# Kitty scratching sides of litter box & litter recommendations



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Hi all  Diego has started to scratch at the sides of litter box (I tried leaving the lid off and that didn't help). 

I think it's bc he doesn't like the litter between his little toe beans. He's currently using World's Best. Worlds best leaves his poor little feet all white and dusty since he's black. For some reason, I don't think WB is very effective on odor either. 

He was previously on Blue's walnut litter but he didn't like that either lol. He seems to prefer clay litter but I refuse to use it.

I noticed his paws are slightly peeling has anyone seen this before? We have tile floors and he's strictly indoor. 

He's going to the vet Thursday to have stitches removed, I'll probably ask about his toes beans aka toe pads  

What litter do you guys like and why? 

I have two litter boxes in the house for (7 months) Diego and the 8 week old kittens. I clean it 2/3 times a day just bc I don't want any poop paws since they are all kittens lol.


----------



## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

I use only clay litter - Dr. Elsey's Precious Cat Ultra. I've used a lot of clay litters over my cat's 17 years, and the Precious Cat Ultra is the best I've ever seen. It clumps beautifully, does not stink, and has the least amount of dust. It's also unscented, which is 5,000 points in its favor in my opinion XD

What are your oppositions to clay litter? (not trying to be obnoxious, just curious) - I know it can be a concern for kittens because they may ingest it, but my feline-only vet told me that an adult cat cannot lick/groom enough litter out of their paws/fur to do any damage - when clay litter is ingested, there's enough moisture in the digestive tract to dissolve it completely - it will NOT clump up inside the cat and kill the cat. He said that is a myth, and I can't find any absolute proof/stories/etc on the internet that ingesting clay litter DOES kill cats - I've only found hearsay and the "my friend knew a person whose mom had a kitten that ate clay litter AND DIED" type stories. 

I've actually found more things against other types of litter than things against clay litter. Most protests against clay litter seem to be things like it's not biodegradable, flushable, or safe for the environment, or that it's strip-mined so it's horrible for the planet, or that it's dusty. However, from what I've read (again, not real facts, mostly just conjectures) I've read that corn/grain litters (like World's Best) can grow mold and aflatoxins when they get wet (you know.. like when a cat pees on them XD ) and that pine and other wood-type litters can still contain plant oils that are toxic to cats. 

Again, I don't have any studies to point to, just things I've heard, and my own preference to clay litter. If the World's Best is causing some sort of allergic reaction in Diego (or is maybe drying out his toebeans? or maybe he picked up an infection from the litter?) you may have to switch to a clay litter eventually.


----------



## Blackphoenix4 (Dec 26, 2015)

Hi Gigi! 
The peeling of the paw pads happened to my cat too. 
Before having the kitten I was using the crystal type one and I noticed the problem that you've mentioned. My vet said that it probably was the litter that caused this.

I switched litter now that I have the kitten, and I use a clumping one called SaniCat. It's not dusty, very easy to scoop and blocks odors very well. The only downside is that when they exit their litter box, a bit of it is scattered on the floor and I need to vacuum more than I did in the past. 

It gets stuck between their "toe beans" but they can easily lick it off with no problems.


----------



## spirite (Jul 31, 2012)

Just a quick word about the scratching at the sides of the litter box: my cat does that too, and my cat who passed away did it on occasion as well. I've never figured out exactly why, but I don't think it has anything to do with litter in their little toes. Scratching the sides of the litter box seems to be just as instinctive as scratching on the ground. She just doesn't seem to get that there's no material there that will help cover...It might be that she feels there isn't enough litter under her paws, so she scratches elsewhere. Maybe that's what Diego's doing too. If so, you could try putting more litter in the box, so that the level is very deep, or providing a bigger box?


----------



## Adelea (Dec 20, 2015)

Abigail does this too.

She always goes in the far far corner of the box, and then does a full circle pulling litter in to bury - so she just scratches on the tray where there is no litter beyond it.

I never gave it a second thought to be honest!


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

My only concern was clay litter was because we have two 7.5/8 week old kittens- we got them at 4 weeks and I switched everyone's litter  now that the girls are getting bigger I don't mind switching back to clay although I didn't like the clay but that's probably because I was using Tidy Cats. 

