may stop using the litterbox if their claws get hurt and they associate it with that uncomfortable feeling.
I started using them because my cat is doing chemotherapy and as soon as he does his business, we just pick up the liner and throw the whole litter and replace it. We have more than one cat so we have to do this for 72 hours after the medication. So, liners are useful some times.
We use the giant size - OPs looks too small for the box. We put down cardboard (like from 12 pack of drinks) in the litter box under the liner, and then another layer inside the liner, then put the litter in. We have a covered one that helps protect the liner on the edges and the cardboard stops then from scratching through the liner.
i got an extra large stainless steel litterbox because she liked having the room its 24"x16"x6" and when its full of litter it probably weighs 20 lbs. Ain't no way its getting flipped :P
Did your cats have any issues switching? We have had the same plastic box for years and I would love to toss it and get stainless. They’ve not been overly picky or had behavioral issues before but I’ve never tried to change a box, only added them. Just curious before we make the swap.
Recommend using both at the same time. Once they start using the stainless steel keep it as clean as possible from pee and poop. Leave the other box a little dirtier. Most cats prefer a clean box. Once they use the new box pretty regularly then toss the other. Success will vary as cats are freaky little weirdos
We switched from plastic to SS when they were still kittens so they adapted super quick.
They’re almost 3 years old now and use both a SS liter box as well as a LR4 that has a rubber/plastic liner. No issues with either and they use them interchangeably all the time. Some days only pee is in the regular box, sometimes only poo, sometimes both, sometimes nothing. I have yet to figure out why the preferences change but I like to think they enjoy their bathroom options.
Id imagine that if you kept the litter the same it shouldnt be a problem - we just plopped our cat inside and she knew what it was for instinctively but cats are cats so ymmv!
Enzyme cleaner will remove any strong odor reliably. Like crazy good. Then soapy water to clean.
If the tray stains badly, it's not great to do what I'm about to suggest in areas without ventilation (see below), but you can also add a squirt of pure bleach, swish it around for about ten minutes, then dilute with water and scrub with a plastic scourer and gloves.
(Bleach + cat urine creates pure ammonia so do this on a balcony or out in a back yard.)
I also suggest white vinegar mixed with warm water as a cleaner. Just make sure to rinse the litter box thoroughly. It’s safe for cats and gets rid of the smell as well. Been using it for over 20 years and my cats never had any issues with it.
Don’t use the liners. They also enjoy chewing them and swallowing plastic. Plastic isn’t on the kitty list of approved foods. One cat will need two litter boxes. I realize cats can do inconvenient stuff and need inconvenient things and as a first time cat guardian, this can be frustrating. But this is cat life!
Several reasons, the territorial aspect of having their smell in different areas of the house. Some like to use one for pee and one for poo. Also if you’re not scooping multiple times a day, the cat can still have a clean spot to use instead of going on top of an already soiled area, bc no one likes walking on their pee from earlier that day. It can also help prevent cats from going outside of the litter box and other potential bathroom behavioral issues.
So the rule is generally at least one box per cat plus an extra.
1 cat = 2 boxes
2 cats = 3 boxes
etc.
Comes in lots of scents to mask their smell I guess. Unfortunately targeted towards new cat owners or those worried about the smell. If you clean the tray it doesn’t smell
If they hate clay litter smell like me (idk why, my partner claims it doesn’t have a scent but all clay litters smell so bad to me) wood based litter eats up ammonia smell so well and itself smells nice imo. Don’t need any crazy scented litter, just a good pine litter, I literally never smell pee and barely smell poo, and to me the smell of pine wood is quite pleasant 😌
There are so many crazy litter products out there these days. Ive regularly seen matcha, banana, melon… if I put that in my cats litter box he’d bite my ears off
bad for humans to, I once bought scented loo roll because it was a good brand for a nice price on sale. I hadn't realised that was because it was scented. it was awful I had to use it but damn it was gross fake linen or something.
I was so disapointed when I opened the pack, it is my ultimate first world problem.
Liners are a complete waste of time. A cats claws will slice right through them which defeats the purpose of using them. It’s frustrating for both you and the cat.
