DEAR PET TALK: After my cat eats his breakfast, he pushes his bowl away and then pees around it. Never when I’m watching … his food dish is in the back hallway. Sometimes he poops too. He’s six months old. Help! (PS, we also have a large dog)
— KITTEN MAMA
DEAR KITTEN MAMA: Ah, the mysteries of feline toileting. Why on earth would a kitty (expletive deleted) where he eats? However, a clue is provided in your P.S.: having a large canine roommate would definitely make a cat nervous about “what’s his” versus “what belongs to someone else.” By relieving himself, he may be “protecting” his eating space. Why would anyone, let alone a large dog, want to visit someone else’s food-bowls when they have to step through (expletive deleted).
It is unusual, though not unheard of for cats to use a space other than the traditional “sand box” for toileting. But their preferred method goes back many thousands of years, to the origin of the domestic cat. They evolved in North Africa, a terrain filled with sandy deserts. As “house” cats evolved alongside their human keepers, they retained that need to cover their feces, and sand or loose soil was the preferred medium.
For some cats, just scratching at the area where they relieve themselves can stand in for the full “covering of feces” choreography. But to return to your dilemma – which indeed, must be maddening — put yourself into the cat’s mind. He’s not feeling comfortable in the back hall — and must protect his turf.
What if you provided him a feeding option — perhaps put him in a more protected space — such as on the counter?
His roommate will not be able to sample his food, and he will be at eye level with you. I can guarantee you — 100 percent — no cat wishes to (expletive deleted) where he dines. Making his dining area really special, protected, and his alone, should help with a difficult situation.
Sally Cragin is the director of Be PAWSitive: Therapy Pets and Community Education. Send questions to [email protected].
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