My young cat scratches her litter tray aimlessly

Claratrlt
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Hello! I know there are similar threads out there, and I've read a few of them, but since every cat is different, I thought I'd start my own topic. \/p>

The thing is, my cat (who's nearly a year old) spends an absolute age in her litter tray, usually very early in the morning, scratching away for ages for no apparent reason. She’s perfectly house-trained and has been ever since we adopted her, and I’d say this behaviour has been going on for about a month now. We've tried several different trays: two open ones—one small and one standard size—and then we bought her a hooded one with a flap, but nothing helps. She still spends ages in there, scratching for a long time without always actually doing her business. As an aside, she always ends up kicking litter out of the box (even with the flap on). \/p>

Should I see a vet? What could be causing this? As I said, she’s perfectly house-trained and hasn’t had any accidents since we’ve had her (except for one-off situations like when she was spayed or during certain changes to her environment). \/p>

Thanks so much for any advice you can give. \/p>

Have a lovely day, Clara.\/p>

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3 answers
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  • Blue_Cat
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    Hi there, If a cat is going back and forth to the litter tray without actually doing anything, you should suspect they might be in pain, either when urinating or defecating. In cases like this, a trip to the vet is a must. You should always provide two or three open litter trays for a single cat. However, if she is doing her business, the reasons for excessive scratching could be: - The litter already contains waste, which is bothering her. - It's a hooded or covered litter box. - The trays are placed in areas that aren't very private or have too much foot traffic. Cats feel vulnerable when they're doing their business, so it's important to place trays in quiet, 'hidden' spots whenever possible. - Many cats refuse to pee and poo in the same tray; the solution is to provide multiple trays and keep them spotlessly clean. - Clean the trays with bleach once a week. Finally, some cats with no health issues at all will scratch at the litter for a long time to cover their mess. It's just their instinct coming out. In the wild, waste attracts predators. Cats that are naturally timid or submissive tend to scratch much more than dominant ones. My Siamese never scratches—she's definitely the boss!
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    Claratrlt
    Claratrlt Icon representing the flag French
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    Thank you so much for your reply! I’ll try to keep an eye on her and see if she gets into position to pee, or if she’s just scratching around without actually trying to do her business.
    Translated from French
    ProvetoJuniorConseil
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    Hi there, Frequent trips back and forth to the litter tray can be a sign of cystitis, which can have various causes: infectious, mechanical, or idiopathic... In these cases, your cat will go to the tray often but only pass very small amounts of urine. Have you been able to watch her urinate? Does she get into her normal position? Does it seem to take a long time or look like she's straining? It really would be best to take her to a vet so they can examine her. In the meantime, make sure the litter tray stays clean and is in a quiet, accessible spot, and ensure she has constant access to fresh, clean water. Have a lovely day. Caroline – Vet student, representative for the ProVéto Junior Consulting student association
    Translated from French
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