Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)/cat is sleeping in catbox!

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Expert: Dear Tabbi - 12/10/2008


Question
I recently got a year old ferel cat spayed, and she is recovering in a secluded room inside a large dog kennel I bought for her. The kennel (cage) is covered with a blanket. She has food, water, cat toys, and a soft banket to sleep on. Why is she sleeping the cat box?

Answer
Phyllis,

That is the million dollar question! I have one that has 8 week old kittens and she also started sleeping in the litterbox. The kittens even nursed sometimes in there. Now, the kittens also like to sleep in the litterbox!

Sometimes only a cat knows why they do the things that they do. It is comforting to them for some unknown reason.

Actually it is not good for the sutured area to be in the litterbox. It may get infected. But, Mother Nature takes pretty good care of cats, so you may not have any problems from it. If you can pick her up, keep an eye on the surgery area to make sure it doesn't look like it's getting infected. If it does, she may need antibiotics. But if that is where she wants to be, there is not much you can do about it.

I chase mine out of her box, but she still will periodically go back in it to sleep. Not as often as she did, but she still will do it.

Tabbi

Cat Training and Behavior (Domestic and Feral)

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Dear Tabbi

Expertise

My expertise is in helping people understand their cat (or cats) and their behavior. Questions are welcome even if you don't have a cat....just a question about them. Hopefully my experience, suggestions, and comments will be of help to you...and your cat (or cats). Looking through my past responses to questions will give you additional information and/or answers too. Domestic Cats = cats (no matter what breed) who are tame or not wild, or abandoned cats who were pets that became wild, but can be tamed again. Ferals = cats who are born with one or more parents who were wild stray cats. They usually have had no interactions with people. They have an inbred distrust of humans and are difficult to socialize. They are skittish, hide, and are afraid of people. They take a lot of time and patience to work with them. A lot of kittens from shelters had a feral parent.

Experience

Since I was a child, over 45 years, I have been owned by a LOT of cats and kittens of almost every temperament, behavior, and personality. I have had experience with neurotic, disabled (including blind), stray, and 'problem child' cats and kittens. (A few normal cats too!) Plus all the things a lifetime of owning cats and research has taught me. I also have experience in feral cat behavior (which is different from domestic cats), and some experience with feral colonies that includes colony feeding and feral cat TNR (trap/neuter/release).

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