Why Is My Cat Sleeping in the Litter Box?

Exceptionally clean, the cat rarely eliminates in an area where it eats and sleeps. Due to the cats need for cleanliness, a cat that suddenly takes up the practice of napping in the litter box may be trying to communicate something to its owner. Unfortunately, it is often difficult to decipher exactly what the feline wishes to convey by such an unusual and often disgusting practice.

  1. Health Problems

    • When the cat suddenly begins to sleep in the litter box, a veterinarian should be consulted to rule out an underlying health condition. Cats who are suffering from a urinary disorder often take up the practice of napping in the litter box because they do not feel well and they have the constant feeling of needing to urinate. A veterinarian will perform a physical exam to determine if a health reason may be provoking the cat's unusual behavior.

    Stress Reaction

    • Cats react to stress by hiding or seeking out a place of safety. Unfortunately, the cat often associates the litter box with being a safe haven where it can eliminate in privacy. Many cats react to a new child or pet in the home by hiding in the litterbox. They will also huddle within their littler box after moving to a new house.

    Changes

    • Changing the litter brand or type can make a cat sleep in the box. The cat often does not associate the new litter with being a place to eliminate. Or the cat may simply dislike the litter and its the only way that the cat can communicate its displeasure to its owner. Changing the litter back to the original brand will often help the cat to cease napping in the box. The cat also may begin sleeping in the box if the box has been moved to a new location.

    Remedy

    • Placing a second litter box within the home for elimination may rectify the cat's habit of napping in the litter box. It will use one box to eliminate and another to sleep within. Once the cat begins to eliminate in the new box the owner can get rid of the original litter box and replace it with a cat bed or other appropriator napping spot.

    Multi-Cat Household

    • A cat who lives within a household with other cats will often become territorial over the litter box. It will exhibit its territorial behavior by napping within the box. Providing ample boxes within the household can help to rectify the situation.