jkoch

By Dr. John Koch

Question: My wife has this cat that she is crazy about. The problem is I have to clean the litter pan because his potty makes my wife gag. I watched him do his duty the other day. He must have scratched for five minutes before he made just the right hole. Litter was flying everywhere. After he finished his chore, he spent about five minutes or more covering it up. Again litter was flying all over the place. After Max goes, I have to clean a six-foot circle around his litter pan to pick up all the stray clay particles. Why is this cat so obsessed burying his little deposits?

Answer: Studies indicate that cats buy their feces as a way of showing submission. This is contrary to the more popular belief that the behavior is due to a fastidious nature. When colonies of wild or feral cats are observed, the most dominant member never buries his waste. In fact, he eliminates in strategic places where the odor will carry to maximum effect. It is the weaker, more subdued members of the colony that bury their feces.

It now felt that domestic cats bury their elimination as a way of showing submission to their human masters. Cats are perfectly capable of recognizing that the human is the dominant force in their lives. We control the food bowl.

Burying the waste does not hide the physical presence of the cat, but it does tone it down. This behavior is designed to show that its presence is not a threat to the dominant member of the group. Your cat is paying you a supreme compliment by burying his feces.

There are uncovered litter pans available that have a lip around them. The lip will help keep the flying litter in the pan and minimize your cleanup.

Dr. Koch is a Cape Girardeau-area veterinarian.