You probably got cats because, of course, you find them cute but also because you find them fastidious. Dogs can never match cats when it comes to cleanliness. Cats seem proper and polished because of how they go about their business. They bury their poop after doing their business in the litter, and you think it is proof of their cleanliness-loving nature.
It is more about animal instinct. Dogs love to bury their bones, and cats bury poop. Though you love your cats, don’t be fooled into thinking of them as neat freaks! The behavior is most likely stemming from their survival instincts.
Why do cats do this?
Certified cat behavior experts believe that the main reason cats bury poop is hiding. It is believed that when the ancestors of our house cats lived in jungles with other, bigger predators, they would bury the poop to protect their location. The domesticated cats still mimic this behavior.
There is another theory, and some experts believe that cats do this to signal to other cats in the area that they are not a danger. Both the reasons point back to when the cats had to use some guile to survive. For us humans, cat poop can at times smell constantly the same, nevertheless cats has the ability to tell their poop apart from others’ mainly due to the chemical trail signs named pheromones which are present in their poop. Kittens generally learn this behavior from their mothers and continue to bury their poop.
Why does your cat not bury its poop?
If this behavior is instinctive, you may find it odd if you notice your cat not doing it. Why is your cat acting this way? Well, there could be several reasons for this, such as:
● Cats prefer a clean litter box. If it is too dirty, they may just do the job and leave and sometimes even do it outside the litter box.
● It may be due to a different or new substrate that you are using in the litter box
● Your cat may not like the position of the litter box
● In homes with multiple cats, there may be conflicts causing a change in behavior
● If your cat is under stress due to your moving to a new area, a newborn in the house, etc.
● Your cat may be sick, in pain, or old
● In a house with several cats, you may notice a cat doing this if it tries to dominate other cats.
