Cat scatching the walls

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Mary Ann Morgan - 11 Apr 2004 17:38 GMT

We brought a stray male cat in about a year ago (we already had 2 other
neutered males) and had him neutered not long after we took him in. That
went fine, and they get along okay, but the new one when he uses the litter
box, he covers it, then scratches the wall around the box for like two
minutes, like he thinks there is litter there to keep covering it. He also
scratches the wall around his food when we give him wet cat food. Like he's
trying to cover IT up too!

I've had cats all my life, but none have done this. He was very obviously a
house cat before he came to our house as he knew what the litter box was
right away and is VERY comfortable with us humans. Any ideas? The
scratching sound drives us nuts!!

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m. L. Briggs - 11 Apr 2004 18:59 GMT

>We brought a stray male cat in about a year ago (we already had 2 other
>neutered males) and had him neutered not long after we took him in. That
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
>right away and is VERY comfortable with us humans. Any ideas? The
>scratching sound drives us nuts!!

I tended a cat for 3 months while her mommie was in the hospital. Her
litter pan was in the tiled shower stall. She would also scratch the
wall around the pan after using it. She was a funloving playful cat,
.but obviously never comprehended that the tiled walls were not
litter. My cat (7 years old) still tries to cover her food dish
after eating. One would think after 7 years she would decide this was
useless.

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Mmhsb - 11 Apr 2004 21:21 GMT

One of my 3 cats also scratches the wall behind the litter box & sometimes
scratches the floor by food dish. She's a hyper type & busybody, why is a
good question. Don't know but I think they might just be overly vigilant.
Did notice with the wet food she only did it on certain brands she didn't
like. She stopped that as she got what she likes. The litter box wall we
tacked a piece of thick cardboard, saves the wall & no noise. I think it may
have to do with the other cats got to box first and it may not have been
absolutely clean.

> >We brought a stray male cat in about a year ago (we already had 2 other
> >neutered males) and had him neutered not long after we took him in. That
[quoted text clipped - 16 lines]
> after eating. One would think after 7 years she would decide this was
> useless.

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JP Hobbs - 13 Apr 2004 10:50 GMT

Wilson has his litter box in the shower too but he's never done this
I could understand them trying to cover their food though
if they have been ferral, probably trying to hide the source
or if they've left a bit, then trying to hide the foodso it doesn't get
stolen
Wilson was born ferral but I haven'texperienced this probably because he was
so young when I got him, got no idea though how you could stop it good
luck jn finding a solution. Jean P.

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Mmhsb - 13 Apr 2004 20:26 GMT

Still think the 'scratching cover food' behavior occurs when they don't like
the food, as it's very selective, among house cats.

> Wilson has his litter box in the shower too but he's never done this
> I could understand them trying to cover their food though
[quoted text clipped - 29 lines]
> > after eating. One would think after 7 years she would decide this was
> > useless.

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Mary Ann Morgan - 12 Apr 2004 00:19 GMT

Thanks for your answers. Glad to know Buddy's not the only one that does
this. Mmhsb, lol about not liking certain brands of food. I never thought
of that, maybe he's telling me it tastes like poo!

> We brought a stray male cat in about a year ago (we already had 2 other
> neutered males) and had him neutered not long after we took him in. That
[quoted text clipped - 8 lines]
> right away and is VERY comfortable with us humans. Any ideas? The
> scratching sound drives us nuts!!

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Gee - 13 Apr 2004 02:15 GMT

"Mary Ann Morgan" <MeMe@insightbb.com> wrote in message news:Pveec.118815

> when he uses the litter
> box, he covers it, then scratches the wall around the box for like two
> minutes, like he thinks there is litter there to keep covering it. He also
> scratches the wall around his food when we give him wet cat food. Like he's
> trying to cover IT up too!

It's actually a perfectly normal and instinctive behavior in cats to cover
food leftovers and excrements, although not all will be as diligent as your
chap :)

Cats in wild will cover their excrements to cover their tracks. Not sure why
they cover food though, I'm reasonably sure not for the same reason dogs
do(to come back to it later). Cats are just simply clean.

Gee

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