Cat sleeping in litter box?

Question

my bf cat 6 months has recently taken up residence in the litter box. sleeping inside even when there is fecal matter in the box. my cats have never done this. do you know why? he is not kept in a small cage and has the run of the house. he has a bed elsewhere in the house where he sleeps sometimes. but why sleep in the litter box?

Answer 1

cats sometimes do this. try to keep the litterbox clean AND put some tasty treats on his bed (just a few so he doesn;t scarf em all up and puke <:-) -- he may eventually decide the bed is WAY COOOOL!!!

Answer 2

It does seem strange to humans, but many cats do this.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

My cat would do this and I thought it might be because the litter had a nice slight potpourri scent.

Answer 4

I would have him checked over by a vet, this goes right against cats fastidiousness around being super clean

Hope he's OK! :)

Answer 5

LOL - cats are weird and that's why I love them.  I used to foster kittens and take them on adoption day to a pet store.  Some of them got really scared and "hid" in the litter box.  Recently, I got a new litter box and put Cat Attract litter in it.  Well, it sure worked and one of my cats rolled around in it and lay there for awhile.

They probably like the texture, and maybe even the cat smell.  Cats are fastidious about cleaning but "clean" may not mean the same thing to them as it does to us.  I've noticed that my most insecure cat will sometimes pee or spray on "her" favorite blankets and continue to lie in them after the pee dries and it's just a faint smell (assuming I haven't caught on and washed it).

Get a kitty house of some kind - anything enclosed with a nice fleece blanket, put some catnip in it, and see if he responds to it.  Is he shy?

Answer 6

Although it is pretty yucky, I think it is normal. Cats use their waste to not only relieve themselves, but also mark or hide territory. Since it's a fairly young cat, he's probably comfortable in the litter box, feels at home maybe?

I would suggest moving the litter box to another spot. Make sure, of course, it knows where. If that doesn't alleviate it, I would change the type of litter you use. It could be that it likes the scent of something in it? Like nostalgia?? Who knows, but I know that with three cats, they tend to bunk up in a certain spot for a week or a few, then they abandon it all together. So, if the cat doesn't stop in a few weeks, maybe try the above suggestions. Good Luck!

Answer 7

My crazy cat does that too sometimes & I just thought that mine was the only one.  I don't know why cats sleep in their litter boxes tho but mine does it sometimes who knows?  

Answer 8

If your litter box is a covered box then he may enjoy "hiding" there.  Try getting a box or cage that is about the same size and put some soft blankets and a couple treats in it.  Hope this helps.