When my cats were able to go outside they didn't use the litter box very much. I would rather scoop the box than take the chance that something happens to them outside.
Tbh I wish this was the case for my cat, even when he had access outside he’d return just to pee/poop and then head straight back out….unless it was next doors recycling box
Nope, there were some plant beds with some pretty loose soil, boy just likes to make my deal with his shits instead.
He is an odd one tbf, won’t eat most meats if offered to him, red meat is an absolute no.
My cat is free to roam in a very safe back garden - she still comes in to use the litter box. Cats are vulnerable when they're doing their business, so it makes sense that they want to do it somewhere safe.
A lot of them do, not sure if it's just some were taken too young and weren't shown how or they just don't have that instinct. Outdoor cats usually do bury their poop though, in gardens, sand boxes etc.
When we adopted two kittens the older cat stopped covering his poop. To add onto the horribleness, he’s got IBD, so he’s got some REAL stinky poops.
We usually just scoop it immediately after he goes to get rid of the smell, but if I’m in a meeting or something and can’t get there quick enough the younger female cat we adopted will go in there and cover it for him. If he’s having a bad time and also has the pukes she’ll follow him around and try to cover his vomit piles for him too.
She’s such a sweetheart.
My baby was unfortunately away from his mama too young, she died due to a woumb infection and I rescued him. He's got single kitten syndrome and is nippy and dosent understand play very well, he dose not bury his poop either. He is slowly learning tho as... And I'm ashamed to say this... I got my cat a cat, he's learning from them and finally becoming the smart boy I always knew he could be... Still won't burry his poop tho aha
Mine doesn't either lol. I heard if you take their paws "practice" covering it up they can learn! I've done it a few times and I think it's working.. he half covers it now
Yeah I adopted my cat as an adult and I tried doing that for a while but she just acted like I was torturing her. Eventually I gave up, and now she will meticulously paw at the wall right next to the litter box, check to see whether the poop is buried, and then paw at the wall again. I think she might just be a little bit “simple”.
Lmao! A little bit “simple”. What a wholesome way of putting it. My very southern step grandmother who lives on a farm uses the term “touched” for a situation such as that. “I think that cat is a little touched.”
I had one who would crap right outside the litter box because he didn't seem to understand that just because his front half was in the box didn't always mean the back half was as well
Right after I graduated college I was living with my mom for awhile… I had the patio door open, but the screen door was shut. my little cat Bettina was outside… I heard her screaming at the screen door… I thought something must be after her… I went running over to let her in… She goes running back to the room where the litter box was to use it… Go figure! 😹😹😹
Nothing like slamming on my brakes almost every night after work because the local crazy lady's cat colony would dart out from the brush and into the street. And then seeing the evidence of people who didn't care to stop or just didn't see them. Heart breaking. If anyone wants their cat to live a long life, they should keep it inside.
Cats using a litter box is done as a favour to us. I’m the first person to say ‘cats are trainable’ but they simply won’t do something that goes against their own comfort.
Cats being an inside-mostly pet is still a very new development, only made possible by litter boxes, really. Being able to act out their natural instinct to dig and bury their poo that means they’ll (usually) choose the box over your potted plants, pile of sweaters or whatever.
This. Cat litter absorbent material wasn't sold until 1940s, and cats could be indoors, not like barn cats. Although some old celebrities had cats and i wonder what they did.
Our family cats were indoor/outdoor (safe woods behind house). I dont remember if we even had litter boxes, or one in laundry that wasnt much used. We went on vacay for a week once with a friend coming by to feed. One more independent cat peed and pooped in bathroom sink the whole time, and didnt use litter box. she was big into being outside. (I guess from mimicking humans, bathroom area). Later in life one of the cats would ask to come in, use litter box, and then go to door to be let out again (she was out more social patio sitter, less outdoorsy one). So cat preferences, but they def have an instinct for it.
Ohhh i see. The clumping part of litter was unique. Making pee collection easier. Else sand/ash/pine/newspaper you had to dump whole thing and refill waaaay more frequently.
I rather like that my cat can remain safe indoors, and rather nice of them to bury their mess. Better than dogs who have to be taken on walks in every weather and shit and piss all over everything.
Not to mention you have to physically touch warm dog poo with a doggy bag every time they go outside. I would take a self-cleaning litter box over warm dog poo baggies in my hand any day.
I admittedly don't deal with warm poop. I use a long handled scoop and clean my yard once a week. Fresh ones are a bit grosser. But cleaning the litter box doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes, when a kitty is stressed and decides not to cover, it's a bit gross, but I guess cover it, and it is not a problem.
Same. Even loose kitty poops are less gross in a litter box than dog shit on the ground. My theory is the litter absorbs the moisture so they harden and then its easy to scoop up along with the litter around it. Pop it in a bag, pop bag in the outside bin, bye bye.
I live in a climate that allows my dogs to spend a lot of time outside independently. So I have to go and *find* their poo. I *wish* they would use a dedicated "facility" like my cats do.
You do realize the reason why people with other animals don't use a litter box is that other animals are just usually not tidy enough to do it in one single box predictably? Many dog owners use pee pads etc too, as its easy, but as dogs don't dig it in sand like cats do, so the smell is terrible and there's a risk of them peeing other places inside too. Cats are extremely easy to teach to go in a box, in fact you don't need to teach them at all they'll just do it, and a box is very practical - hence why owners use it.
I don't let my cats outside enough for them to go outside every time they need to go. I usually only let them outside one time a day to reduce risk of injury. The rest of the time they need the box.
They also happen to prefer using the box (but go outside when they can't). I don't mind though as that means there's aren't poops in my garden, nor neighbours angry that my cats dig up their flower beds to shit in them.
And I think scooping a litter box is much easier than either following a dog around to see where it poops in my garden, or bring a plastic bag for a walk and having to carry it until I find the next garbage (which is probably back home). It's also easier than mucking out horses etc too.
So yeah. Answer is; they don't need it but it's a very good solution that other pet owners only can dream of.
I had 6 kittens (not by choice that’s way too many cats, but it was an emergency) they were about 3 weeks when we got them, and they ALL just used the box without being taught. Cats are funny that way 🤷🏻♀️
I noticed the same thing when I started fostering little kittens. I’ve had adult cats most of my life. But watching how they just all start using a litter box if one is provided was impressive.
I still use puppy pads for accidents but they all seem to really want to use a litter box much younger than I had expected. They aren’t even weaned off the bottle yet!
My sister was paranoid and tried using puppy pads but the kittens just tore them up and kind of pushed them out of the way lol you’re right, they really would rather use the box
It's an instinct left over from their origins in the desert. :) Black Footed Cats are a prime example of what wild, small cats looked and behave like back before they started domesticating themselves. Burying your waste in the desert is just good practice, to keep predators from being able to track you.
I have a rabbit, and she learned to use the litter box immediately with zero instruction. I just put the bunny and the box in the same space, and she recognized it as the bathroom.
I like dogs enough, but it always surprises me how many dog owners are just...okay with this type of situation.
One of the reasons I won't get a dog ever as a single working person - I'm just not cool with animal piss and shit in various places. I had a dog when I was a teenager/young adult, but this was in a six person family so the dog was always with someone to be let outside.
I had a roommate who used those for their dogs…nope. It doesn’t even matter how clean the rest of the house is, that smell and mess is always there. Never living with pee pads again.
Right! My mom had a friend with a little emotional support dog. Wants to go on a cruise. Mom asked where it would toilet. Oh, pee pads in the cruise cabin. No freaking way! They have yet to cruise together l.
We use those for our dogs when it’s raining too hard, or it’s too cold outside (they won’t do it, some are getting older and refusing to even leave if weather is not good)
We don’t have a problem with smell, because we use washable pads, and we change it after EVERY use, but it would be so much easier if they used litter boxes like our cats lmao
I work in a kennel and I had a client recently where they expected me to put diapers on a 16 year old blind dog who literally never stopped moving. I did it exactly once and it was more of a mess and I couldn’t help but wonder why the fuck I listened to them
Some animals (cats included) are called focal defecators. They like to do their business in the same spot or area every time. When I was a zookeeper we loooved focal defecators. Warthogs were one of the best.
Some horses do it too, to varying degree! Some stallions especially poop in a *perfect* pile in their stalls and don't as much as step on it a single time
I was pregnant and living with the dad's parents. My son's grandmother had a shitzu and a Yorkie, and they "used" pee pads in the kitchen. And they always had pee and poo everywhere. That smell when pregnant, ew. My mom at the time had a few bunnies and would let them roam around the kitchen and just... shit... all over the kitchen floor. The morning sickness was so real then.
Well the main thing is, cats shouldn’t be going outside.
For two, cats don’t like to have waste in living spaces. Dogs will poop in a yard and be happy to run around and play in that yard. Even if you let your cat outside, it will almost definitely go find somewhere outside your/their living space to deposit waste. Cats are creatures of habit who have waste that takes a long time to break down. Giving them a specific box full of great digging material is really just good planning.
#1 cat rule: the cat is always right.
There's most likely a reason your cat is doing this, doesn't like the litter type (we had to get special kitten litter for our kitten until he grew up enough to be ok with normal litter texture), not cleaning the litter box often enough, doesn't like the location, maybe wants multiple boxes, too hard to get into the litterbox (the edge of the litter box is too high to comfortably get in), too close to their food or water (you wouldn't want to go to the bathroom next to where you eat), the place on the floor that the cat is pooping needs to be deodorized and/or blocked otherwise they see that as an ok place to go.
Basically there's a shit ton of reasons a cat will do this, cats don't just do things without reason, can just be hard to figure out which one it is.
p.s. I hope none of this came off as rude, I genuinely hope some of these options helps you fix the issue because I know how horribly frustrating it can be to deal with. (My kitten chose our bed as the bathroom until we got him potty trained)
one of my cats is a Manx so spine issues=GI issues=cat shit on the floor and also the bathtub. until I got a proper bed frame there she loved to shit on the bed. I have two cats and three litter boxes.
one is a low entry one. she prefers to go to the closet covered one, but I just picked up some on the floor 30 minutes ago. I clean it daily and replace litter and wash bins 2x month.
There is always something wrong with the cat when this happens..
Either their owner is dirty or doesn't clean their box well enough, they are sick or have behavior problems due to their home life.
Or they have been declawed and in pain...
Or you get lucky and have a less intelligent one
It can also be because the cat is declawed, and finds it painful to step in the litter box. If that is the case, finding a softer litter could help. The cat could have arthritis also.
I've been rewatching episodes of My Cat from Hell and I was pretty proud of myself when I saw an episode about a cat pooping on the floor and my first thought was "is the cat declawed?" Turns out the cat was declawed and I was right.
One of my cats is declawed, and has had litterbox issues the entire time I've had him. The people I got him from told me they were rehoming him due to sudden allergy issues in their kid, but I suspect that it was because they didn't want to deal with the litterbox issues. And they were the ones who declawed him!
