6 Simple Ways to Keep Your Dog Away from the Cat Litter Box
Some households have both dogs and cats. If you are one of those people, you know about this problem – your dog won’t stay away from your cat’s litter box!
Dogs may express interest in your cat’s poop for many reasons. It may be due to vitamin deficiency in their diet because they like the taste of cat food or it may even be due to boredom.
Some people think that dogs dig cat poop because of the protein content in the poop that dogs find irresistible. This happens since cats can’t digest the high protein content in their food.
Whatever the reason is, it is time to put an end to this by addressing the problem head-on. Read on to learn about all the ways you can keep your dog away from the cat litter box for their own good.
1. Check with Your Vet for Nutritional Deficiency
Your dog may find your cat’s poop enticing because of nutritional deficiencies. An appointment with the vet can solve this problem.
Let your vet check your pet for any signs of nutritional deficiencies. If there are deficiencies, take the advice of your vet, and switch to a diet that compensates for the lack of nourishment.
If your dog has been spending a lot of time in the cat’s litter box, he may also incur stomach infection and may be suffering from other ailments as well. Listen to your vet to heal the infection.
2. Clean Cat Poop ASAP
One way to prevent your dog from indulging in cat poop is by cleaning the potty as soon as the cat is done with the deed. While it’s not always possible, it’s best to clean them daily.
To make things easier, you can purchase cat litter box that can clean itself after the cat leaves the potty. You may want to check out some of the best cat litter box out there to make cleaning easier for you.
3. Change the Taste of Cat Poop
As you know, dogs like the taste of protein in cat poop. In order to stop dogs from getting their protein nutrients from cat poop, you can change your cat’s diet.
By changing its diet, you can change the taste and smell of its poop. You can mix taste deterrents to make its feces unappealing to dogs. But do so only after consulting with the vet.
If you mix a spoonful of vegetable oil in the cat food, it will lower the consistency of its stool, making it unappealing to dogs. Additionally, a spoonful of mashed pumpkin will change the taste of its stool, and make dogs avoid it for good.
4. Purchase a Dog-Proof Cat Litter Box
The latest cat litter boxes come with lots of fancy features that can help to keep the dogs away. The latest litter pans have lids so that only cats have access to the potty.
The lids also keep the odor away, so your dog won’t know whether there is poop inside the box or not. Either manually or automatically, you should clean the cat litter box as soon as possible, so that you don’t let the smell spread throughout the house.
Some litter boxes have cleansing materials that hide the stool and its smell. You may want to invest in these litter boxes to keep the dogs away.
5. Try Adjustable Door Straps
In the market, you will find adjustable door straps that can be used to keep the dogs away from the cat’s bathroom. However, it can only work on big dogs, and not on puppies.
The adjustable door straps are attached to the door, and it keeps the door open wide enough for cats to go in and out. Dogs won’t be able to get through.
By placing the cat litter box in a room with adjustable door straps, you are letting your kitty have some privacy and peace of mind in relieving itself.
6. Train Your Dog to Mind Its Own Business
The best solution so far to keep dogs away from a cat’s potty is to train them to mind their own businesses. Think about it, how do you think your dog will feel if the cat was always after its poop?
When you invited your canine buddy to your home, you already made sure it was familiar with all the house rules. Now that you also have a cat living in the perimeter, train the dog some social rules.
Every time your dog tries to mess with the cat’s poop, condemn the behavior. Say ‘No!’ every time it tries to eat cat poop. Use its leash to take it away from the cat potty.
You can also apply the ‘sit’ and ‘come here’ techniques to stop them from messing with its roommate’s feces. Be consistent and strict about it until they have no choice but to give up.
Final Thoughts
It is a mystery why dogs find cat poop so alluring, even when they have so many other distractions around them. But since it is unhygienic and potentially dangerous for their health, you must prevent your dogs from eating cat poop.
If our cats could talk, they would also express how embarrassing and annoyed they are at their canine buddies for even wanting to be near their poops. Therefore, in order to maintain discipline and harmony in the house, your dogs must learn how to behave appropriately.
Use whatever techniques that work for your dogs, so that you can put a halt to this odd behavior. Lastly, we hope this article was helpful and educational for all dog owners who also own cats.