I'm not against going back to clay litter at all. Im going to check out Dr.Elseys. 

I also think I want to get him a bigger box !especislly since his sisters try to climb in with him. I'll have the vet check out his little paw tomorrow- I'm getting rid of the litter today for sure it just isn't cutting it for me. 

Thank you for suggestions. Luckily the kittens haven't tried to eat any of the litter  and as they continue grow I'll be sure to switch them back to a high quality litter.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

I'm constantly vacuuming now lol the litter mats do absolutely nothing lol so inwouldnt mind a little more vacuuming especislly with 3 kitties.
Hopefully my local petsmart or petco sells sani cat


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

I'm going to try a bigger box. I filled it with more litter and that didn't help. The scratching doesn't bother me I just want to make sure he's comfortable


----------



## TabbCatt (Mar 26, 2014)

I use a large storage tote as litter boxes, it's cheaper and much much bigger than your typical litter box at the store. If you check out the hardware/home improvement stores, you can definitely get it for much $$.

I'm also a Dr. Elsey's user, since I honestly can't stand scented litter. Dr. Elsey's makes several types, but I always get the blue bag, in 40 lbs. The caveat is that thing is HEAVY!

Oh, and G also is a side scratcher, it seems some cats just randomly scratch things to try to bury like Spirite mentioned...I don't think switching litters matter too much, unless it's pellets or something difficult to cover up. Incidentally, some cats don't even attempt to bury their waste, but my two do most of the time (unless distracted), so I'm lucky there.


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

No big deal. Very common behavior and has nothing to do with if they do or do not like a litter. I had a cat that refused to put his front paws in the litter and would scratch the wall after he did his business. Each cat is different.

If you have tiny kittens, try Precious Cat shredded paper. I LOVE it. It's available at Petsmart for about $11 for a large bag that lasts a long time. It's soft on paws, absorbent and absorbs odors as well as clay or pine pellets. I use it for tiny foster kittens when they first start out, until they are about 7-8 weeks old then transition them to pine pellets. Because it's super soft shredded paper, it can get messy though - especially on long haired kittens.


----------



## elber (Nov 6, 2015)

Auggie does this too - she will scratch both the edges of her box and also the wall behind the litter box. (She never scratches hard enough to leave marks.) My husband and I say she's "washing her hands"


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Tabbcatt that is a brilliant idea! Are they able to get in and out comfortably?would you mind sharing a picture of yours?

All three kitties bury their litter thankfully lol. I wish pet stores had samples of all litters out lol especially since cats are so picky! Almost every litter I've used leaves Diego covered in dust since he's all black. 

I'm assuming the storage tote is open? That will probably help a bit and he won't be all dusty when he gets out. 

Btw diegos healing is going very well tomorrow stitches are getting removed and hopefully he's all clear.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

lol that's so cute. He is kind of washing his hands lol which I appreciate since his little sisters tend have poop paws.


----------



## Neek (Nov 23, 2011)

mine scratch the floor, scratch the wall, and scratch the litter when they're doing their business lol i think it's just because they think that helps cover it up. i don't think it's anything to be concerned about.


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

LakotaWolf said:


> What are your oppositions to clay litter?


For an adult cat, or any over about 6 months, that do not actively ingest the litter (aka unless your cat is actually eating it) clumping clay litter IS safe - but if eaten it can definitely cause a blockage which, if not treated immediately, can cause death.

There's a lot of very specific things that need to take place for it to happen, but it certainly is possible. I have personally met people who saw it happen, I read the reports, and it isn't fiction. In that case it was a serious of mistakes that caused it, but three kittens ingested clumping clay litter and passed away in the span of 12 hours at a PetSmart in my city in 2008.



LakotaWolf said:


> I've actually found more things against other types of litter than things against clay litter.


Yup, that's basically all true. The bit about aflatoxins is a bit of a stretch in the same way as clumping litter causing blockages. it is technically possible, and I believe it DOES happen...but it's not very common. In order for anything like that to happen the litter would need to be left, wet and unchanged, for quite a while. It'd be much more likely in a damp climate, and with neglect. But IMO it's not a reason to avoid wheat and corn based litters.