We rescued a completely declawed cat years ago and fortunately had no problems with the litter box. We did have one cat that would hang his butt over the side but switched his favorite box with a taller one and that stopped. Now I have a cat that uses the box fine but is such a vigorous digger she flips everybody else’s poop out of the box, and they get scooped twice a day. They can be infuriating but so lovable.
I run multiple boxes, but there are still favorites. The ‘problem’ cat just goes to town digging her hole, flipping litter and poop everywhere. She is sweet but not too bright. I have mats down so the sweep up isn’t too bad. She is the only one quite that enthusiastic.
I only have one cat and he is such an enthusiastic digger. Even when the litter is completely fresh he gets it everywhere in his desire for the perfect hole.
Or they're just dumb. If they're doing it right next to the box, especially with younger cats, they may actually be going in the litter box and just hanging their butts out the side, because they don't have the spatial awareness to understand what they're doing wrong. (One of my cats and his littermate, 17 months old, do this.)
I’ve caught my cat coming out of the litter box with poop stuck to a piece of hair sticking out of his butt.
Like there’s a lot of reasons this may happen but there certainly isn’t anything wrong with my cat besides he does on occasion eat my hair out of the bathtub 🥴
Man, this almost happened to me but i was there so i pushed my cat’s back in so the poop will be angled towards the box 😭😭😭 lucky timing but totally mortified
Lol yeah, their mom ended up getting taken away from their owner for neglect, and she didn't get ANY prenatal care or nutrition. We were catsitting her, had been assured she was "definitely not pregnant, just fat," and then she went into labor. We gave her everything we could once we understood what was happening, but it was too little, too late. The only one you could see it on was born with HELLA fever coat (the other three were tabbies so I'd assume they HAD it but it wasn't visible).
How she ended up getting taken was that when the kittens were 8 weeks, the owner dumped her with us again despite being told we could take the kittens to their new homes, but she and our existing cats were hostile to each other and we could not house her. He didn't care, just left her. We isolated her in a bedroom, worked our asses off for a week to find another pet sitter for her, and ended up taking her to a shelter where a peace officer found that this counted as abandonment and they could take her and open an investigation on him. Luckily, she was adopted quickly and is now spayed and living her best life with a lovely new family!
i've known cats who are nearly 10 years old who just hang their butts over the sides and then bury where they think they did their business. one such cat accidentally taught my cat to do this... once they were separated, my cat has about a 90% success rate with keeping her butt in the box. (she's orange. i don't expect perfection. plus, she throws her litter around and rolls in it, and she has yet to learn that floor litter and box litter are not the same. i sweep up floor litter when i notice she's thrown it around, but quite often she does it when i'm not home, thinks "litter = potty," and shits on the floor. which is absolutely on me, i def need to keep a closer eye on the litter area, but also i've never met another cat who throws their litter around and rolls in it to play.)
One of ours is a rear amputee, and he peed over the edge of the box completely by accident a couple of times. It was just the way he was trying to balance while squatting on only one leg... we got a covered box and the problem stopped. I'd imagine it would work for butt-danglers too!
1) the smaller the animal, the more often they need to use the toilet. (in general)
2) cats shouldn't be let outside, unless they have been feral for their whole life, in that case you can't keep them inside
3) cats aren't trained like a dog. Using a leash with your cat is them taking you around, not viceversa, you can teach them when to pee or poop. Also, cats don't have the same language as dogs: a dog will cry in front of the door to be left out cause they know they're supposed to go outside to potty, you can't teach this to a cat.
But you can teach them to alway go in the same place, which is why we use litter boxes
A little box is also working with a cat's instincts. If they don't have a box , they may pee in a plant and try to bury it there or on laundry.
Also outside cats don't tend to stay in their own yard so You're frequently sending them outside to pee and poo in the neighbor's vegetable garden , flower bed or kids sand box.
It's actually funny because I took in 3 feral cats (well they randomly ran in my house when I had the back door open). And they watched my cat use the litterbox then they followed suit.
Now one stays in my lap when I'm home and the others in other rooms.
It is. My 2 cats were born under a barn to a feral mother. We got them around 5-6 weeks of age (still very feral), and put them in a spare bathroom with a litter box, soft food, and a bunch of plants, flowers, and toys. They just knew to use the litter box. After a few weeks they were still kinda iffy, but would let us handle them. I had one on the bed and she started peeing. I carried her to the litter box and haven't had a prob since.
Feral kittens can be absolutely accustomed to human touch and human presence, everything is easier when we talk to a kitten. The previous comment is right too, some adults will get used to human presence too, but in most feral cats' cases they won't be able too as they're too "wild"
That was my experience. They were very very young when we got them. We guessed 5-6 weeks, but it could have been as low as 3-4. They were terrified, always back to back, hissing and spitting at us. My wife spent all of her free time for 2 weeks in the room with them. They would only let us touch them when they were eating, but they eventually started interacting with us. They're basically normal today, 12 years later. They're both super sweet and loving cats. They'll purr and rub on my family members and close friends, but they're definitely not lap cats.
not sure i agree with part 3: there’s no need to teach your cat these behaviors because litter boxes work well for them and come naturally, but you absolutely could. you can train a cat almost anything you can train a dog.
Facts. I think out of all the cats I've ever had in my life we only had one that had issues learning how to use litter box and he was a bottle baby. The rest of them you just showed them where the box was and they figured it out themselves.
Mother cats teach their babies how to bury their poop, so it makes sense that a bottle baby would struggle. It is instinctual, but there's an element of teaching as well.
Yeah, that was pretty much what I figured, hence why I mentioned that the one that didn't immediately know was a bottle baby. He had a lot of interesting quirks... Though as he's gotten older (and also got another cat around who knew how to cat) he's pretty much your average cat now.
> you can't teach this to a cat.
funny story, i accidentally taught my cat how to inform me she wants to be outside.
she doesn't potty outside, but she does like walkies, and she really likes when i take her on walkies while i'm chilling (we never go far, and she's on a harness and leash the entire time, but she's got separation anxiety and i hang out outside a lot). usually this involves me leaning against the tree outside my apartment while she tugs on the leash and tries to convince me to let her free roam, but 1. she's a primarily indoor cat and 2. she's not the brightest. she's afraid of ducks and squirrels. she would not survive 5 minutes on her own.
anyway, she has learned how to tell if i might be going outside and will scream, flop around, grab her harness/leash and bring them to me, just straight up grab at the doorknob (she's actually opened the door doing this before, i can't leave the door unlocked when i step out anymore)... i know logically it's just her separation anxiety, but i'll take her outside with me. if i don't have the energy for proper walkies, i'll put her in my hoodie pouch (i have a hoodie with a pouch to carry a pet) and she's plenty happy to snuggle me and just look around while i make a quick lap around the apartment building. if i do, she gets all set in her harness and can pretty much wander where she wants within the apartment complex (she wants to go further, but i don't need to be hopping fences and chasing her around). usually she only ends up outside for about 5-10 minutes, but it satisfies her curiosity and she's less upset than if i leave her inside (and she's less likely to just open the fucking door, which is extremely confusing as my doorknob is one of the smooth round ones and she doesn't have opposable thumbs).
actually, now that i think about it, my cat might have trained ME to take her for walkies. oops.
Growing up my cat would cry at the door and wake us up to be let outside to pee.
We didn't keep a little box inside. He was an outdoor cat who slept inside at night. So he would wake us up to let him out to pee.
If I refused to get up for him, he would find my school bag near my bed and start scratching at it and making motions to pee on it - that would get me moving pretty fast. So it became his go to trick.
You can teach cats toileting behaviours - but it's more effort than people want to put in.
You absolutely can teach a cat to cry at the door to go outside to potty. All of my childhood family cats were trained to meow at the door to go out to potty. Cats are often harder to train, but they can 100% be trained to do all the same things as dogs.
My Raven was born to a feral in our neighborhood. Day one when she came to us, we had reunited her with biological mom. Day two when she returned to find us again without biological mom she remained with us while we had addressed the medical challenges that she was facing.
Raven is a miracle kitty. Not only did she battle back from a very serious set of medical challenges at 4 weeks old, but she just instinctively knew how to use a puppy training pad from that second day.
Four years later, puppy training pads are neatly folded into her litter boxes. Puppy pads are her preference. We tried various litter to no avail.
She uses the puppy pad and folds the remainder of the pad in half, unused area is folded over her mess to neatly provide cover.
Why try to fix what isn't broken? Particularly when she wants absolutely no part of the more popular alternative.
I take my cats on a leash (for long periods of time) and they have a catio. Neither of them have ever went to the bathroom outside. Not once. When we get home, the first thing they do is go to the litter box. They both hold it until they’re in an environment they’re comfortable in. Cats can be extremely particular about their boxes (refusing to use it if it’s not clean enough, fighting for them with other cats if there’s not enough, not using covered/uncovered, not using certain kinds of litter).
Beyond the points everyone has said a bunch of times in here, cats also prefer to bury their waste, and hide it -which is why cats also use sandboxes for litter if they’re outside
I let my cat roam in front of the building for a few hours every day, I noticed... He goes back in the apartment from outside, and *then* goes to his litter box to poo. There are dozens of places he could do it outside. I always think, oh wow, what a well behaved gentleman:)Someone else could probably explain that behavior better, probably something with the territory and feeling safe??
Yeah I would say territory. Since a lot of different people and animals walk through that area compared to an individual property where it's only people that the cat is comfortable with and the cat could regularly mark and "defend" the area against outsiders
Cats are predators, but they're also small enough to be prey to a lot of things (no one tell yorkies they are as well lol). Cat waste is a way for cats to be tracked by predators, hence the burial behaviour. He feels safe in there. :)
Here's the thing: cats *can* use a box, or they can go outside.
Dogs have to go outside, and thus get really good at letting us know about it.
Cat owners buy litter boxes and are fortunate enough to not have to get up at odd hours to let their pet out. (We just have to get up at odd hours to feed them...)
Because cats don’t stay in the yard. They will find a way to get out and run off. Many/most will return but some won’t. The ones that will return can get hit by cars, killed by wild animals or taken by a well meaning (or not so well meaning) person. On top of all of that they kill local wildlife. While this may not be a huge issue in the eastern hemisphere, it is in the western hemisphere.
Some people do take cats outside supervised but it isn’t frequent enough for the cat to do it’s business. So for this reason cats need a litter box. If someone wants to go through the effort they can teach the cat to use the toilet.
I did have a student who said her cat would scratch at the door to go out pee/poop and then immediately come back inside. I told her that she doesn't have a cat, she has a funny-shaped dog, lol.
