Okay, so, I’ve got this cat, right? Super cute, fluffy, the whole nine yards. But there’s this one thing that had me scratching my head – literally. This little furball has a weird habit of scratching the sides of his litter box. Not the litter, mind you, but the actual plastic sides. I noticed it a few weeks ago. At first, I thought it was normal. Maybe just trying to get comfortable.
So I started watching him. Every time he’d hop into his box to do his business, he’d start this scratching routine on the sides afterward. It was like clockwork. It got me curious, so I decided to do a little experiment. I put a little hidden camera to record it. First, I got a new litter box, a bit bigger, thinking maybe he felt cramped. Nope, still scratched the sides. Then, I tried different types of litter. Still scratching.
I’m getting a little worried now, you know? Is this normal cat stuff? I observed more and realized, he is not even touching the litter most of the time, just going at the sides like he’s digging for gold. He just kept at it, no matter what I did. I even put new scratching posts near the litter box but still did it.
I figured it’s time to hit the internet. After a bit of digging, I found out that it is a common thing. The reason? Territory marking. Apparently, cats have these scent glands on their paws. When they scratch, they’re leaving their scent, marking their territory. It’s like their way of saying, “This is my spot.” After knowing it, I’m a little relaxed.
So, I changed my strategy. Instead of trying to stop him, I decided to make his scratching more productive. I put a scratching pad on the side he usually scratches. He seemed to like it. He still scratches the box sometimes, but now he’s also using the pad, which is a win. At least it is a solution.
- Observation: Noticed my cat scratching the sides of his litter box.
- Experimentation: Tried different boxes and litters.
- Realization: Realized he was not touching the litter, just the sides.
- Research: Learned about territory marking through scent glands.
- Solution: Added a scratching pad to the side.
It is a weird journey, but hey, that’s cat ownership for you. Always something new to learn. At least now I know he’s not just being a weirdo; he’s following his instincts and I feel relieved.