This is strange

My kitten of about 7-8 weeks is putting it's paws in it's water dish and then putting them in the litter box. I had to move my catdish because it was by the litterbox. I don't know if this is a health issue or not. When it puts it's paws in the water and then the litterbox, it gets litter all over which I don't like. What can I do about this?

This must be a pain in the butt My kitten likes to play in her water dish too and usually just ends spilling it all over the floor. I think that with age she'll probably stop doing it. Usually cats don't like to be too dirty so she will hopefully stop. I think the best thing you can do about it is to make sure the litter's always clean that way you won't have to clean up more mess than needed. Maybe if you soak her paws and clean them after she does it it'll be annoying enough to her to be cleaned all the time and she'll learn to not do it.

In general, cats do not like their food and water to be near their litter box anyway. Maybe this is her way of showing you that? I think that since she is just a baby, she will probably grow out of this little habit, but in the mean time it would probably help to move the water bowl as far from the litter box as possible. Even if it doesn't stop the behavior altogether, she will have to walk to the litter box after dipping her paws so some of the water will wipe off on the floor as she walks and minimize the mess.

As Music Teacher said, separate the litter box from the food and water. If the cat is confined to a room, put them on opposite sides of the room.

Yep she is just a kitten and she is playing. The food and water need to be away from not only each other, but also away from the litter pan. Don't use clumping litter if this is what she is doing- even go to rabbit food (the green pellets) until she gets out of this investigative stage.

Two of my cats will "pat" the water in the bowl before drinking. I've heard that some cats can't see depth when it comes to water.. so they touch it to see where it is.

Best to you and your new baby!
xo Donna

The food and water need to be away from not only each other, but also away from the litter pan.

Click to expand...

o.k. now I'm curious as to why they need to be away from one another?I have Blaze's by her litter box.....about 6 inches away from it.When I moved the food and water dish, she looked all over that spot for it and meowed.Even though I showed her where I put her water/food dishes, she wouldn't touch it.
I do use a covered litter box by the way.Neela's food and water dishes are about a foot away from her litter box also

Originally Posted by hissy

Yep she is just a kitten and she is playing. The food and water need to be away from not only each other, but also away from the litter pan. Don't use clumping litter if this is what she is doing- even go to rabbit food (the green pellets) until she gets out of this investigative stage.

Click to expand...

Wow, I never knew to put the water and food away from eachother (I had heard about the litterbox). Out of my own curiousity, why should you seperate the food and the water dishes?

My Fonzi, was just playing in the water..

He likes to put all his toys in there..

Is it best to leave things as they are?Or try and get Blaze and Neela to excpet their bowls being away from one another?Also, if I need to move them........how far away from one another?

The litterbox needs to be seperate because cats don't like to do their potty business in their nesting area. Not just because they're clean animals, but also it's a survival instinct. To keep predators from finding where they nest. That's also the reason they want to bury their waste.

Thank you coaster!!! Makes perfect sense.
Can anyone answer why the food and water dishes need to be seperated also? I have both girls food and water dishes by one another.Blaze's dishes are seperate from Neela's..........although both girls are starting to eat/drink out of the same dish.Is that o.k.? Or do I need to keep Blaze out of Neela's stuff and vice-a-vera.?

Originally Posted by crittermom

o.k. now I'm curious as to why they need to be away from one another?I have Blaze's by her litter box.....about 6 inches away from it.When I moved the food and water dish, she looked all over that spot for it and meowed.Even though I showed her where I put her water/food dishes, she wouldn't touch it.
I do use a covered litter box by the way.Neela's food and water dishes are about a foot away from her litter box also

Click to expand...

LOL!! Would you like to eat off your toilet floor, a foot away from the loo?? Neither do cats - they are finicky and it's also part of their survival instinct, as said earlier.

I'm a new kitty mommy
I've moved the food and water dish now.
Is it o.k. for both girls to eat/drink out of the same bowl now?

Yes.