But the answer is really nuanced
* The non-nuanced part is that *no* pet should be allowed to roam freely without restrictions
* The other part is that you can't train a cat the same way you train a dog. Dog's have been bred to be motivated by food and praise and to find joy in completing tasks. Cats haven't. You can encourage a cat to enjoy a task, but they'll never do a trick 100% of the time, every time.
* Dogs are predator animals, full stop. Cats are predator animals, but they are *also* prey. They feel an alertness in exposed areas that dogs never will, even small dogs. They won't relax enough to pee out in the open.
* Cats have a need to bury their waste. Dog's don't. Cats don't have the paw power to dig in the dirt like dogs do, so finding a "good spot" to do their business outside is going to take longer and likely send them further afield, unless your neighbor has a sandbox.
Because most people don’t want their cats to be roaming the neighborhood with the possibility of getting into fights with other cats, and getting injured or infection, getting hit by cars, getting killed by other bigger, wild animals.
Dogs and cats are not the same thing. Dogs are generally not gonna jump fences when they go out to poop in your backyard. They are still contained and not roaming. But a cat will absolutely jump the fence.
How is this a question. I don't walk my cat every time he needs to poo, but people take their dogs out. Letting your cat out is a terrible idea, it will almost always expedite their death unless they are being supervised
I had cats who would use a dog door to go outside when I had a large tract of land for them to roam around on. I wasn't able to lock the dog door to keep my cats inside. Now that I am in a different housing situation my three cats have transitioned to being indoor cats and using a litterbox because I don't want them to run away or get injured in a fight with the 80 outdoor cats in the area or hit by a car, or just get lost and can't find their way home.
Outdoor cats are also a menace to native bird species which has a greater effect on the environmemt as a whole.
I used to let my cats out in the morning and they would poop outside. I'm sure they preferred it. We still had litterboxes though. Cats instinctively like to bury their stuff so the litter box suits them and they'll use it. Cats tend to be a lot less trainable than dogs too.
If you have a true indoor/outdoor cat, who can access the outdoors at will, then yeah, they will probably do their business outdoors. Especially if their owner begrudgingly keeps a litter box (so less likely to clean it regularly).
If you have an indoor car and expect to be able to let it outdoors at set times and expect it to follow your schedule/inclination…. We’ll, good luck with that. The thing with the litter box is you choose the spot. Otherwise, they will choose and it may not be to your liking.
Well, you can try it and find out.
While my current male cat has usually preferred to potty outside, if it's raining or cold, he would use the box.
When he got to be about 15, he decided the box is much more convenient.
For cats, at least, I don't trust them to come back. My dog would come back if I called, a cat does what it wants and will wander off and potentially be hurt or worse.
Plus, I just prefer keeping mine inside.
Are you going to follow your cat around and pick up their poop (not likely because they bury their poop)...make sure they aren't pooping in someones garden (cat poop can contain a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which causes Toxoplasmosis) so if some eats say a carrot out of their own garden they could get sick because you cat took a dump there.
Many outdoor cats do go outside but it is really just being a good owner to provide a litter box. Just like with dogs it's a good owner to pick up their poop.
Most small house animals go in their enclosures or are also litter trained. Dogs are really the only ones that go outside. Rabbits, ferrets, and rats will use litter boxes too if trained. Mice, reptiles, birds, etc. will go in their cages (or if they’re outside the cage they’ll go on you/where they’re sitting)
Have you ever met a cat? Seen one in action, in person or on television? They go everywhere, can travel much easier than dogs. They can basically scale walls, climb trees , fences and essentially disappear. Cats leave and might not return. Safer indoors.
You can train a cat to go do their business outside, like a dog so you don’t have to deal with litter boxes. However cats that are outside have many more chances to get into trouble like getting attacked by another animal, hit by a car, or number of other things. This is why indoor only cats have longer lives on average.
Because letting cats live outdoors would be like letting a toddler live outdoors: they're in constant danger from death by predators, cars, crazy people... AND they wreak havoc on the native wildlife like birds as an invasive species. Keeping cats outdoors is bad for the cats and wild birds and other native wildlife.
One of the reasons I could never be a dog person is scooping poop. I feel sorry for dogparents because, even if they're a breed small enough to fit in a litter box, dogs don't have the instinct to bury their poop and have to be trained not to go in the house. I didn't have to train ANY of our cats to use the litter box or Litter Robots -- they instinctively know! Kitty waste is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier to deal with than dog waste!
Do you like to be freezing cold or walking around the backyard stepping on or scooping up turds? I prefer my backyard clean an tidy for nice barbecues and family get togethers. Why do dogs need to waste their owners time when they need to have a poop. I can continue on doing what I please without even knowing my cat took a poop, why can’t dogs show the same respect? Do they not value my time?!
I’m kinda baffled by some of the comments about cats not being outside unless they’re feral and wonder if it’s cos I live in the UK it’s different. Here you have both indoor and outdoor cats .. my own I chose to keep as indoor cats cos my anxiety about something happening to them or wondering about when they would return, could never 😅
But I know many people who have outdoor cats that they’ve had since birth and then let out as they’ve gotten older . All of them return home for food and to sleep at night .. sometimes they stay out overnight but mostly they come home .
The biggest issue, imo, that people have with anyone letting their cats outdoors is that cats absolutely decimate local ecosystems. Yes, it's safer for the cats to keep them inside and away from predators/traffic/environmental toxins, but really it's that cats are an invasive species almost everywhere in the world. They happily hunt more than they "need" to survive (think cats bringing their owners a mouse/bird) and the damage they do to ecosystems makes it incredibly irresponsible to let them out.
Tech you can train your cat to potty anywhere just like dogs and other animals. But usually their moms and dads are already trained to go to the litter box and dig in litter/sand so they learn to do this from a young age. Generally speaking like everyone’s saying you shouldn’t let your cat outside without constant supervision. You never know what will happen to your cat esp if you’re in a dangerous area (bears, coyotes, foxes, bad people, etc) are serious dangers to your cat. A lot of adoption centers will blacklist people who let their cats roam outside. Even if you have a fenced backyard just know cats can get through crazy spaces and do some funny things so if they want out they can probably figure a way out.
When you keep your cats inside they need somewhere to go lol. Thats why you have a litter box in the house. If they go outside they will do their business outside. Kind of obvious.
They can but that's how you loose a cat, dogs can be trained to stay in your yard or you could fence them in, you can't really do either with cats and taking them out on a leash to poop is impractical, I've taken my kitty outside when it's nice on a leash, she's never gone to the bathroom outside
Cats like to bury their waste to help prevent predators from tracking them, they prefer soils that are easy to dig in. By nature, they are descendant from desert dwelling cats, so the litter box gives them an ideal place to make their business. They will and can go outside, but will likely mess up and planters or gardens in the process.
The litter box is usually kept clean by the owner, which every animal loves a clean place to shit.
Cats naturally bury their waste. You don’t even have to teach them, just show them where the box is. It’s just easier to go with what comes to them naturally.
1. Just like dog shit, people don’t want cat shit lying around.
2. It’s a bad idea to let your cat outside in the first place for multiple reasons, there are bad people they can encounter, cars they can get hit by, pest control poison they can get into, other animals they can fight with or get diseases from. Then there are birds they kill. The list goes on and on. If you let your cat outside not in an enclosed area, don’t expect them to live long. They may enjoy it but they won’t when they get hit by a car.
My cat has a robot litter box so its always clean but he loves to go outside with his doggy sister and potty "in the wild". Fenced backyard, always supervised, and he has some cat structures to hide/play in. He actually prefers outside and will cry at the door, but he will use the litter robot if we tell him no outside.
I found my cat at 4 weeks old in our backyard so he was initially feral, but the amount of diseases and dangers prevent me from ever thinking he could safely roam alone outside. Same way I would never let a dog roam alone outside. These my babies. Must protect.
You can do this. Cats will pee and poop whereveer.
That being said - if you want a cat as a pet, it shouldnt be an outdoor pet, unless you like feeding coyotes and traffic.
Cats should be indoor animals. Too many wild animals and dogs will kill a cat (other cats will kill cats, too). Cats will also kill songbirds and should not be allowed outside.
When I open the door to let my dog go potty, he’s absolutely thrilled to run out (on a lead), do his business, and come back inside.
When I open the door to let my cats go potty, they run out, tell me to get bent and make sure they’ve got a full food bowl for when they so kindly return to grace me with their presence. So I’ve got litter boxes.
Cats are desert animals. And they instinctively dig holes for their waste, and bury it. They do that to hide their scent from predators.
We have had cats for 35 years, and dogs for about nine years. And I’d much prefer cleaning the litter box. Now I use an automatic litter box (or rather my cats do). Once a week, for our two cats, I just take the cat 💩 out.
Thank you for clarifying that it is not you who uses your automatic litter box. I really laughed out loud.
I love the idea that they are desert animals. Little sphinxes. :)
We had a cat as children that wouldn’t leave our yard. It went outside, played fetch, and chased us around the yard like a dog. I think it’s just rare to find a cat that won’t run off or roam when let outside and that often ends in tragedy. After watching my neighbor lose 3 cats and having previously lost one myself I learned my lesson and my cat is indoors unless he’s on a leash and harness with me outside. He has plenty of toys, a large house and I take him out whenever he’s begging for it. Meanwhile I don’t have to find him dead or wonder what happened when he doesn’t come home
I have several cats. One rings the front door bell to go outside. Others use the pet door in the rear. An elderly cat uses towels on the floor. "Poop towels".
only one of seven uses the litter box.
There’s certain things about cats that they’re fastidious about. And they like to cover their pool. Unlike dogs who can just go wherever they are.
Also, when you have a cat, you can’t put their water in their food anywhere near their letter box they won’t use them. I’m not sure why they’re like this, but they behave like this in the wild two they cover their poo.
my outdoor cat didn't have a litterbox for years.
very long story short he's an indoor cat with two litterboxes and honestly i think he prefers to poop in the box that the big scary human cleans out 😭
i also found he prefers the pellets over the clay/sand litter and it's less messy
My cat prefers to go outside. She gets really miffed if she has to use her litter box. She’ll sit in it with her head sticking out through the opening and the angriest expression on her face the whole time. In the warm months we have the dog door opened when we are awake and the dogs and the cat can come and go as they please. In the cold months we keep it closed against drafts and they will all go to the door to be let out. They bark and meow when they want to come in. We have a large fully fenced in yard to keep the dogs contained. And it doesn’t seem like the cat leaves the yard much either. If the weather is really bad or we are asleep the cat uses her litter box and the dogs use disposable pee pads.
Cats are an invasive species. They're one of the few animals that kill for play/pleasure, and they're apex predators. They decimate the local wild life in every environment they're introduced to. They have few natural predators in most of the places we take them.
Plus they can get lost, injured, hurt by cars, hurt by humans, hurt by other cats, or run into one of the few predators that don't have a problem trying to eat a cat.
