Why Do Cats Bury Their Feces in the Sand?

Cats, which spend certain minutes of the day licking themselves, are among the animals that stand out with their cleanliness. In fact, this feature of cats makes them one of the most suitable creatures to keep at home. But when it comes to hiding their feces, There are completely different reasons other than cleaning.

Without further ado, these cute animals: The reasons why they bury their feces let’s see.

There is an interesting detail about cat feces.

Namely, these feces generally smell the same to us, but cats have the same smell in their urine and feces. unique scent molecules called pheromones Thanks to this, it can distinguish its waste from other cats.

Cats meticulously bury their waste to mark their territory. It is based on their long history of utilizing urine and feces. Smaller, vulnerable and obedient, domesticated house cats belong to the frail cat group in lineage.

For this reason, they bury their feces even though there are no predators where they are. This action of theirs is just in case, even if there is no creature that poses a threat to them in the area they are in. from the instinct to secure themselves is caused by.

Again, every domestic cat sees its owner as strong and dominant and therefore feels weak and threatened.

Famous zoologist and behavioral science expert Desmond Morris expresses this situation with the following sentences: “In an undisturbed home, every domestic cat feels like a creature under the pressure of its owners. That’s why, under normal circumstances, many cats bury their own feces in the cat litter or in the garden of the house. It protects itself from the ‘hunter’ in the house.”

Additionally, predators can detect their prey by the smell and location of their droppings. For this reason, burying feces is a tendency shown by the weak and frail cat group. Because cats that do this hide more easily and The possibility of being preyed upon by foreign cats is largely eliminated.

However, not every cat hides its feces.

In the wild; Dominant cat species competing in their territories, such as lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards, a way to signal that they want to take over a particular area They do not bury their feces.

But wild cats sometimes become predators not to attract unwanted attention to themselves or their offspring’s nests They may tend to hide their feces.

Let’s get back to domestic cats. So, what could be the reasons why pet cats do not bury their feces?

Although burying feces is an instinctive behavior for domestic cats, these cats can sometimes defecate in unusual places other than their litter. One of the biggest reasons behind this behavior is that when the cat is still a kitten, This behavior is not shown or taught to him by his mother.

If the problem is caused by this, give the cat with the right commands and directions You can teach him to defecate in the sand. Especially if it is a puppy, your job is much easier.

Apart from this, cats generally like clean litter.

If If the sand has not been cleaned for a long timeThey may not want to defecate here again. It is also recommended that the toilet bowl be approximately 1.5 times the size of the cat. If this area is small for the cat, it may avoid using it for defecation.

At the same time, a change of home or the arrival of a new animal in the house can stress cats, and such situations may cause cats not to defecate in the toilet bowl. If all conditions are met and your cat still refuses to go to the litter box There may be a health problem behind this. At this point, consulting a veterinarian will bring the healthiest result.

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