Why does she come running if i am cleaning litter box??

[heidiho]

Ok i have just started to notice it doesnt matter if she is in a dead sleep or in another room,as soon as i start cleaning her litter box she comes running into bathroom to see what iam doing.I mean she can be in a dead sleep and as soon as the scooper hits the litter she hears it and coem running in anyone know why ??or is it just my cat that does this?????

[Cathy1]

My cat does the same thing, but I don't know why either. She also goes in after cleaning and digs it all up then leaves without using it, and goes back to sleep.

[Dracko]

I was thinking of posting this question, too. I've been around cats my whole life and never had one that did this...until now. My 1 year old comes running no matter where she is...she will even try to get in it and go pee while I'm scooping it out. I'm not sure if my 6-month old kitten got the behavior from her but he does it now, too. So, while I'm scooping I've got 2 cats trying to watch what I am doing and/or trying to get in. My other cats would NEVER have done that. If find it odd, too. And, I KNOW they can just have went to the bathrooma and they'll still come running.

[boydo]

My 9 month old kitten, Maggie, does the same thing!

[heidiho]

Exactly she does the same thing,goes in it rearranges the litter and leaves,so weirddd..

[~michelle~]

my cat do it too

[Dracko]

Wow! Glad this was posted. I thought I had the only 2 who did this.

[Shamrock]

This is a stange little quirk that many cats seem to have - can be quite territorial and protective of their litterboxes. The sound of any tampering to their bathroom domain brings them running.

Mine do the same thing.. and when I disinfect and clean the boxes, they mill around.. just waiting to initiate them.

[PetFriendly]

Two of our three just have to use a freshly cleaned box... One won't even wait for the litter to be replaced, its like they can't stand not having their smell in it.

[heidiho]

I love it,i thought it was only my cat,oh yeah and same here when i empty litter box and change it,she watches every move i make with her litter box..So its becasue they are territorial that they do that???

[Rainy]

Your kitty is just making sure his/her slave is doing a good job is all.

[Dracko]

I guess what stuck me as odd was I had 3 cats and NONE did this. They were 17, 18 and 12. I had to put the oldest down and now have 2 kittens. They are the ones who do it. But, just like how some dogs are runners and take off, guess this is a cat quirk I'd just never encountered. Ginkgo hangs around the box when I am cleaning it just waiting to christen it as well. Makes me laugh and as I said, she will jump in WHILE scooping. I think it's cute.

[jiorji]

Originally Posted by Rainy

Your kitty is just making sure his/her slave is doing a good job is all.

I think so too. As soon as I'm done cleaning the litter box, my Twiggy comes in and poops. You know, just to prove she's got the upper paw

[Shamrock]

Heidi, I dont really know why they do this. Kind of an amusing mystery why some cats exhibit this behaviour.

One of my cats seems bothered when even the other cats are using the litterboxes- when he hears any scratching going on.
He takes up position to observe the proceedings - has to inspect the premises after too - to see if things are still to his satisfaction, I guess.

He strikes me as being territorial, but cant know for sure what compels cats to do all they do.

lol,jiorji! Dont you swear sometimes they are just "forcing" themselves?

[heidiho]

Slave,that makes me think of the movie Meet the Fockers,anyone see it ,when Deniro says something like "dogs are sell outs,cats make you work for their affection" so true so true

[cpietra16]

It's a mystery of life....same mystery as to why when women, girls go to the bathroom they always go in pairs..??

Actually only Tess does that and she just likes the sound that the pine shavings ,ake, like sand which she thinks it's time to play ...my older cats are older and don't do it because they couldn't care less about playing ofcourse that's just what I have observed with my kitties

[heidiho]

It drives me crazy i really want to know the answer to why they do it,i just find it so odd,i mean when she is sleeping nothing gets her up,but that da** kitty litter will get her in the bathroom in under 2 seconds.

[cpietra16]

Heidiho, if you shake a can of sand, which makes the same sound like when your are scooping...she'll coming running too. They relate the sound to play. Wen you buy some cat toys the ball is sometimes filled with pebbles to get them chasing it... that's the reason my youngest cat does it. My older cats don't like to play as much anymore and they don't come when I scoop.

[heidiho]

Well plenty of sand here,so you are saying even though it is their kitty litter they relate that noise when you are cleaning it to playing???Wow didnt think of that

[cpietra16]

Yup, IMo anyway. Tess has a few balls that make a similar sound ( they are filled with something like sand), and everytime I throw her the ball she goes running after it. Now when I move the litter around,, it makes the same sound and Tess comes running expecting me to be holding the ball. She just sits there like she's expecting something to happen

[Catzig]

Two of my three cats come watch as I clean the litter boxes ... one will actually climb in and use the first cleaned one as I am working on the second. Occassionally, he'll climb in while I'm scooping! The other 'mese just looks at me and squawks as if he's saying "it's about time, I've been holding it for ages!"

[Stacer]

My cats do it too. I'd never really wondered why though, but now that you mention it. I have never like them watching me, Angus will come and sit and just watch, I get the feeling like it's a dominance thing, "she's cleaning my mess" . Sometimes I close the door so he can't come in. Maybe I'm being paranoid, but I don't want him thinking that I'm his waitstaff (even though I really am)

[bogwog]

I wonder if it could be because it kinda sounds like a box of catfood? My cat hasn't eaten dry catfood for years and still comes running at any sound that is similar.

[heidiho]

I could of killed her today i was cleaning out box and had scooper full of poop and she hit it with her paw needless to say poop and litter went everywhere......

[dtbmnec]

Mine do it too...

They get so annoying that we actually lock them in the bedroom/out of the bathroom while we're cleaning the box....then as soon as its down (and if we hold it up where they can't reach they meow at us) they inspect it...all at once too LOL that's rather funny...

Megan

[heidiho]

thats what my boyfriend said to do to..weird how they are so fascinated by it.....

[heidiho]

She has now started laying in the kitty litter box,wuz up with that??I noticed this lady i babysit for her cat i saw also was just kickin back in her kitty litter box.I am confused as to why they would do this because they are such clean animals,so why would they lay where they go to the bathroom??

[Dogastrophe]

Gracie does this everytime we clean her litter.

[heidiho]

So bizarre to me,how she wants to lay in it,whatevers

[chico2]

Since I have the boxes downstairs,Vinnie always(every morning )sits on top of the stairs,listens and watches,while I take the litter-critters out,as soon as I go back upstairs,he'll run down and leave a new stinker for me to pick up
Since I quit working,I have a lot time to study their habits and it is amazing how these cats keep to their steady routine,whether it's about eating,where to sit to get treats,their different sleeping places for different times of the day,the time of day I take them outside,I would not dare to break their habits..they are really incredibly intriguing little guys