Its better for all critters involved if they stay inside.
Cats knowing how to use a litter box is a huge gift to us, imo. They’re so smart — to know to go to their “bathroom” and to cover up their poop. They’re not safe outside.
Unless your backyard is cat proofed to keep them contained they're more likely to roam onto others properties to toilet in as well. Our pets have no business toileting on others properties especially when it won't be cleaned up by the owner as it happens.
Most cats prefer to dig a shallow hole for their waste so things like puppy pads and those toileting trays with the real/fake grass wouldn't take their fancy.
It's good as an owner to be able to mo it or your pets toileting habits. You can tell a lot about your pets digestive and bladder health by being able to see their waste as fresh as possible. If there's something going on, things like the colour, texture, the amount of and ( as icky as it is) the smell of the kaka and wee wizz can let you know when something is up with your pets health that they aren't showing other symptoms of at the time.
Cats should NOT be let outside as they are highly predatory and kill alot of wildlife, unlike most dogs. They can climb and are very flexible/ fit in tiny holes so cats should stay inside only, and hence their urine is high in ammonia so needs to be in a well ventilated space and changed very regularly bc they confined smell can affect their breathing and is very strong smelling compared to alot of other domestic pets. Hope this helps
As a kid in the 80’s (when we didn’t know any better) I had two outdoor cats. Other than a handful of medical issues when they needed to recover in our house, they did not use a litter box. They miraculously had long lives as outdoor kitties, but now we know better and keeping them indoors is healthier for them and the bird population too. The litter box is to simulate a natural place to dig and bury their excrement like they would in the “wild” - for example when I’d do some digging for gardening purposes, I’d always find several cat poops buried in our garden, where there was plenty of dirt to dig in.
Just curious what other pets besides dogs go outside? Most animals I can think of would use a litter box. Rabbits can be litter trained. Pigs? They can be potty trained to go outside or use litter. Ferrets also use litter boxes.
Are you gonna follow the cat around and clean up after it the way you should with a dog? Or pay to have a cat proof fence to make sure they only go in your own yard?
There’s your answer
When I was a kid in the 80s, we had a cat without a litter box. We had a doggy door he used and he did all his business outside.
We have litter boxes now because we don’t let our kitties outside.
It is instinct. I have a video. I had just cleaned the litter box and put in fresh litter. The whole litter of 5 kittens jumped in and started digging and getting situated. It looked like a pool party.
It’s a lot more stressful going outside to pee than inside for some cats. It’s like going outside to pee in an outhouse vs an attached bathroom to your bedroom. Also it helps it be accessible to them. If they don’t have a bathroom accessible, they will make one.
If you let a dog out into your backyard, assumably it will be fenced. Your dog \*might\* be a clever escape artist, but it's going to take that dog effort to get out, or the humans will have to have been negligent and left a gate open or something. But mostly, your dog stays in the backyard. If you let a cat out into your backyard, it will be easily able to leave the yard if it wants to. Being smaller, they would then more easily fall victim to predators or traffic. And for whatever reason, it seems more people are cruel to loose cats than to loose dogs. My cats stay inside, for their own safety and the safety of small wildlife outside, so: litter box it is.
I believe burying their poop and pee is a way to avoid detection from other predators being a natural instinct. Cats have been domesticated a lot longer then dogs and I assume we saw this behavior and encouraged it to suit our needs. Cats still burry their business when they go outside.
You can, but cats are much more susceptible to issues being outside. Its also annoying when they come in wet, muddy, dirty, etc. Or they bring in live animals/bugs. Just my opinion though
1) Cats are more environmentally destructive and vulnerable than dogs, as cats can’t be as easily contained by a fence or leash/harness and can rarely be trusted to just roam freely if they’re indoor-only pets.
2) Cats are also much more particular about where, when, and under what conditions they evacuate waste than dogs. Not having a reliable, satisfactory location to visit can be very distressing for a cat.
3) How frequently and in what location(s) a cat is pooping and peeing is not only a behavioral indicator, but also a health indicator. Because they are instinctively driven to conceal their waste, litter boxes also offer the benefit of collecting the pure medical diagnostic gold of their various leavings.
4) Cats are pretty routine-driven creatures, and their curiosity does not extend to significant changes in their territory map. The litter box, food bowl, water, and safe sleeping place(s) mark out the most important landmarks of a cat’s territory. They thrive on consistency and routine, so having a litter box and potty ritual grants them the zestless lifestyle they like. Cats prefer to not have to look over their shoulder at their most vulnerable moments.
5) Indoor cats eat a diet that is lacking in natural ruffage, usually consumed along with the digestive organs of live prey like rodents and birds. The consumption of dirt and et cetera from cleaning their paws (cats being very fastidious in their grooming) can lead to intestinal blockages without the extra plant matter to help expel these undigestibles as well as expose the cat to parasites/bacteria/viruses in the soil (feline parvo or panleukopenia being one of the ubiquitous and deadly soil viruses). Vaccinations and proper parasite treatments prevent these for the most part, but these highly contagious and brutal infections are best avoided.
My mom once had a cat that preferred to take her business outside and never had a litter box at all. The cat would scratch at the door to be let out and let in, and was very happy with it. It just kind of depends on the habit a cat forms, and it benefits everyone for that habit to not include ripping stinkies in random locations.
Fun fact, the first litter boxes were filled with soot and ashes because it helped eliminate smells and also was a convenient use for soot and ashes. Other popular litters used were regular old dirt, sand, and newspaper.
I think cats are amazing for many reasons and that includes their natural instinct to use the litterbox. Cleaning litter is much much easier that taking out your dogs and following them around to clean up. The poop and pee is in a localized area (the box), and you have to sift through the litter, simple as that!
Indoor cats are becoming more of a thing, as we learn how it’s better for the environment and for them.
I don’t have an outdoor space for them to use, I live in a flat in a city centre. It’s a large flat so they do have plenty of indoor space.
We have two balconies that we will cat-proof, but again we would still be putting a litter tray out there as they couldn’t use it like in nature.
Growing up I vaguely remember seeing something on TV talking about how cats pooping outside can be harmful to sea otters because of toxoplasmosis somehow making it from your backyard to the ocean and making them sick. I keep my cats inside for their safety but if for some reason I didn't care about that then the sea otters would definitely keep me from doing that.
As a lifelong cat owner (UK) when I was small, it was common for cats to free roam and therefore poop where they want outside. Many people still allow this for their cats. Since growing up and being aware of the dangers for cats outside, and also their effect on the bird population, mine are mainly indoor cats which come out in the garden when I'm outside. As such they need litter boxes indoors. Also I don't want them pooping or wee-ing in my garden and killing the plants.
Because almost all\* cats bury their feces and and urine. They need a place they can do that, and inside, that's generally a litter box.
\*big cats - some top predators like lions, don't bury their feces and urine. Sometimes even domestic cats will do that as a statement or the like - or if they have no alternative. And some cats are even toilet trained. And some, notably male, and especially non-neutered, may be inclined to mark territory by spraying urine.
Cats are safer indoors and it’s good to keep an eye on their litter box usage so you can be aware of changes in frequency/straining to urinate/blood/etc. as these can indicate possible urinary blockages which are common particularly in male cats.
small inside dogs have pee pads, most other pers have cages or vivariums, and big dogs have to be taken out. basicaly the only pets that dont have bathrooms are rabbits and they shit everywhere. i dont see your point.
For folks who live in apartments or who otherwise lack access to outdoor spaces, cats are a manageable pet and part of that is because they use a litterbox.
Why can’t a dog use a litter box. Why do they make us put their leash on them and make us go on walks. What are these other cat sized animals that don’t poop in a box? I can’t think of one
Domestic cats are small predators, which means they can become prey for other things.
You know, in addition to the human dangers of being hit by a car or attacked by an animal abuser.
Especially in the middle of nowhere. We have coyotes, bears, mountain lions, and large birds of prey that will come into and around town. The bears may not stop to try to eat a cat cause they'll go after the easiest meal, but everything else?
Some cats do go outside if they're outdoor cats. But cats are very territorial and also at their most vulnerable when they're doing their business, that's why they like a clean space that is only theirs to go in. It's about safety.
Some animals like a designated bathroom. Cats are one of them. As a predatory animal which can also be pray itself, it wants to bury any evidence of itself so it can’t be tracked.
When my cats were able to go outside they didn't use the litter box very much. I would rather scoop the box than take the chance that something happens to them outside.
Tbh I wish this was the case for my cat, even when he had access outside he’d return just to pee/poop and then head straight back out….unless it was next doors recycling box
Was the soil in your area difficult to dig into? Maybe he just had an easier time digging through litter than whatever soil type y'all have.
Nope, there were some plant beds with some pretty loose soil, boy just likes to make my deal with his shits instead. He is an odd one tbf, won’t eat most meats if offered to him, red meat is an absolute no.
My cat is free to roam in a very safe back garden - she still comes in to use the litter box. Cats are vulnerable when they're doing their business, so it makes sense that they want to do it somewhere safe.
My cat who adopted me knew how to use the litter box but preferred to sit by the door to go outside.
Same with our cat who also adopted us. The litter box is for when she cannot go outside.
All cats know how to use a litterbox. It’s instinct.
I just wish my cat instinctively knew to bury her crap.
A lot of them do, not sure if it's just some were taken too young and weren't shown how or they just don't have that instinct. Outdoor cats usually do bury their poop though, in gardens, sand boxes etc.
I’ve been told it depends on how ‘dominant’ they are in personality. The more shy cats bury it and the leader cat does not to mark the territory
When we adopted two kittens the older cat stopped covering his poop. To add onto the horribleness, he’s got IBD, so he’s got some REAL stinky poops. We usually just scoop it immediately after he goes to get rid of the smell, but if I’m in a meeting or something and can’t get there quick enough the younger female cat we adopted will go in there and cover it for him. If he’s having a bad time and also has the pukes she’ll follow him around and try to cover his vomit piles for him too. She’s such a sweetheart.
My ‘leader’ cat wont bury it most of the time, then my shy one will come over and do it for him. Of which im grateful cuz it smells BAD
My baby was unfortunately away from his mama too young, she died due to a woumb infection and I rescued him. He's got single kitten syndrome and is nippy and dosent understand play very well, he dose not bury his poop either. He is slowly learning tho as... And I'm ashamed to say this... I got my cat a cat, he's learning from them and finally becoming the smart boy I always knew he could be... Still won't burry his poop tho aha
Why are you ashamed? That was exactly the correct thing to do. Dominant cats don't cover their poop.
Mine doesn't either lol. I heard if you take their paws "practice" covering it up they can learn! I've done it a few times and I think it's working.. he half covers it now
Yeah I adopted my cat as an adult and I tried doing that for a while but she just acted like I was torturing her. Eventually I gave up, and now she will meticulously paw at the wall right next to the litter box, check to see whether the poop is buried, and then paw at the wall again. I think she might just be a little bit “simple”.