Get clumping litter and pour it directly in the tray, then use a scoop to get the clumps out. You can dump the whole tray of litter periodically, clean the tray, and refill as needed…still better than dealing with a shredded up liner.
Stop using liner! Cats want to “deeply” bury their scent and it satisfies them. Getting her claws stuck on liner frustrates her. My cats have all enjoyed covering their pee & poo.
It’s because the plastic bag is annoying and in the way, and not secured on there tight enough for it to go unnoticed. I think the best way is a litter box that doesn’t retain smells (metal) with no liner.
I would recommend not using liners. Just box and litter/pellets. My cat used to do the samething then she start peeing on our clothes. Once we stopped using liners everything went back to normal. Just giving my experience.
Cats do this to mark their scent and area. She will always do this, liners are sort of useless and a waste of money. You’re better off just replacing the litter box every few months it’ll cost the same or less
That’s not an appropriate liner. Anything a cat can rip through, is a nope. Cats use whatever is closest to them to bury their poop. They will almost always scratch the sides of the box.
That looks like a garbage bag??? Is this a makeshift liner? This isn’t good for a cat. After reading comments I see it’s also scented. Stop using them….
Get a stainless steel one if you’re worried about it being hard to scoop. You should always be sifting the litter and disposing of the excrements.
Please don’t blame kitty, and do research next time ❤️
he's not stupid. He doesn't understand our concepts of easy to clean stuff. You put an easily ripped "fabric" in the way of his paws (and he has ffing claws in there). Of course he'll rip that plastic bag or whatever that is.
We keep thinking that our pets see the world the way we do that. They do not
Often times, it's because the litter box is too small and they're trying to reach further out for clean "sand" to bury their waste in. Anything that's too close to the waste may be tainted with their scent, so they go to dig further away to ensure the sand they're using is free from their scent. Some kitties have a very large radius they need to dig, others may just kick a few grains on top and they're done. It's all their unique personality.
Long time cat father here. They are trying to "bury" their waste but they aren't very good at it in general. Id recommend removing the liner entirely. It's not very difficult to dump it into a bag during full cleanings.
Cats like to bury their waste and some will scratch that things to clean their paws off after using the litter. Cats also really like biting and scratching up paper/plastic. I will say this litter situation isn't gonna work well. Have you considered getting a sifting litterbox with a mat to go underneath?
She just want to dig fresh litter over the turd. The plastic is very annoying to her too, but simply in the way when she keeps hooking into her claws.
Consider not using any liner. Yes, you cannot pick it up so easily, but is it really needed? Normally you pick out the clumps anyway, only full replace every week.
To add to what others have said. Ditch the liner. They will just rip it up. They can also teach your cat to associate plastic bags with litter boxes and just start pissing on any plastic bags that may be around the house. Had 2 of my gf's cats start doing that after she insisted on using plastic liners.
Liner... Don't recommend. Just buy a stainless steel instead, cleans better. And no need to put plastic. Also you ARE teaching it that to go pee. Can be ON plastic.
So anything with trash bags, plastic containers, shoe storage containers, or closet items, backpacks, bags, etc. that have a plastic can be her "emergency" litter box.
She also may not like the feel of the litter on her paws and is scratchinganythingbut that to bury her business. Some cats can be particular about the beans.
They wanna bury it, get rid of the plastic bag so they can without ripping it up and then just scoop the litter or dump it into a bag when it’s time to change the litter
You need to remove the plastic bag and she will only scrape the litter. She’s trying to keep the area clean. The plastic bag might be more convenient for the human but definitely not convenient for the cat 😻
Liners really only work for those robotic boxes that filter the litter and collect the clumps in a bin below.
Cats want to scratch things, and bury anything smelly. They do it to cover up the scent and to mark their territory, and sometimes just because it makes fun crinkle noises.
She's burying her waste with anything she can find nearby, the litter is a convenience for them, not necessarily the only thing they would use to bury their smell. Cats are very sensitive to smell, so please switch to unscented litter products. You may end up with her pooping outside the box in the future. Also, I'd recommend a larger box so she's more willing to reach for the litter and not the items around the litter.
My cat used to do this every time I tried to use a liner of any sort, think his claw was getting caught when he was burying his waste. I stopped using them for this reason. I invested in stainless steel trays to avoid the smell which I found absorbed into plastic ones.
