6 TIPS TO GET YOUR CATS TO COVER THEIR POOP
If your cat doesn't cover her poop، what can you do? It can be frustrating (and a little smelly) if you find uncovered poop waiting in the litter box. Just remember: your cat isn't doing this to be mean. If she's not covering her poop، it could be because of nervousness، competition with other cats، health issues، or other reasons. You can encourage your cat to cover her poop by trying different litter and litter boxes، calming products، and decreasing the stress in her life.
1. Teach Your Cat to Bury
If your cat has never buried her poop، it might be because she never learned from mamma kitty.1 Try sitting with her while she uses the litter box and then gently use her paws to cover the litter when she's done. Give her treats when she does cover it. You can also use clicker training to "capture" the right movements and slowly encourage her over time.2
2. Add More Litter Boxes in Different Locations
If a cat's not covering his poop، it might be because the litter box is in a location your cat doesn't like. Or maybe you don't have enough boxes. It's a good rule of thumb to provide at least one litter box per cat.
Put the litter boxes in different locations. Make sure that some are away from loud noises like washing machines or heavy foot traffic. A cat who gets distracted by noise might forget to cover his poop.
3. Reduce Stress
Sometimes stress can cause cats to leave their poop uncovered. In the wild، cats may cover their poop to hide their scent so predators don't know they're around.3 Or they might be trying to show that they're not a threat to an "alpha" cat in the area. So a cat who isn't covering his poop might be in competition with another cat and is trying to show dominance. Other stress triggers، like other cats wandering outside the house، might leave her feeling insecure. Even having visitors over or moving to a new house might trigger your cat to feel stressed.
If you've got a stressed-out kitty، reducing stress can help her feel more confident about covering her poop. Try a calming diffuser. These release a drug-free، odorless vapor that mimics the pheromones a cat uses to indicate an area is safe. You could also try a calming collar، which releases those same vapors wherever your cat goes.