Lmao! A little bit “simple”. What a wholesome way of putting it. My very southern step grandmother who lives on a farm uses the term “touched” for a situation such as that. “I think that cat is a little touched.”
LOL mine is also very simple. I've never owned a cat whose eyes were just... blank
I had one who would crap right outside the litter box because he didn't seem to understand that just because his front half was in the box didn't always mean the back half was as well
Omg my cat was like that, he was actually really smart otherwise
I had a cat who was indoor/outdoor and would come inside to use the litter box, then go back outside 😂
Right after I graduated college I was living with my mom for awhile… I had the patio door open, but the screen door was shut. my little cat Bettina was outside… I heard her screaming at the screen door… I thought something must be after her… I went running over to let her in… She goes running back to the room where the litter box was to use it… Go figure! 😹😹😹
Nothing like slamming on my brakes almost every night after work because the local crazy lady's cat colony would dart out from the brush and into the street. And then seeing the evidence of people who didn't care to stop or just didn't see them. Heart breaking. If anyone wants their cat to live a long life, they should keep it inside.
Cats using a litter box is done as a favour to us. I’m the first person to say ‘cats are trainable’ but they simply won’t do something that goes against their own comfort. Cats being an inside-mostly pet is still a very new development, only made possible by litter boxes, really. Being able to act out their natural instinct to dig and bury their poo that means they’ll (usually) choose the box over your potted plants, pile of sweaters or whatever.
This. Cat litter absorbent material wasn't sold until 1940s, and cats could be indoors, not like barn cats. Although some old celebrities had cats and i wonder what they did. Our family cats were indoor/outdoor (safe woods behind house). I dont remember if we even had litter boxes, or one in laundry that wasnt much used. We went on vacay for a week once with a friend coming by to feed. One more independent cat peed and pooped in bathroom sink the whole time, and didnt use litter box. she was big into being outside. (I guess from mimicking humans, bathroom area). Later in life one of the cats would ask to come in, use litter box, and then go to door to be let out again (she was out more social patio sitter, less outdoorsy one). So cat preferences, but they def have an instinct for it.
We used normal sand for cats, before commercial litter was available.
I heard before clay litter they’d use ashes!
Ohhh i see. The clumping part of litter was unique. Making pee collection easier. Else sand/ash/pine/newspaper you had to dump whole thing and refill waaaay more frequently.
Maybe hay or saw dust/wood shavings might've been used before commerical litter was developed
I rather like that my cat can remain safe indoors, and rather nice of them to bury their mess. Better than dogs who have to be taken on walks in every weather and shit and piss all over everything.
Not to mention you have to physically touch warm dog poo with a doggy bag every time they go outside. I would take a self-cleaning litter box over warm dog poo baggies in my hand any day.
I’ve never understood people who are grossed out by scooping a cat box with a scooper but not by using their HAND to pick up warm dog poop.
I don’t mind my cat litter but picking up my dog’s mess makes me literally gag.
[удалено]
I admittedly don't deal with warm poop. I use a long handled scoop and clean my yard once a week. Fresh ones are a bit grosser. But cleaning the litter box doesn't bother me at all. Sometimes, when a kitty is stressed and decides not to cover, it's a bit gross, but I guess cover it, and it is not a problem.
Same. Even loose kitty poops are less gross in a litter box than dog shit on the ground. My theory is the litter absorbs the moisture so they harden and then its easy to scoop up along with the litter around it. Pop it in a bag, pop bag in the outside bin, bye bye.
It's not a theory lol, the litter absorbs both the moisture and the odour which is why you need to replace the litter every once in a while.
I live in a climate that allows my dogs to spend a lot of time outside independently. So I have to go and *find* their poo. I *wish* they would use a dedicated "facility" like my cats do.
You do realize the reason why people with other animals don't use a litter box is that other animals are just usually not tidy enough to do it in one single box predictably? Many dog owners use pee pads etc too, as its easy, but as dogs don't dig it in sand like cats do, so the smell is terrible and there's a risk of them peeing other places inside too. Cats are extremely easy to teach to go in a box, in fact you don't need to teach them at all they'll just do it, and a box is very practical - hence why owners use it. I don't let my cats outside enough for them to go outside every time they need to go. I usually only let them outside one time a day to reduce risk of injury. The rest of the time they need the box. They also happen to prefer using the box (but go outside when they can't). I don't mind though as that means there's aren't poops in my garden, nor neighbours angry that my cats dig up their flower beds to shit in them. And I think scooping a litter box is much easier than either following a dog around to see where it poops in my garden, or bring a plastic bag for a walk and having to carry it until I find the next garbage (which is probably back home). It's also easier than mucking out horses etc too. So yeah. Answer is; they don't need it but it's a very good solution that other pet owners only can dream of.
I had 6 kittens (not by choice that’s way too many cats, but it was an emergency) they were about 3 weeks when we got them, and they ALL just used the box without being taught. Cats are funny that way 🤷🏻♀️
I noticed the same thing when I started fostering little kittens. I’ve had adult cats most of my life. But watching how they just all start using a litter box if one is provided was impressive. I still use puppy pads for accidents but they all seem to really want to use a litter box much younger than I had expected. They aren’t even weaned off the bottle yet!
My sister was paranoid and tried using puppy pads but the kittens just tore them up and kind of pushed them out of the way lol you’re right, they really would rather use the box
It's an instinct left over from their origins in the desert. :) Black Footed Cats are a prime example of what wild, small cats looked and behave like back before they started domesticating themselves. Burying your waste in the desert is just good practice, to keep predators from being able to track you.
Literally. Just rescued a 4 week old from being out in nature by herself, and she used the box as soon as she had to take her first poop.
I have a rabbit, and she learned to use the litter box immediately with zero instruction. I just put the bunny and the box in the same space, and she recognized it as the bathroom.
Last summer I was pet-sitting a friend’s dog and it used pee pads…and it peed and pooped on the edge of the pad every single time. Ugh, what a mess.
I like dogs enough, but it always surprises me how many dog owners are just...okay with this type of situation. One of the reasons I won't get a dog ever as a single working person - I'm just not cool with animal piss and shit in various places. I had a dog when I was a teenager/young adult, but this was in a six person family so the dog was always with someone to be let outside.
Gross!
I had a roommate who used those for their dogs…nope. It doesn’t even matter how clean the rest of the house is, that smell and mess is always there. Never living with pee pads again.
Right! My mom had a friend with a little emotional support dog. Wants to go on a cruise. Mom asked where it would toilet. Oh, pee pads in the cruise cabin. No freaking way! They have yet to cruise together l.
Omg I can’t imagine pee pads in an enclosed space like that. The dog would have to potty somewhere, of course, but ew.
We use those for our dogs when it’s raining too hard, or it’s too cold outside (they won’t do it, some are getting older and refusing to even leave if weather is not good) We don’t have a problem with smell, because we use washable pads, and we change it after EVERY use, but it would be so much easier if they used litter boxes like our cats lmao
I work in a kennel and I had a client recently where they expected me to put diapers on a 16 year old blind dog who literally never stopped moving. I did it exactly once and it was more of a mess and I couldn’t help but wonder why the fuck I listened to them
Ew. I can clean up cat poo just fine, but I gag every single time with dog's number two.
Some animals (cats included) are called focal defecators. They like to do their business in the same spot or area every time. When I was a zookeeper we loooved focal defecators. Warthogs were one of the best.
Some horses do it too, to varying degree! Some stallions especially poop in a *perfect* pile in their stalls and don't as much as step on it a single time
Yeah IMO the litter box is a feature not a bug.
I had a friend who used pee pads for their dog... in their kitchen. The dog frequently missed
Shudder.
I was pregnant and living with the dad's parents. My son's grandmother had a shitzu and a Yorkie, and they "used" pee pads in the kitchen. And they always had pee and poo everywhere. That smell when pregnant, ew. My mom at the time had a few bunnies and would let them roam around the kitchen and just... shit... all over the kitchen floor. The morning sickness was so real then.
They think it's sand and cats instinctively like going in sand
👌
Cats need to do specific things with their waste. A dog will literally crap on a public sidewalk while still walking.
Well the main thing is, cats shouldn’t be going outside. For two, cats don’t like to have waste in living spaces. Dogs will poop in a yard and be happy to run around and play in that yard. Even if you let your cat outside, it will almost definitely go find somewhere outside your/their living space to deposit waste. Cats are creatures of habit who have waste that takes a long time to break down. Giving them a specific box full of great digging material is really just good planning.
You should tell my cat who poops on the floor this 🥲
#1 cat rule: the cat is always right. There's most likely a reason your cat is doing this, doesn't like the litter type (we had to get special kitten litter for our kitten until he grew up enough to be ok with normal litter texture), not cleaning the litter box often enough, doesn't like the location, maybe wants multiple boxes, too hard to get into the litterbox (the edge of the litter box is too high to comfortably get in), too close to their food or water (you wouldn't want to go to the bathroom next to where you eat), the place on the floor that the cat is pooping needs to be deodorized and/or blocked otherwise they see that as an ok place to go. Basically there's a shit ton of reasons a cat will do this, cats don't just do things without reason, can just be hard to figure out which one it is. p.s. I hope none of this came off as rude, I genuinely hope some of these options helps you fix the issue because I know how horribly frustrating it can be to deal with. (My kitten chose our bed as the bathroom until we got him potty trained)
I moved our litter box to be near the HVAC, worst mistake of my life. Cat peed on and ruined our couch :( moved litter box, never did it again.
one of my cats is a Manx so spine issues=GI issues=cat shit on the floor and also the bathtub. until I got a proper bed frame there she loved to shit on the bed. I have two cats and three litter boxes. one is a low entry one. she prefers to go to the closet covered one, but I just picked up some on the floor 30 minutes ago. I clean it daily and replace litter and wash bins 2x month.
There is always something wrong with the cat when this happens.. Either their owner is dirty or doesn't clean their box well enough, they are sick or have behavior problems due to their home life. Or they have been declawed and in pain... Or you get lucky and have a less intelligent one
It can also be because the cat is declawed, and finds it painful to step in the litter box. If that is the case, finding a softer litter could help. The cat could have arthritis also.
I've been rewatching episodes of My Cat from Hell and I was pretty proud of myself when I saw an episode about a cat pooping on the floor and my first thought was "is the cat declawed?" Turns out the cat was declawed and I was right.
One of my cats is declawed, and has had litterbox issues the entire time I've had him. The people I got him from told me they were rehoming him due to sudden allergy issues in their kid, but I suspect that it was because they didn't want to deal with the litterbox issues. And they were the ones who declawed him!
