ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household by Shojai Amy

ComPETability: Solving Behavior Problems In Your Multi-Cat Household by Shojai Amy

Author:Shojai, Amy [Shojai, Amy]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: FurryMuse Publications
Published: 2012-04-16T04:00:00+00:00


COVERING BEHAVIOR

Pet cats get rave reviews on cleanliness because they come preprogrammed to cover waste in the litter box. But one of the top behavior complaints of cat owners involves litter box behavior, including cats that refuse to cover.

Covering waste is not a universal cat behavior, and the opposite may be your cat’s normal. Feral cats may cover waste if nearer to home and young kittens. Covering or burying waste reduces the scent signals that might alert predators to the presence of defenseless offspring. Feral cats in managed colonies may be more fastidious, as well, in part because the territory is shared. But typical feral cat behavior shows us that wild felines rarely bury feces. They use it to mark territory and so display it. Feral cats often leave waste on grassy tussocks that elevate and make it even more prominent.

To put this in a pet cat perspective, most household cats do bury the waste probably because it’s so close to their eating and sleeping areas. Consider that an outdoor free-ranging cat’s territory might encompass more than two miles. Locating your cat’s litter box across the house from a feeding station is still virtually in the cat’s face.

House cats that choose not to cover waste inside the box or that leave a deposit outside the box may simply be doing what comes naturally. One study followed female pet cats out and about and observed them defecate 58 times—and only twice did the cats try to dig a hole first, or cover it afterwards.

Humans also may have encouraged “clean” covering behavior in our pet cats by selectively choosing (and breeding) the ones that cover up waste. But cats that leave their creativity uncovered for the world to admire are not abnormal—they’re just being cats.

Cats that previously dug-and-covered in the litter box which suddenly leave a deposit uncovered should be evaluated to ensure it doesn’t point to a potential health problem. When the cat receives a clean bill of health, look for potential behavior causes. For instance, this may be the cat’s way of sending a smelly signal to other cats (or even a stray hanging around outside the window) that the territory is owned.



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