Why has our cat quit burying her poop in the litter box and how can we encourage her to do it again?

This is admittedly long, but bare with me!

We have had our 2 year old cat, Alice, since she was a kitten and she has always used the same litter box with a lid since we brought her home. She never had any troubles or issues with it so we've continued to use this same box. We did eventually nix the lid after about a year though, because it didn't really do anything to cut down on the smell as we had hoped, and it was just an extra step for us to remove it when we cleaned it. She didn't seem to mind having it either way though, so we just left it off and she has been using it without the lid for about a year now.

Cut to about 6 months ago when we brought our new kitten, Maggie, home. We did the whole schpeel of adding one box per cat with one extra but Maggie will only use the same box Alice uses. When we brought Maggie home, we kept her separate from Alice while they got used to each other's smell, and Maggie had her own box. She used it with no problems. But as soon as they were introduced and began living together, Maggie abandoned her previous box and began sharing Alice's. Neither of the cats have ever used either of the new boxes once we let them share the house, but Alice didn't seem to mind Maggie sharing hers, so that was fine with us. We still keep the additional boxes available, they just won't use them.

However even though Alice didn't mind sharing, Maggie, being that she's a kitten, didn't understand or respect Alice's privacy when she was using the litter box. Alice would get in to do her "business" and Maggie would hop in with her to chase her tail or bite her ears; it was play time for her. So we put the lid back on to keep Maggie out while Alice was in there because we can't always be around to remove Maggie from the box every time she bothers Alice and Alice had started leaving her "presents" elsewhere to escape Maggie in the litter box. Being that Alice had already used the litter box with the lid on for half of her life, we knew she would be fine with adding it back on and would appreciate the privacy. And she was. It worked to keep Maggie out while she was in there and Alice went back to using the box exclusively without any accidents. They've been sharing in peace for about 6 months.

Except now, all of a sudden, Alice quit burying her business. They've been sharing for about 6 months now and the lid has been on for about the same amount of time but just within the last month, Alice has stopped burying. But it's not for lack of trying apparently. She digs and claws, but she does it on the side of the box instead of in the litter. We hear her in there clawing the side of the box to shreds instead of clawing the litter. I can't figure out why she's doing this other than the lid. There have been no other changes. Still the same litter and we still clean it everyday. Maybe she doesn't want to share with Maggie anymore as Maggie is getting bigger and so is her "business"? But I can't figure how I could make Maggie use her own box instead of Alice's. We already have the 3 boxes but they both only use that one. All 3 are in quiet, easily accessible places. In fact, Maggie's first box she used when we first brought her home, is directly next to Alice's. I've even tried putting some of the "used" litter into Maggie's old box in hopes that the her and Alice's smell being on it would encourage her to use that one. Nope. I've even tried moving her out of the old box into the new box when she goes to use it. Nope.

The only articles I can find on this is when a cat refuses to bury at all and they're purposely not making any attempt to, but Alice seems to be trying, she just forgot how to scratch the litter instead of the box? lol If Alice is in fact trying to assert her dominance over Maggie by leaving the smell, as the other articles suggested, I don't know how to make Maggie use her own box and stay out of Alice's. I'm fairly certain she only uses this one because big sis is and if Alice switched, Maggie would just follow because that's how Maggie always is; where Alice goes, Maggie inevitably follows. So I can't figure it out. Is she doing it on purpose because of Maggie and I'm misreading her clawing on the side? Or is she just seriously misjudging that she's missing the litter when she scratching the side of the box? And if so, is that because of the lid? Because, like I said, in the last 6 months there have been no other changes to the box or surrounding areas. AND, if it is because of the lid, why did it take 5 months of it being on there for her to become offended by it?

I understand that not burying her business is low on the totem pole of cat behavioral issues; it's definitely preferable to her not using it at all. I know there are worse offenses. But you can smell from the other end of the house as soon as she goes. This cat seriously smells like human diarrhea and it hits you in the face as soon as you walk in the front door. I'm embarrassed to have company over because the smell is awful. I know one could argue that that is part of owning a cat or why don't I just go bury it for her or scoop it out as soon as she goes, and I do. But the smell lingers very strongly and for a very long time even if I do that. This is a new behavior and I feel like there has to be a way to get her going back to burying as she always has.

                                                      
                                                      

There really isn't anything you can do to get Alice to cover her poop... She is sending a clear message to Maggie.  The message is: I am in charge.  I rule this place.  I am top cat.  It's a dominance thing.  It's very important in cat language.  Leave it be.  If it bothers you, just get an automatic litter box that cleans right after. 