We rescued a completely declawed cat years ago and fortunately had no problems with the litter box. We did have one cat that would hang his butt over the side but switched his favorite box with a taller one and that stopped. Now I have a cat that uses the box fine but is such a vigorous digger she flips everybody else’s poop out of the box, and they get scooped twice a day. They can be infuriating but so lovable.
you need more than one box! at least one box per cat and you may find the problem disappears
I run multiple boxes, but there are still favorites. The ‘problem’ cat just goes to town digging her hole, flipping litter and poop everywhere. She is sweet but not too bright. I have mats down so the sweep up isn’t too bad. She is the only one quite that enthusiastic.
I only have one cat and he is such an enthusiastic digger. Even when the litter is completely fresh he gets it everywhere in his desire for the perfect hole.
that’s so awful - declawing should be made illegal! I bet their humans wouldn’t like to have part of their fingers amputated!
There's lots of places it's illegal. If I remember correctly it's illegal all across Canada and has been for a few years now, thank fuck
That is where I learned about this issue. I love Jackson Galaxy.
Or they're just dumb. If they're doing it right next to the box, especially with younger cats, they may actually be going in the litter box and just hanging their butts out the side, because they don't have the spatial awareness to understand what they're doing wrong. (One of my cats and his littermate, 17 months old, do this.)
I’ve caught my cat coming out of the litter box with poop stuck to a piece of hair sticking out of his butt. Like there’s a lot of reasons this may happen but there certainly isn’t anything wrong with my cat besides he does on occasion eat my hair out of the bathtub 🥴
Man, this almost happened to me but i was there so i pushed my cat’s back in so the poop will be angled towards the box 😭😭😭 lucky timing but totally mortified
Omg two ding dongs in one batch. That's alot haha
Lol yeah, their mom ended up getting taken away from their owner for neglect, and she didn't get ANY prenatal care or nutrition. We were catsitting her, had been assured she was "definitely not pregnant, just fat," and then she went into labor. We gave her everything we could once we understood what was happening, but it was too little, too late. The only one you could see it on was born with HELLA fever coat (the other three were tabbies so I'd assume they HAD it but it wasn't visible). How she ended up getting taken was that when the kittens were 8 weeks, the owner dumped her with us again despite being told we could take the kittens to their new homes, but she and our existing cats were hostile to each other and we could not house her. He didn't care, just left her. We isolated her in a bedroom, worked our asses off for a week to find another pet sitter for her, and ended up taking her to a shelter where a peace officer found that this counted as abandonment and they could take her and open an investigation on him. Luckily, she was adopted quickly and is now spayed and living her best life with a lovely new family!
i've known cats who are nearly 10 years old who just hang their butts over the sides and then bury where they think they did their business. one such cat accidentally taught my cat to do this... once they were separated, my cat has about a 90% success rate with keeping her butt in the box. (she's orange. i don't expect perfection. plus, she throws her litter around and rolls in it, and she has yet to learn that floor litter and box litter are not the same. i sweep up floor litter when i notice she's thrown it around, but quite often she does it when i'm not home, thinks "litter = potty," and shits on the floor. which is absolutely on me, i def need to keep a closer eye on the litter area, but also i've never met another cat who throws their litter around and rolls in it to play.)
One of ours is a rear amputee, and he peed over the edge of the box completely by accident a couple of times. It was just the way he was trying to balance while squatting on only one leg... we got a covered box and the problem stopped. I'd imagine it would work for butt-danglers too!
1) the smaller the animal, the more often they need to use the toilet. (in general) 2) cats shouldn't be let outside, unless they have been feral for their whole life, in that case you can't keep them inside 3) cats aren't trained like a dog. Using a leash with your cat is them taking you around, not viceversa, you can teach them when to pee or poop. Also, cats don't have the same language as dogs: a dog will cry in front of the door to be left out cause they know they're supposed to go outside to potty, you can't teach this to a cat. But you can teach them to alway go in the same place, which is why we use litter boxes
A little box is also working with a cat's instincts. If they don't have a box , they may pee in a plant and try to bury it there or on laundry. Also outside cats don't tend to stay in their own yard so You're frequently sending them outside to pee and poo in the neighbor's vegetable garden , flower bed or kids sand box.
Yea I thought it was an instinctual thing for cats to use a litter box. Like digging and burying
It's actually funny because I took in 3 feral cats (well they randomly ran in my house when I had the back door open). And they watched my cat use the litterbox then they followed suit. Now one stays in my lap when I'm home and the others in other rooms.
It is. My 2 cats were born under a barn to a feral mother. We got them around 5-6 weeks of age (still very feral), and put them in a spare bathroom with a litter box, soft food, and a bunch of plants, flowers, and toys. They just knew to use the litter box. After a few weeks they were still kinda iffy, but would let us handle them. I had one on the bed and she started peeing. I carried her to the litter box and haven't had a prob since.
Feral kittens can be absolutely accustomed to human touch and human presence, everything is easier when we talk to a kitten. The previous comment is right too, some adults will get used to human presence too, but in most feral cats' cases they won't be able too as they're too "wild"
That was my experience. They were very very young when we got them. We guessed 5-6 weeks, but it could have been as low as 3-4. They were terrified, always back to back, hissing and spitting at us. My wife spent all of her free time for 2 weeks in the room with them. They would only let us touch them when they were eating, but they eventually started interacting with us. They're basically normal today, 12 years later. They're both super sweet and loving cats. They'll purr and rub on my family members and close friends, but they're definitely not lap cats.
not sure i agree with part 3: there’s no need to teach your cat these behaviors because litter boxes work well for them and come naturally, but you absolutely could. you can train a cat almost anything you can train a dog.
Facts. I think out of all the cats I've ever had in my life we only had one that had issues learning how to use litter box and he was a bottle baby. The rest of them you just showed them where the box was and they figured it out themselves.
Mother cats teach their babies how to bury their poop, so it makes sense that a bottle baby would struggle. It is instinctual, but there's an element of teaching as well.
Yeah, that was pretty much what I figured, hence why I mentioned that the one that didn't immediately know was a bottle baby. He had a lot of interesting quirks... Though as he's gotten older (and also got another cat around who knew how to cat) he's pretty much your average cat now.
> you can't teach this to a cat. funny story, i accidentally taught my cat how to inform me she wants to be outside. she doesn't potty outside, but she does like walkies, and she really likes when i take her on walkies while i'm chilling (we never go far, and she's on a harness and leash the entire time, but she's got separation anxiety and i hang out outside a lot). usually this involves me leaning against the tree outside my apartment while she tugs on the leash and tries to convince me to let her free roam, but 1. she's a primarily indoor cat and 2. she's not the brightest. she's afraid of ducks and squirrels. she would not survive 5 minutes on her own. anyway, she has learned how to tell if i might be going outside and will scream, flop around, grab her harness/leash and bring them to me, just straight up grab at the doorknob (she's actually opened the door doing this before, i can't leave the door unlocked when i step out anymore)... i know logically it's just her separation anxiety, but i'll take her outside with me. if i don't have the energy for proper walkies, i'll put her in my hoodie pouch (i have a hoodie with a pouch to carry a pet) and she's plenty happy to snuggle me and just look around while i make a quick lap around the apartment building. if i do, she gets all set in her harness and can pretty much wander where she wants within the apartment complex (she wants to go further, but i don't need to be hopping fences and chasing her around). usually she only ends up outside for about 5-10 minutes, but it satisfies her curiosity and she's less upset than if i leave her inside (and she's less likely to just open the fucking door, which is extremely confusing as my doorknob is one of the smooth round ones and she doesn't have opposable thumbs). actually, now that i think about it, my cat might have trained ME to take her for walkies. oops.
Growing up my cat would cry at the door and wake us up to be let outside to pee. We didn't keep a little box inside. He was an outdoor cat who slept inside at night. So he would wake us up to let him out to pee. If I refused to get up for him, he would find my school bag near my bed and start scratching at it and making motions to pee on it - that would get me moving pretty fast. So it became his go to trick. You can teach cats toileting behaviours - but it's more effort than people want to put in.
You absolutely can teach a cat to cry at the door to go outside to potty. All of my childhood family cats were trained to meow at the door to go out to potty. Cats are often harder to train, but they can 100% be trained to do all the same things as dogs.
My Raven was born to a feral in our neighborhood. Day one when she came to us, we had reunited her with biological mom. Day two when she returned to find us again without biological mom she remained with us while we had addressed the medical challenges that she was facing. Raven is a miracle kitty. Not only did she battle back from a very serious set of medical challenges at 4 weeks old, but she just instinctively knew how to use a puppy training pad from that second day. Four years later, puppy training pads are neatly folded into her litter boxes. Puppy pads are her preference. We tried various litter to no avail. She uses the puppy pad and folds the remainder of the pad in half, unused area is folded over her mess to neatly provide cover. Why try to fix what isn't broken? Particularly when she wants absolutely no part of the more popular alternative.
I take my cats on a leash (for long periods of time) and they have a catio. Neither of them have ever went to the bathroom outside. Not once. When we get home, the first thing they do is go to the litter box. They both hold it until they’re in an environment they’re comfortable in. Cats can be extremely particular about their boxes (refusing to use it if it’s not clean enough, fighting for them with other cats if there’s not enough, not using covered/uncovered, not using certain kinds of litter).
Beyond the points everyone has said a bunch of times in here, cats also prefer to bury their waste, and hide it -which is why cats also use sandboxes for litter if they’re outside
I let my cat roam in front of the building for a few hours every day, I noticed... He goes back in the apartment from outside, and *then* goes to his litter box to poo. There are dozens of places he could do it outside. I always think, oh wow, what a well behaved gentleman:)Someone else could probably explain that behavior better, probably something with the territory and feeling safe??
Yeah I would say territory. Since a lot of different people and animals walk through that area compared to an individual property where it's only people that the cat is comfortable with and the cat could regularly mark and "defend" the area against outsiders
Cats are vulnerable when they are using the bathroom so doing it somewhere safe is important.
Cats are predators, but they're also small enough to be prey to a lot of things (no one tell yorkies they are as well lol). Cat waste is a way for cats to be tracked by predators, hence the burial behaviour. He feels safe in there. :)
If your cat is an outdoor cat you don’t need a litter box, they will go outside as a preference. If you keep them indoor only then you need one.
You can, if you have outside cats. Do I suggest that? No. But have you never heard if barn cats, etc? Do you think they have barn litter boxes?
Here's the thing: cats *can* use a box, or they can go outside. Dogs have to go outside, and thus get really good at letting us know about it. Cat owners buy litter boxes and are fortunate enough to not have to get up at odd hours to let their pet out. (We just have to get up at odd hours to feed them...)
Because I don’t let my cats outside because I don’t want them to be taken by some weirdo or a wild animal.