To be fair I'm biased towards them though - clay litters irritate my asthma, but corn and wheat is no issue. Clay does clump firmer, but I still can't use it in my house. 

If I have a number of cat pet sitting clients I sometimes have to scoop a bit, then go outside, then go back to finish. That's how bad it is on my asthma - the scented ones are worst, but even 'unscented' ones are hard on me. (Although I've yet to meet an 'unscented' clay litter that was actually unscented...and I scoop a LOT of litter boxes  )




Gigi009 said:


> My only concern was clay litter was because we have two 7.5/8 week old kittens- we got them at 4 weeks and I switched everyone's litter  now that the girls are getting bigger I don't mind switching back to clay although I didn't like the clay but that's probably because I was using Tidy Cats.


My preference is no clay clumping litters until over 6 months old. As someone who fosters I can say that some kittens will taste litter for much longer than you'd think! My current kittens are 13 weeks, and they tasted a pine pellet or two last time I changed the box! This litter has been quite prone to that though.



Gigi009 said:


> lol that's so cute. He is kind of washing his hands lol which I appreciate since his little sisters tend have poop paws.


I've read some things by experts (can't remember where....Pam Bennet? Jackson Galaxy..???) that suggest it's because they think the litter is too dirty and they don't want to touch it...I don't know that I believe that, but I personally think it's more of an overanxious covering behavior. The whole point, biologically speaking, of covering their feces and urine is to hide the odor from predators. If the cat is particularly anxious, stressed, or feels their litter/litter box isn't clean enough they could go overboard on the cleaning.

I do think some if it is just personality. Our girls both do this, no matter how clean the box and litter is. I don't think you'll get him to stop it either, it's likely just a quirk of his personality. Like having the toilet paper roll over or under.


----------



## LakotaWolf (Aug 10, 2012)

Gigi, I have done the same thing TabbCat did - I used a huge plastic storage tote and made it into a litterbox. My cat's getting older and she seems to hesistate before stepping into her slightly higher-lipped normal litterbox, so I made the storage box's opening very low. She now DEFINITELY prefers the storage box to the litterbox XD

I'll link you to the tutorial I used, and when I get home tonight, I'll take pics of mine specifically. It's ugly, but it does the job beautifully XD

BETTER LITTER BOX -- CATS ADORED


----------



## eldercat (Jul 3, 2015)

I've been satisfied (in the past) with pine litter, the pine pellets. They sometimes were tracked (or thrown?) out of the box, but were big enough to easily see and sweep up, and they didn't track very far, unlike the clay which could be all over by cats and people. The scratching on the sides of the box is (in my opinion) nothing much, just scratching all the way around - so sometimes it's litter, sometimes it's box. I never worried about that. Cleaning the box frequently is the more important thing.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

I'd always find little pebbles on clay in the bed  I haven't considered line litter, I need to google this. I probably need to set up a kitty litter sampler lol and see what Diego prefers. 

The scratching doesn't bother me, I just thought he was hurting himself and his little paws since they're peeling. 

The vet recommended bag balm so I'm hoping that'll clear it up and that isn't anything more serious.


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I've seen top entrance storage type box litter boxes in Petsmart and other pet stores. The lid has a 10 inch (or so) circle cut in it so the cat can jump in and jump out. Probable is 12-15 inches tall and yes, most cats over the age of 12 weeks would be able to get in and out!.


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

I totally missed the bit about peeling paw pads before!

Doran gets peeling paw pads during the winter sometimes. Our winters are very dry, typically, so dry skin is something I deal with as well. For him I just rub a little oil into his paw pads twice a day for a week or so, until they look healthier,, and then twice a week or so until spring.

You boy is likely just more prone to dry skin, none of my other cats gets this issue...but then again, I get dry hands and itchy skin all over, but my BF doesn't.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

I'm totally digging the DIY litter boxes I always like a fun project especially its for my little buddy


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

I'm just not sure what it could be. I'm going to try the bag balm since the bet recommended that and it should be here tomorrow  what kind of oil do you use?

We did just move and now we have tile floors, I also changed his litter and I've trying out different wet foods. I also think it could have been his pet wet wipes, there are so many variables!