                                                      

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• lblinc
• Oct 17, 2014

                                                      

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• lblinc
• Oct 17, 2014

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Oh em gee, they are adorable!  Echoing P3 & The King, Alice needs to communicate her higher rank to Maggie and, of all the ways she could've chosen to do this, I would consider myself fortunate that she went with a subtle, nonconfrontational method.  Instead of fighting or peeing all over the house, she left her poop uncovered.  Not that great an inconvenience, all things considered.  

One more litter box alteration you could try is to go bigger.  There's a possibility that Alice would be less territorial if she had more toilet space.  I like this box for multiple cats that insist on sharing:   

I don't blame you for not wanting to be assaulted by noxious fumes every day, so, if nothing else works, you're going to have to try to get to the bottom of this gaseous mystery.  No one enjoys (I sure hope not, anyway) the fragrance of a package fresh-from-the-bum, but it shouldn't smell rank.  This horrid stench could be a symptom of a food sensitivity and a change in diet could be in order.  You may want to consult the Nutrition board for assistance.  

I couldn't get mine to bury his (he'll occasionally make half-hearted attempts if I don't get there in time but I'm sure even he's convinced this is just a 'temporary solution').  Quite frankly, it stank so bad, the thought of leaving it there was just NOT happening. I get rid of it as swift as I smell it.

I was later told by a vet this is the best way to handle any cat litter box; her reasoning was that when cats bury their poo, then it's likely the cat may have an "accident" outside of the box at a later time from not wanting to go in his "dirty" box (cats are like us, they want a clean fresh smelling bathroom I guess).  My cousin got a cat and let the poop just pile up, the cat didn't bury it, then later, same cousin started lamenting when the cat started pooing and peeing everywhere in the house.   I told him to start removing the poo the minute the cat does it, he took my advice and since then there've been no accidents...might be logic in that, I don't know.  Probably varies.  Every situation, owner and cat is different.

Now mine drags the poop scoop out whenever he "does one" and lays the scoop in front of the tray, then will start making all sorts of noise and crying to get my attention.  In other words, "clean it up NOW".  I really don't like the idea of poo hanging about the box, and it helps me keep an eye on the cleanliness of the box, and hopefully it's going to make sure no accidents from little Mr. Demanding...

I really wondered because I have never smelled another cat like her. We have had 4 other cats in our lifetime and none  have smelled like Alice does. She is very picky about what she eats too. She refuses to even look at any wet food and will snub most treats. There is only 1 brand of food she will eat and only 1 brand of treats she will even come near. And even then, she barely even likes those treats. Maggie was fed human food by her previous owner so she will literally eat anything if you forget to put something up. But Alice eats only this one brand of dry food and she's the one that smells atrocious. Are there foods made specifically for sensitive tummies? And this is assuming we could coerce her to eat it. I mean, it's not like she will starve herself if there was only 1 food available but obviously we give her what she prefers. Thanks for your help!

If you want to get totally rid of that noxious poop start feeding her a raw food diet. If youre in the U.S. a good commercial one is Radcat. It is expensive, so much cheaper to make your own.

lblinc said:

 
I really wondered because I have never smelled another cat like her. We have had 4 other cats in our lifetime and none  have smelled like Alice does. She is very picky about what she eats too. She refuses to even look at any wet food and will snub most treats. There is only 1 brand of food she will eat and only 1 brand of treats she will even come near. And even then, she barely even likes those treats. Maggie was fed human food by her previous owner so she will literally eat anything if you forget to put something up. But Alice eats only this one brand of dry food and she's the one that smells atrocious. Are there foods made specifically for sensitive tummies? And this is assuming we could coerce her to eat it. I mean, it's not like she will starve herself if there was only 1 food available but obviously we give her what she prefers. Thanks for your help!

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If you're willing to go the raw feeding route, like Zoneout mentioned, that's probably the best way to decrease odor.  Their digestive system utilizes raw food more efficiently than any other type of cat food, so there isn't much waste- and what there is isn't stinky.  If raw feeding isn't an option, I would add enzymes- a lot of people like ProZyme- and probiotics to her diet to help her system function better.  

May I ask what you're feeding her?  I don't want to recommend a food that's too similar in its ingredients profile.  Cats don't necessarily need the sensitive tummy food, it really all depends on what's causing the problem.  Some foods are digested more easily than others due to quality of ingredients, or because the cat is allergic to a specific protein source or filler.  I have a cat that can't handle soy, tapioca, and other ingredients that wouldn't normally be pinpointed as problematic.  Sometimes you just have to experiment.