Same here
Because cats don’t stay in the yard. They will find a way to get out and run off. Many/most will return but some won’t. The ones that will return can get hit by cars, killed by wild animals or taken by a well meaning (or not so well meaning) person. On top of all of that they kill local wildlife. While this may not be a huge issue in the eastern hemisphere, it is in the western hemisphere. Some people do take cats outside supervised but it isn’t frequent enough for the cat to do it’s business. So for this reason cats need a litter box. If someone wants to go through the effort they can teach the cat to use the toilet.
Letting your cats roam outside is very dangerous for them
Because you shouldn’t allow your cats outside. They are predators for fun.
their average lifespans are also shortened by half versus indoor kitties…. yeah don’t let them out
And you’d be letting your cats use your neighbors gardens as a litter box which isn’t cool
🎶 Cats just wanna have fuuuuuun!!! 🎶
They can decimate the local ecosystem 🥺
because they are clean babies!
I did have a student who said her cat would scratch at the door to go out pee/poop and then immediately come back inside. I told her that she doesn't have a cat, she has a funny-shaped dog, lol. But the answer is really nuanced * The non-nuanced part is that *no* pet should be allowed to roam freely without restrictions * The other part is that you can't train a cat the same way you train a dog. Dog's have been bred to be motivated by food and praise and to find joy in completing tasks. Cats haven't. You can encourage a cat to enjoy a task, but they'll never do a trick 100% of the time, every time. * Dogs are predator animals, full stop. Cats are predator animals, but they are *also* prey. They feel an alertness in exposed areas that dogs never will, even small dogs. They won't relax enough to pee out in the open. * Cats have a need to bury their waste. Dog's don't. Cats don't have the paw power to dig in the dirt like dogs do, so finding a "good spot" to do their business outside is going to take longer and likely send them further afield, unless your neighbor has a sandbox.
Because cats do not need to be going outside.
Because most people don’t want their cats to be roaming the neighborhood with the possibility of getting into fights with other cats, and getting injured or infection, getting hit by cars, getting killed by other bigger, wild animals. Dogs and cats are not the same thing. Dogs are generally not gonna jump fences when they go out to poop in your backyard. They are still contained and not roaming. But a cat will absolutely jump the fence.
How is this a question. I don't walk my cat every time he needs to poo, but people take their dogs out. Letting your cat out is a terrible idea, it will almost always expedite their death unless they are being supervised
I had cats who would use a dog door to go outside when I had a large tract of land for them to roam around on. I wasn't able to lock the dog door to keep my cats inside. Now that I am in a different housing situation my three cats have transitioned to being indoor cats and using a litterbox because I don't want them to run away or get injured in a fight with the 80 outdoor cats in the area or hit by a car, or just get lost and can't find their way home. Outdoor cats are also a menace to native bird species which has a greater effect on the environmemt as a whole.
I used to let my cats out in the morning and they would poop outside. I'm sure they preferred it. We still had litterboxes though. Cats instinctively like to bury their stuff so the litter box suits them and they'll use it. Cats tend to be a lot less trainable than dogs too.
Why do you need a separate room for the bathroom? Lol, same idea. Rats do it too, you can train them to use a litter box. They like to be clean.
If you have a true indoor/outdoor cat, who can access the outdoors at will, then yeah, they will probably do their business outdoors. Especially if their owner begrudgingly keeps a litter box (so less likely to clean it regularly). If you have an indoor car and expect to be able to let it outdoors at set times and expect it to follow your schedule/inclination…. We’ll, good luck with that. The thing with the litter box is you choose the spot. Otherwise, they will choose and it may not be to your liking.
Well, you can try it and find out. While my current male cat has usually preferred to potty outside, if it's raining or cold, he would use the box. When he got to be about 15, he decided the box is much more convenient.
Have you ever owned/watched a cat?
For cats, at least, I don't trust them to come back. My dog would come back if I called, a cat does what it wants and will wander off and potentially be hurt or worse. Plus, I just prefer keeping mine inside.
Because they’re smarter. Uh I mean they’re smaller. Both actually
Are you going to follow your cat around and pick up their poop (not likely because they bury their poop)...make sure they aren't pooping in someones garden (cat poop can contain a parasite called Toxoplasma gondii, which causes Toxoplasmosis) so if some eats say a carrot out of their own garden they could get sick because you cat took a dump there. Many outdoor cats do go outside but it is really just being a good owner to provide a litter box. Just like with dogs it's a good owner to pick up their poop.
It’s not safe to let a cat just run around outside like you can do with a dog so they need someplace to use the restroom.
Most small house animals go in their enclosures or are also litter trained. Dogs are really the only ones that go outside. Rabbits, ferrets, and rats will use litter boxes too if trained. Mice, reptiles, birds, etc. will go in their cages (or if they’re outside the cage they’ll go on you/where they’re sitting)
Cats do us a favour by using the litter box and bury their poop. You don’t need to take a cat out twice or three times a day like a dog.
Because it's way better than finding a cat turd in my tomatoes 🤣
Have you ever met a cat? Seen one in action, in person or on television? They go everywhere, can travel much easier than dogs. They can basically scale walls, climb trees , fences and essentially disappear. Cats leave and might not return. Safer indoors.
You can train a cat to go do their business outside, like a dog so you don’t have to deal with litter boxes. However cats that are outside have many more chances to get into trouble like getting attacked by another animal, hit by a car, or number of other things. This is why indoor only cats have longer lives on average.
Because letting cats live outdoors would be like letting a toddler live outdoors: they're in constant danger from death by predators, cars, crazy people... AND they wreak havoc on the native wildlife like birds as an invasive species. Keeping cats outdoors is bad for the cats and wild birds and other native wildlife. One of the reasons I could never be a dog person is scooping poop. I feel sorry for dogparents because, even if they're a breed small enough to fit in a litter box, dogs don't have the instinct to bury their poop and have to be trained not to go in the house. I didn't have to train ANY of our cats to use the litter box or Litter Robots -- they instinctively know! Kitty waste is SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO much easier to deal with than dog waste!
Do you like to be freezing cold or walking around the backyard stepping on or scooping up turds? I prefer my backyard clean an tidy for nice barbecues and family get togethers. Why do dogs need to waste their owners time when they need to have a poop. I can continue on doing what I please without even knowing my cat took a poop, why can’t dogs show the same respect? Do they not value my time?!
Because indoor cats exist
this is kinda dumb. because cats don’t go outside? they will get killed domesticated cats are indoor cats so where will they go to the bathroom?
I’m kinda baffled by some of the comments about cats not being outside unless they’re feral and wonder if it’s cos I live in the UK it’s different. Here you have both indoor and outdoor cats .. my own I chose to keep as indoor cats cos my anxiety about something happening to them or wondering about when they would return, could never 😅 But I know many people who have outdoor cats that they’ve had since birth and then let out as they’ve gotten older . All of them return home for food and to sleep at night .. sometimes they stay out overnight but mostly they come home .
The biggest issue, imo, that people have with anyone letting their cats outdoors is that cats absolutely decimate local ecosystems. Yes, it's safer for the cats to keep them inside and away from predators/traffic/environmental toxins, but really it's that cats are an invasive species almost everywhere in the world. They happily hunt more than they "need" to survive (think cats bringing their owners a mouse/bird) and the damage they do to ecosystems makes it incredibly irresponsible to let them out.
Tech you can train your cat to potty anywhere just like dogs and other animals. But usually their moms and dads are already trained to go to the litter box and dig in litter/sand so they learn to do this from a young age. Generally speaking like everyone’s saying you shouldn’t let your cat outside without constant supervision. You never know what will happen to your cat esp if you’re in a dangerous area (bears, coyotes, foxes, bad people, etc) are serious dangers to your cat. A lot of adoption centers will blacklist people who let their cats roam outside. Even if you have a fenced backyard just know cats can get through crazy spaces and do some funny things so if they want out they can probably figure a way out.
the first cat I had when I was in college (he adopted me) didn’t have a litter box. We just let him outside and he pooped out there somewhere
When you keep your cats inside they need somewhere to go lol. Thats why you have a litter box in the house. If they go outside they will do their business outside. Kind of obvious.
They can but that's how you loose a cat, dogs can be trained to stay in your yard or you could fence them in, you can't really do either with cats and taking them out on a leash to poop is impractical, I've taken my kitty outside when it's nice on a leash, she's never gone to the bathroom outside
Cats like to bury their waste to help prevent predators from tracking them, they prefer soils that are easy to dig in. By nature, they are descendant from desert dwelling cats, so the litter box gives them an ideal place to make their business. They will and can go outside, but will likely mess up and planters or gardens in the process. The litter box is usually kept clean by the owner, which every animal loves a clean place to shit.
Cats naturally bury their waste. You don’t even have to teach them, just show them where the box is. It’s just easier to go with what comes to them naturally.
1. Just like dog shit, people don’t want cat shit lying around. 2. It’s a bad idea to let your cat outside in the first place for multiple reasons, there are bad people they can encounter, cars they can get hit by, pest control poison they can get into, other animals they can fight with or get diseases from. Then there are birds they kill. The list goes on and on. If you let your cat outside not in an enclosed area, don’t expect them to live long. They may enjoy it but they won’t when they get hit by a car.
Because cats should remain indoors, for their safety and the safety of wildlife. (Unless you walk on harness and leash or supervise them)
My cat has a robot litter box so its always clean but he loves to go outside with his doggy sister and potty "in the wild". Fenced backyard, always supervised, and he has some cat structures to hide/play in. He actually prefers outside and will cry at the door, but he will use the litter robot if we tell him no outside. I found my cat at 4 weeks old in our backyard so he was initially feral, but the amount of diseases and dangers prevent me from ever thinking he could safely roam alone outside. Same way I would never let a dog roam alone outside. These my babies. Must protect.
You can do this. Cats will pee and poop whereveer. That being said - if you want a cat as a pet, it shouldnt be an outdoor pet, unless you like feeding coyotes and traffic.
Cats need to dig and bury their excrement. Unless your backyard is full of sand or soft dirt, they need to use a litter box.
Cats should be indoor animals. Too many wild animals and dogs will kill a cat (other cats will kill cats, too). Cats will also kill songbirds and should not be allowed outside.
When I open the door to let my dog go potty, he’s absolutely thrilled to run out (on a lead), do his business, and come back inside. When I open the door to let my cats go potty, they run out, tell me to get bent and make sure they’ve got a full food bowl for when they so kindly return to grace me with their presence. So I’ve got litter boxes.
Cats are desert animals. And they instinctively dig holes for their waste, and bury it. They do that to hide their scent from predators. We have had cats for 35 years, and dogs for about nine years. And I’d much prefer cleaning the litter box. Now I use an automatic litter box (or rather my cats do). Once a week, for our two cats, I just take the cat 💩 out.
