Cats are puzzling creature; every cat owner knows how unique and sometimes strange their fur ball is. Cats often show mysterious behavior such as swapping during sleep and changing food preferences. Among all the strange habits of your pet, the main habit that can make you think is why my cat scratch the sides of the litter box. not all, but most cats have this habit. there are different reasons behind this behavior.
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why your cat is scratching the litter box excessively
When your cat's regular litter box scratching turns into excessive scratching, there may be an issue. Start by inspecting your cat's litter box and surrounding areas. There many be the following reasons for the frequent scratching.
Litter Depth
A depth of 3 inches is usually advised for your cat. While you may believe that increasing the amount of litter in the box will eliminate litter box scratching, this is not the case. Many cats reject the litter box that is overflowing. Maintain a litter depth of 3 inches to allow your cat to rummage about the proper quantity of litter.
Litter Box Size
As a general guideline, your kitty's litter box should be around 1.5 times its length. If it's too little, it can cause too much scratching.
Cleanliness
Many cats are picky and will not use an extremely unclean litter box. Clean it at least
Reasons behind the cat scratching the litter box
Low quantity of litter
If your cat is clawing the sides of the litter box, one of the first things you should check is whether there is enough litter for the cat. When cleaning the litter and removing waste from the litter box, some litter is scooped out. It's impossible to avoid, especially given how sticky rubbish is. If there isn't enough litter for the cat, it won't be able to cover the waste.
If a vain attempt to make additional litter by scratching fails, they opt to skip the litter box entirely and seek another way to respond to nature's call. Scratching the sides of the litter box could be an early clue that your cat doesn't like it.
Uncleaned litter box
Another crucial factor in this habit is the litter box's cleanliness. Cats are exceptionally hygienic pets who prefer their living spaces to be spotless and odor-free. They not only defecate in the litter box, but they also spend time alone there. So it's in their nature to get rid of the noxious odor of their excrement as quickly as possible. As a result, cats may become overwhelmed by the stench of the litter box and try furiously to cover their waste product, resulting in scratches.
Types of litter
Cat owners prefer clumping litter since it is easier to clean when it comes to litter. However, you must ensure that the waste does not adhere to the cat's paws. Clumps between the small toes of cats irritate them. So they like to scratch the sides of the litter box to get rid of the annoying lumps whenever this happens.
You should take extra care with cats with the fur under their toes because the litter can get stuck on their paws.
Another cat using their litter box
Cats are territorial animals who don't appreciate it when other cats intrude on their area. They can detect the smell of any other cat using the same litter box, and the litter box is not clean. They can choose to ignore it or scrape the edges of the litter box to express their dissatisfaction with the circumstance. Cats can be moody at times, and they might communicate their dissatisfaction by scratching the litter box's side.
How to stop the cat from scratching the litter box
Here are some simple solutions to prevent the cat from scratching the litter box.
Keep the litter boxes clean.
It's important to remember that no matter how many cats or boxes you have in the house, you must maintain all of them clean. If you want to avoid problems like scratching the edges of a litter box, scooping out all boxes twice a day is an excellent way to start. It's critical to change the litter entirely and clean the waste out of the boxes.
circumstances will determine the frequency with which you must do this. Changing the trash regularly, from every other day to once a week, is a good idea. Do not simply dump the old litter and replace it with new litter when changing the litter.
Think About Changing The Litter
It's a big thing to switch the litter your cat is used to. As a result, it's the last recommendation on this list. If you assume that Kitty scrapes the sides of the box to get rid of clumps of litter lodged in his claws, a litter change is relevant to this problem - and only then. How do you know? Examine it more closely. When you hear the scratches on the plastic, slowly and carefully approach it to have a look. If your cat doesn't mind, gently raise one of its front paws to see if there's a lot of litter underneath. Tracking is acceptable and will occur with any form of litter
Invest in a larger, deeper litter box.
Purchase a deeper litter box for your cat that can store more litter. Scratching the box's sides indicates that the cat requires additional litter to cover their feces. Therefore, your cat will have more litter to conceal their excrement in a deeper container. Of course, instead of putting the same quantity of waste in the shallower box, you should fill the larger box with extra litter.