I'm just hoping it isn't anything scary like podermitius (sp) or other scary things I've seen. Diego is so young to already have been through so much his eyes were a little pink earlier but dr said that can happen with dehydration-it cleared up when we got him thankfully. 

I haven't tried the Benadryl on his yet-not quite sure how I'll manage to get him to drink cherry Benadryl and I'm not a 100% confident he can have a flavored one I'll follow up with his primary vet.


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

Gigi009 said:


> I'm just not sure what it could be.


Probably just regular dry skin. No big deal.



Gigi009 said:


> I'm going to try the bag balm since the bet recommended that and it should be here tomorrow  what kind of oil do you use?


Olive or coconut. I've also used polysporin, but only if they've gotten quite bad and I've missed it. The first time it happened he actually had a cracked paw pad, so I used the poly to prevent infection.



Gigi009 said:


> We did just move and now we have tile floors, I also changed his litter and I've trying out different wet foods. I also think it could have been his pet wet wipes, there are so many variables!


TBH it could also be nothing. He could be grooming more, or it could just be in his genetics. I wouldn't' be too worried about it as long as moisturizing works to treat it and he's not gnawing them.



Gigi009 said:


> I'm just hoping it isn't anything scary like podermitius (sp) or other scary things I've seen. Diego is so young to already have been through so much his eyes were a little pink earlier but dr said that can happen with dehydration-it cleared up when we got him thankfully.


Irritated eyes is pretty common with kitten, IME. They tend to stick their faces into things and get dust and grime into their eyes - like little kids. As long as it goes away, doesn't seem to become acute (VERY irritated, weeping, squinting, etc) I wouldn't be concerned. Just keep track of it.



Gigi009 said:


> I haven't tried the Benadryl on his yet-not quite sure how I'll manage to get him to drink cherry Benadryl and I'm not a 100% confident he can have a flavored one I'll follow up with his primary vet.


...your vet meant benadryl PILLS. you can't accurately dose liquid benadryl for cats. pill form is much easier. In any case I feel like it's overkill in this situation. I've used benadryl when the boys got stuck by bees before - unless it's acute and seems dangerous just keep an eye on it. It's better to not use medication if you don't' have to than to over medicate.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Thanks, dear! I'll try the olive oil in the morning. He's definitely grinning more especially since he got his e collar taken off he had it on for two weeks. 

I'm just glad it cleared up- when we first adopted him he had terrible pink eye and lots of sneezing. So I was worried it was happening again. 

Pills probably would have been much easier lol I believe the dose was 1.5ML, which led to me believe it was liquid


----------



## librarychick (May 25, 2008)

That's very odd. I'd call your vet for clarification.

If he does mean a liquid form be sure to shake the jar really well before dosing. I'm sure you know, but the medical ingredients tend to sink in those sort of liquid meds.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Dr Elseys litter is amazing so far! Thank you all for the recommendations!  I can't believe I waited this long to try it!!


----------



## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

Back to the litter issues. I once had a cat, Sam that would use the litter box then walk over to the water bowl and dip his paws in it then shake the water off! I'd see drips of dusty clay water everywhere and then paw prints all over the floor! I could not understand how this happened until I actually caught him in the act! So, no matter how annoying your guy is, it could be worse!


----------



## GovtLawyer (Feb 17, 2016)

*Just a Quirk*

My cat Mickey never seemed to cover his stuff. However, he scratched at the sides of the box and even the sides of the bathtub (the box is in the bathtub). I think its just a spastic kind of thing. He seemed to know he was to cover it, but just didn't know how. It may be he never quite learned as a kitten. 

You might just have a cat which doesn't know how to do it. I doubt it has anything to do with the type of litter. I used all different types and he never covered any of them.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Lol Marcia, cats really do the weirdest things. It's even funnier when you catch them in the act. 

Luckily, he hasn't discovered he can use his water fountain as a pool lol although he loves jumping in the sink and bath tub after I'm done to lap up the water.


----------



## Gigi009 (Dec 29, 2015)

Thank you  i know every cat is different, it was just something I had never experience before since my first cat was indoor/outdoor. With my new little guy, he's just full of all kinds of quirks so I just wanted to make sure it wasn't anything I did to hinder his litter box experience.

So far so good on the dr Elseys


----------