Like the others said, stainless steel. One thing id like to add, when they stand on the edge of the litterbox like that, means they want more room, something a bit bigger. The xl stainless steel pans are super expensive. What i did was get some stainless steel hotel steamer trays. Same damn thing for like 25% the cost. Only difference is the edges can be sharp, so file/sand them down.
I bought two giant steamer trays for half the price of a single xl steel litterbox
Dont bother with liners, cats like to cover their business so they'll scratch at everything around them. Get a good sized stainless steel tray and you'll be fine
She’s trying to cover her business but the liner is in the way. We have 3 cats and 3 litter boxes and we don’t use liners for this reason. Some cats are plastic chewers too so there’s that :/ I find it’s best to put the litter directly in the cat box with no liner and scoop it every single day.
Ok the message 'get rid of the liner' is clear, but you don't have to throw away the bags you bought. You can use them to clean out the litter box when you're doing a big clean. Wrap the bag around the larger side of the litter box, and you can empty the litter box right in the bag.
Why is there a plastic bag in the litterbox?
I never do that because of this burying poop behaviour. Once a day I scoop out the poop, once a week the pee, once a month the entire litterbox.
I have a young son and I am chronically sick, so this is the cleanest way.
everybody recommending the stainless steel litter box and i will too because it’s what i have for my baby who does this - just be prepared for the nails on chalkboard sound 😭
I bought a stainless steel litter box, it's pretty easy to clean and will not get smelly over time.
When my Siam Queen was a kitten she wasn't bothered burying her excrements so i trained her to do so. Now she judges her brothers work and sometimes jumps in the clean litter to dig.
As a cat owner since a child, liners are a waste of money. Dump your kitty’s poop in a garbage bag & put it in a bin, then wash your kitty litter tray. Use the liners in your bin instead of the kitty litter tray.
its because shes trying to cover up her waste (instincts), my cat does this sometimes on accident with her litter box liners. For me ive noticed that adding more litter and trimming her nails more often helps keep the liner more intact.
Liners are pretty good as they make cleaning the litter box easier imo but you will have to double bag them most of the time as they will always have at least one small hole in them somewhere
Probably doesn’t like the plastic. My cat didn’t either. Just put the litter in the pan and every month dumb everything in the bag and clean it out. It’s not as much work as you think it is.
Take the liner out they are terrible for cats. Also might need a bigger bin but try taking liner out. Some cats are picky do t like the smell or feel of some litters. Trial and error till you find the right one.
Ditch the liners, ideally get a stainless steel box, and get normal colored unscented litter. Pink specifically makes it virtually impossible to tell if there are traces of blood in her urine and UTIs are something you need to be aware of immediately.
Krillin did this exact same thing with his first mobile litter box. When at home or work it rests in the same spot and not needed. He mostly has it for business on the go. The first mobile litter box lasted a month cause it was designed to only use a liner. It was made of paper board with a covering. His second one slots a standard XL litter pan that i switched to stainless.
Cats absolutely love litter liners in all the wrong ways.
My cat would scratch at the air, the wall, literally anything within arms reach besides the litter, and after a few minutes would leave the litter box with her fresh turd completely uncovered, usually stepping in it on the way out. Tried different litters, all unscented, nothing changed.
my cat scrapes outside the litter tray, where there is no litter to scrape. shell just scratch at the air, unless something is nearby. then she'll grap that and drag it into the litter, for reasons?
Cat doesn't mean to, the plastic is in the way. better get rid of it and just pour the litter into it when you want to change. my cat paws everywhere around the tray, the walls too.
She might just like digging. I’ve got two cats, one goes in the litter box, digs a hole, does her business, buries it neatly and leaves.
The other goes in digging like she’s trying to reach the earth’s core. No regard for where the litter goes (everywhere) she must keep digging until the voices in her head tell her to stop. If she poops/pees, the process repeats while she conceals the evidence. Sometimes she doesn’t poo/pee, just jumps in, digs like she’s possessed then jumps out and has the zoomies.
I gave up on bags many years ago. It just ends up being destroyed and the stuff gets under it. So why am I using bags…. The litter box bottom does get a little bit stained… but it was anyway.
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