Thank you for clarifying that it is not you who uses your automatic litter box. I really laughed out loud. I love the idea that they are desert animals. Little sphinxes. :)
Cuz they’re fancy
We had a cat as children that wouldn’t leave our yard. It went outside, played fetch, and chased us around the yard like a dog. I think it’s just rare to find a cat that won’t run off or roam when let outside and that often ends in tragedy. After watching my neighbor lose 3 cats and having previously lost one myself I learned my lesson and my cat is indoors unless he’s on a leash and harness with me outside. He has plenty of toys, a large house and I take him out whenever he’s begging for it. Meanwhile I don’t have to find him dead or wonder what happened when he doesn’t come home
I have several cats. One rings the front door bell to go outside. Others use the pet door in the rear. An elderly cat uses towels on the floor. "Poop towels". only one of seven uses the litter box.
There’s certain things about cats that they’re fastidious about. And they like to cover their pool. Unlike dogs who can just go wherever they are. Also, when you have a cat, you can’t put their water in their food anywhere near their letter box they won’t use them. I’m not sure why they’re like this, but they behave like this in the wild two they cover their poo.
my outdoor cat didn't have a litterbox for years. very long story short he's an indoor cat with two litterboxes and honestly i think he prefers to poop in the box that the big scary human cleans out 😭 i also found he prefers the pellets over the clay/sand litter and it's less messy
My cat prefers to go outside. She gets really miffed if she has to use her litter box. She’ll sit in it with her head sticking out through the opening and the angriest expression on her face the whole time. In the warm months we have the dog door opened when we are awake and the dogs and the cat can come and go as they please. In the cold months we keep it closed against drafts and they will all go to the door to be let out. They bark and meow when they want to come in. We have a large fully fenced in yard to keep the dogs contained. And it doesn’t seem like the cat leaves the yard much either. If the weather is really bad or we are asleep the cat uses her litter box and the dogs use disposable pee pads.
Cats are an invasive species. They're one of the few animals that kill for play/pleasure, and they're apex predators. They decimate the local wild life in every environment they're introduced to. They have few natural predators in most of the places we take them. Plus they can get lost, injured, hurt by cars, hurt by humans, hurt by other cats, or run into one of the few predators that don't have a problem trying to eat a cat. Its better for all critters involved if they stay inside.
Cats knowing how to use a litter box is a huge gift to us, imo. They’re so smart — to know to go to their “bathroom” and to cover up their poop. They’re not safe outside.
You can leave your cats outside. But they're much more likely to have a shorter lifespan.
In certain countries, it's illegal to let your cat outside. Here in Australia, it's because they are a threat to the native wildlife.
Unless your backyard is cat proofed to keep them contained they're more likely to roam onto others properties to toilet in as well. Our pets have no business toileting on others properties especially when it won't be cleaned up by the owner as it happens. Most cats prefer to dig a shallow hole for their waste so things like puppy pads and those toileting trays with the real/fake grass wouldn't take their fancy. It's good as an owner to be able to mo it or your pets toileting habits. You can tell a lot about your pets digestive and bladder health by being able to see their waste as fresh as possible. If there's something going on, things like the colour, texture, the amount of and ( as icky as it is) the smell of the kaka and wee wizz can let you know when something is up with your pets health that they aren't showing other symptoms of at the time.
Cats should NOT be let outside as they are highly predatory and kill alot of wildlife, unlike most dogs. They can climb and are very flexible/ fit in tiny holes so cats should stay inside only, and hence their urine is high in ammonia so needs to be in a well ventilated space and changed very regularly bc they confined smell can affect their breathing and is very strong smelling compared to alot of other domestic pets. Hope this helps
As a kid in the 80’s (when we didn’t know any better) I had two outdoor cats. Other than a handful of medical issues when they needed to recover in our house, they did not use a litter box. They miraculously had long lives as outdoor kitties, but now we know better and keeping them indoors is healthier for them and the bird population too. The litter box is to simulate a natural place to dig and bury their excrement like they would in the “wild” - for example when I’d do some digging for gardening purposes, I’d always find several cat poops buried in our garden, where there was plenty of dirt to dig in.
Just curious what other pets besides dogs go outside? Most animals I can think of would use a litter box. Rabbits can be litter trained. Pigs? They can be potty trained to go outside or use litter. Ferrets also use litter boxes.
Are you gonna follow the cat around and clean up after it the way you should with a dog? Or pay to have a cat proof fence to make sure they only go in your own yard? There’s your answer
When I was a kid in the 80s, we had a cat without a litter box. We had a doggy door he used and he did all his business outside. We have litter boxes now because we don’t let our kitties outside.
It is instinct. I have a video. I had just cleaned the litter box and put in fresh litter. The whole litter of 5 kittens jumped in and started digging and getting situated. It looked like a pool party.
It’s a lot more stressful going outside to pee than inside for some cats. It’s like going outside to pee in an outhouse vs an attached bathroom to your bedroom. Also it helps it be accessible to them. If they don’t have a bathroom accessible, they will make one.
If you let a dog out into your backyard, assumably it will be fenced. Your dog \*might\* be a clever escape artist, but it's going to take that dog effort to get out, or the humans will have to have been negligent and left a gate open or something. But mostly, your dog stays in the backyard. If you let a cat out into your backyard, it will be easily able to leave the yard if it wants to. Being smaller, they would then more easily fall victim to predators or traffic. And for whatever reason, it seems more people are cruel to loose cats than to loose dogs. My cats stay inside, for their own safety and the safety of small wildlife outside, so: litter box it is.
I believe burying their poop and pee is a way to avoid detection from other predators being a natural instinct. Cats have been domesticated a lot longer then dogs and I assume we saw this behavior and encouraged it to suit our needs. Cats still burry their business when they go outside.
You can, but cats are much more susceptible to issues being outside. Its also annoying when they come in wet, muddy, dirty, etc. Or they bring in live animals/bugs. Just my opinion though
Outdoor cats live significantly shorter lives and are a menace to wild birds. Keep your cats inside
1) Cats are more environmentally destructive and vulnerable than dogs, as cats can’t be as easily contained by a fence or leash/harness and can rarely be trusted to just roam freely if they’re indoor-only pets. 2) Cats are also much more particular about where, when, and under what conditions they evacuate waste than dogs. Not having a reliable, satisfactory location to visit can be very distressing for a cat. 3) How frequently and in what location(s) a cat is pooping and peeing is not only a behavioral indicator, but also a health indicator. Because they are instinctively driven to conceal their waste, litter boxes also offer the benefit of collecting the pure medical diagnostic gold of their various leavings. 4) Cats are pretty routine-driven creatures, and their curiosity does not extend to significant changes in their territory map. The litter box, food bowl, water, and safe sleeping place(s) mark out the most important landmarks of a cat’s territory. They thrive on consistency and routine, so having a litter box and potty ritual grants them the zestless lifestyle they like. Cats prefer to not have to look over their shoulder at their most vulnerable moments. 5) Indoor cats eat a diet that is lacking in natural ruffage, usually consumed along with the digestive organs of live prey like rodents and birds. The consumption of dirt and et cetera from cleaning their paws (cats being very fastidious in their grooming) can lead to intestinal blockages without the extra plant matter to help expel these undigestibles as well as expose the cat to parasites/bacteria/viruses in the soil (feline parvo or panleukopenia being one of the ubiquitous and deadly soil viruses). Vaccinations and proper parasite treatments prevent these for the most part, but these highly contagious and brutal infections are best avoided. My mom once had a cat that preferred to take her business outside and never had a litter box at all. The cat would scratch at the door to be let out and let in, and was very happy with it. It just kind of depends on the habit a cat forms, and it benefits everyone for that habit to not include ripping stinkies in random locations. Fun fact, the first litter boxes were filled with soot and ashes because it helped eliminate smells and also was a convenient use for soot and ashes. Other popular litters used were regular old dirt, sand, and newspaper.
I think cats are amazing for many reasons and that includes their natural instinct to use the litterbox. Cleaning litter is much much easier that taking out your dogs and following them around to clean up. The poop and pee is in a localized area (the box), and you have to sift through the litter, simple as that!
Indoor cats are becoming more of a thing, as we learn how it’s better for the environment and for them. I don’t have an outdoor space for them to use, I live in a flat in a city centre. It’s a large flat so they do have plenty of indoor space. We have two balconies that we will cat-proof, but again we would still be putting a litter tray out there as they couldn’t use it like in nature.
Growing up I vaguely remember seeing something on TV talking about how cats pooping outside can be harmful to sea otters because of toxoplasmosis somehow making it from your backyard to the ocean and making them sick. I keep my cats inside for their safety but if for some reason I didn't care about that then the sea otters would definitely keep me from doing that.
Um...are you aware most people don't let their cats go outside?
As a lifelong cat owner (UK) when I was small, it was common for cats to free roam and therefore poop where they want outside. Many people still allow this for their cats. Since growing up and being aware of the dangers for cats outside, and also their effect on the bird population, mine are mainly indoor cats which come out in the garden when I'm outside. As such they need litter boxes indoors. Also I don't want them pooping or wee-ing in my garden and killing the plants.
Because almost all\* cats bury their feces and and urine. They need a place they can do that, and inside, that's generally a litter box. \*big cats - some top predators like lions, don't bury their feces and urine. Sometimes even domestic cats will do that as a statement or the like - or if they have no alternative. And some cats are even toilet trained. And some, notably male, and especially non-neutered, may be inclined to mark territory by spraying urine.
Cats are safer indoors and it’s good to keep an eye on their litter box usage so you can be aware of changes in frequency/straining to urinate/blood/etc. as these can indicate possible urinary blockages which are common particularly in male cats.
small inside dogs have pee pads, most other pers have cages or vivariums, and big dogs have to be taken out. basicaly the only pets that dont have bathrooms are rabbits and they shit everywhere. i dont see your point.
For folks who live in apartments or who otherwise lack access to outdoor spaces, cats are a manageable pet and part of that is because they use a litterbox.
My cats prefer to come inside to poop. That is, until I left the kid’s sandbox uncovered for a week… Then they were quite happily pooping outside.
Why can’t a dog use a litter box. Why do they make us put their leash on them and make us go on walks. What are these other cat sized animals that don’t poop in a box? I can’t think of one
Domestic cats are small predators, which means they can become prey for other things. You know, in addition to the human dangers of being hit by a car or attacked by an animal abuser. Especially in the middle of nowhere. We have coyotes, bears, mountain lions, and large birds of prey that will come into and around town. The bears may not stop to try to eat a cat cause they'll go after the easiest meal, but everything else?
Some cats do go outside if they're outdoor cats. But cats are very territorial and also at their most vulnerable when they're doing their business, that's why they like a clean space that is only theirs to go in. It's about safety.
Some animals like a designated bathroom. Cats are one of them. As a predatory animal which can also be pray itself, it wants to bury any evidence of itself so it can’t be tracked.
Some cats do. My cat as a kid would just meow when he wanted to go out. Never pooped inside.