Why Does My Dog Clean the Kitty Litter for Me?

So you are like millions of other pets owners and you own both a cat and a dog.  You probably love your pets dearly, but have you ever gone to clean the kitty litter only to find out that your dog has cleaned it for you?  Or, have you gone to shake out Fido’s bed and among the bones and toys pieces of stashed kitty pooh treats fall to the floor.  I honestly don’t know why people spend billions of dollars each year on dog treats – all they really want is a tasty kitty litter cover treat, and that’s produced daily for free. 

No matter how cute and loving your dog is, the fact that he finds something else’s pooh tasty is just plan gross.  So why do dogs have a sweet tooth, for something that, well, doesn’t look or smell all that delicious.  The answer is simple.  Cats are strict carnivores; they require animal fat, especially taurine, in their diet.  So when Fluffy uses the litter, it’s like a nice tasty, fatty snack.  So we smell kitty litter box odor, but Fido smells a fresh, steaming hot snack. 

Now that you know why your dog goes after the litter box like a kid going after the cookie jar – yes I know that’s a gross analogy, what can you do to stop it?  Being a cat and dog owner myself, I have found the only way to prevent a late night litter box sneak, is to move the box someplace the dog can’t go.  Covered boxes also work, if they can lock and the dog isn’t small enough to jump inside.  Otherwise a sturdy table the box can go on or making it impossible for your dog to get into it all work.  If you have a rubber-made tote, you can cut a hole in the top for the cat, and prevent the dog from invading. 

Don’t be ashamed and think you have the only dog with this problem – if you have a dog and a cat, you more than likely have this issue in your home.