My puppy eats from the cats litter box. Not the litter but everything else. Can anyone tell my why?

Answer 1

We call it "cat candy". The cat food is so yummy to dogs, even after being partially digested that almost all of them will eat it. IN fact most dogs will eat all kinds of poop: Cow and sheep and anything really. Kinda foul if you ask me, but then I'm not a dog.

Your best bet is to make the litter box inaccessible. If you can put it behind a baby gate, or we have used Litter box boxes. WE get two HUGE clear plastic bins with a lids from Walmart. Cut a hole in the side of each. The hole needs to be big enough for the cat, but too small for the dog. Put the litter box inside one of the bins, and the food inside another. Expect that the dog will put his head inside the box to get a tasty treat and will scare himself when he tries to get it back out and the bin "attacks him". He'll only try that once. Otherwise he'll leave the littler box and food alone.

Answer 2

This is something that dogs do and there is little you can do to 'train' them not too.

I would not put a cover on the box -- many cats don't like the cover (it can be like shutting your head in the toilet) and putting it up high is not a good answer either. Trouble is, you don't want to make it hard on the cat to get to and use it's litter box or you may find yourself with a cat that uses more convenient places in the house.

What about putting a baby gate across the door where the litter box is? This way, the cat can jump over it but the dog can't. They make the kind that swings open and closed to make it easy for people to go through.

If your dog is big, or if the cat has trouble jumping, place the gate up just far enough for the cat to get under it but not the dog.

If you have the cat's food and water in the same room with the litter box, be sure it is as far away from the box as possible -- across the room is best.

Answer 3

5 months is a tough age when they try to test the boundaries of the pack and see if they can become alpha dog. You have to stay firm and keep rewarding them for any tiny thing they do right. I'd suggest clearing away any fun chewy things like your shoes and any other items that she seems to like that you don't want her to chew (at least for a little while till this stage is over). When she gets older put the things back and then teach her what is ok to chew and what isn't. At 5, 6 and 7 months they'll try anything and everything cos they're teens. After 8 months it gets a lot easier as they mature. Having treats around and training constantly and also walking them a lot to tire them out should keep your teen dog amused and stop the destruction. If you ignore her when you come home then she'll eventually learn when it's ok to come greet you. I have the same prob with my dog, these days though he sits until I've got my coat and bag off and then I'll turn around and give him lots of cuddles. Seems to be working and better than getting scratched to bits. Good luck with your dog and just hold in there with the training and it'll get easier soon :)

Answer 4

My sister told me its because they like the taste of cat food and cats don't digest all of it. It must still kind of taste like food to them. Dogs will eat anything regardless of how bad it smells or tastes as long as it smells like it used to be food, or looks and smells interesting. I've heard of them eating their own puke, other dogs poop and they even eat rocks. I'd get a litter maid. It's a litter box uses regular clumping litter, and it automatically scoops the poop into a closed receptacle right after the cat gets out. Kind of expensive, but better than your puppy getting sick if your cat has something contagious. I don't think I've heard of dogs getting sick from it but just to be on the safe side I'd do that or put the box where your cat can get to it but your pup can't. A room with a baby gate in the doorway. As long as the cat knows where the box is, it will jump the fence and still use it.

Answer 5

Hi there:
Some might think you are kidding, but i had the same problem with my dog. Dogs are attracted to the smell and the nutrients that are still remaining in the cat poop (I know it's disgusting).
Once they know that there is something to eat there they will always go back.
The best thing to do is this:
Place your little box on something that is a bit higher that the top of your dogs head. leave enough room so you cat can jump up and get into the litter box. Once the dog figures out he can't get a free meal by eating it on the ground, he will soon get tired and leave it alone.
I hope this helps!!
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Answer 6

Its gotta be the smell (regardless if it smells good to us). And the fact that puppys eat anything that is solid. Simply put the litter box in a high place where the cat can get but the dog can not.

Answer 7

Doggie Snowcaps! My dogs are notorious for it. When I asked our vet a few years back, they basically said it's like caviar for dogs. Ewww, I know.

We had to elevate our litter box to keep them out of it. Our friends put in a kitty door on the room they kept it in, which worked for them cuz the dog was too big to get thru it to access the box.

I have never been successful at breaking this habit and so eliminating access was the best thing I could come up with.

Answer 8

In some cases, it is simply a case of of jealousy in the dog.

Especially in the case of male dogs! They are very territorial, and they like to mark their territory. If another animal, such as a cat or a dog, is within the dog's territory, the dog may become very jealous. Since dogs often mark their territory with either urine or feces, they will consume another animals feces in an attempt to remove the other animal's "mark."

For instance, I have a male black lab/german shepard mix. My sister has a rat terrier that is about a year older than my dog, which is also a male. When my dog was a puppy, my sister's dog would come for a visit, and try to show dominate behavior over my puppy. Well, the puppy wasn't too fond on this other dog coming over and trying to take over his territory. As a result, when my sister's dog went outside and had a bowel movement, my puppy immediately went outside and ate the other dog's feces, in an attempt to rid all traces of the other dog.

Now of course, my dog has grown to be about 4 times the size of the rat terrier. However, because both dogs are male, and are friendly with one another, they still feel threatened by each other. They still show these random behaviors toward each other, such as consumption of each other's feces.

To prove my point, my dog has never consumed his own feces, nor the feces of our female puppy. He only does it when another dog has come into his territory.

Answer 9

I don't know why...but my dog does the same thing. It's nasty. Try getting one of those inclosed litter boxes with the swinging door...that kept my dog out of the litter box but my cat didn't like it. So you could try that.

Answer 10

Scoop the cat litter daily. What are you feeding your dog? He lacks nutrients. Try Iams or Science Diet. Ask your Vet.