Kitten wont stop messing up her Tray?

Question

I have a 20 week old Kitten called Misty who is fully litter trained but for some reason she always goes potty but rather than just burying her mess she really starts digging and rummaging in the tray which knocks some of the litter on the floor. I use the plastic bags inside the tray she always puts holes in them too, basically she pretty much folds it all up for me with added holes so i make a complete mess. I have tried clapping my hands whilst she is going mad and i have picked her up telling her no but i dont wanna be too stern in case she thinks im telling her off for going to the tray.

Answer 1

I know the feeling - I have one who insists on digging down to the plastic everytime.
The only suggestion I can make would be to get a covered tray because that will stop most of the spillages.
Good luck

Answer 2

The tray is too small or not deep enough! If you are there when she is digging just remove her gently from the tray and remove what she has done! Don't ever tell her no or try to frighten her as she will definately associate that with using the tray! Her instinct is to bury what she has done and it can't be over-ridden! The best litter trays are the deep covered box type but ALL should be cleaned regularly as cats will not use them if they (not us) think they are too dirty or full! If that isn't an option then place the tray in another container or put something underneath to catch as much of the litter as possible!

Answer 3

She's just a baby, my cat does this.... all they are trying to do is cover up their mess. The only way round this is to buy a covered litter tray. What ever you do don't teach her that she is doing something wrong or she may not go near the tray if she knows you will clap at her or pick her up saying 'No' then she will put the two together and start messing some where else.

Answer 4

I have a digger too the only thing I can recomend is getting a litter trey that has a flap on it so it is completely enclosed so when she gets going digging she will not put the litter on the floor you will still get some however because it will stick to her fer it is just a habit don't scold her though this may cause her to not want to use the litter all together and I think you would rather have to sweep kitty litter than clean up a bigger mess. Good luck

Answer 5

Misty is being a good cat. She knows in her cat breed that unburied waste will cause her to be tracked and possibly harmed by being detected by smell. Unfortunately, you can't breed this knowledge out of them. Depth of litter will make little difference. Our cat is given a very deep pan and we do not use a liner. We do add only a tiny layer of litter no more than a half inch deep. When he has used the pan, we hear him frantically scratching and take the pan from him, empty and clean it thoroughly so there is no odour. Wash it and even consider using a deodorant powder in the base. We are currently using a cheap carpet deodorant. Then pour in a small amount of litter and the process goes on. You are right not to scold her. This is normal cat behaviour. If we love pussycats and want to keep them, then we have to take the good with the bad. A good suggestion to keep the mess to a minimum is to set the pan in the shower stall or bathtub. Any loose litter being flung out will be caught there and make it much easier for you to keep a tidy home.

Good luck to you and give Misty a hug from me.

Cheers,

Lisa

Answer 6

There a couple of things you need to do,

1) dont tell the kitten off she is only doing what comes naturally.

2) You also need to realise that she is only about 5mths old and her coordination will be a bit out of whack.

3) Cats are very clean creatures, when they go to the loo outside they will dig up to 4 inches to bury there poo, and your kitten has this instinct to do this, so she will do this.

I had a cat that as I said 'dug for England', so I stopped buying the plastic liners (waste of time) and bought a tray that has a cover.

Hope this helps, and sorry if I have been harsh. :)

Answer 7

Some cats do, they will turn it over, dig it out of the tray, totally empty the tray, and its only after a really good dig around and scattering the litter every where in the room other than on top of their buisness, then they stop.

Train the cat to go outside in a special patch of your garden. I did with mine.

Answer 8

Hiya, My cat Charlie does this, he has to really cover everything over and just digs for England. I have tried everything to no avail it's just how they are some cat's are fussier than others. I have bought a shower curtain from Asda it only one of the white Smartprice ones for 97p and i put it on the floor around his litter tray, it can be washed when it becomes dirty. Good Luck with your little kitty, by the way Charlie is now 8.

Answer 9

My boys are exactly the same - & half the time even with all their digging around they still don't manage to cover it up! Try getting a litter tray with a lid, & if Misty doesn't like going in the dark, try one with a lip that goes around the top to prevent the litter from going everywhere. They sell them in Jollyes in the UK (if you're in US, you'll just have to shop around till you find them, but I'm sure some pet shop will stock them :-)

Answer 10

I have two cats who used to do exactly the same! There is a very simple solution - buy a covered litter tray with a catflap-like door.

It really worked for our two and we don't end up with litter all over our kitchen any more. They don't scrabble about as much and actually one of them thinks it's great fun to sit inside and bat the flap backwards and forwards. I think the cats prefer it because they are really quite private animals, and it's not so nasty to look at for us either! Most visitors to our house don't even realise it's a litter tray, they think it's a cat carrier!

Check out the link: http://www.petsathome.com/invt/13005

They also sell the ones with rims that another poster mentioned! http://www.petsathome.com/invt/11957