Dog eating cat litter. Help!

[DisneyDog]

We have had our dog for about a month. She is about 2 years old. The cat currently uses a litter box with a lid/flap for access. The litter is made entirely of corn. We like the litter and it's very safe. However, the dog has suddenly realized that it's also yummy. She eats what the cat tracks outside of the box. I am not sure, but she may be sticking her head inside the flap too. I don't think she's eating anything but the litter, but of course, I'm not positive. Needless to say, the dog is "going" a lot more than usual -- 7 times a day, and she's only 13 pounds. She's having accidents in the house too.

I am thinking about switching the litter box to a top-access one (or maybe even making our own with a rubbermaid container and cutting a hole in the top for access. I think that might cut down on what is tracked outside of the box, and maybe I even need to raise the box up a bit. Also, I think I need to switch her food to a low filler one.

Does anyone else have ideas to share? The dog is now obsessed with the litter and spends all of her time in the laundry room . Please, I'll take any and all ideas.

[RenDuran]

We had the same problem, so we put the cat's litter box in the pantry and then added a wooden baby gate across the doorway. We moved one of the slats to give the cat just enough room to squeeze through, but not the dogs. The only problem is your dog is so small, this may not be a solution with your household.

Is there anywhere in the house that you cat has access to that the dog doesn't?

[DisneyDog]

The dog is crated when we aren't home, but other than that, she has access to the same stuff as the cat. It is difficult because the dog is actually smaller than the dog. And the rescue lady told us that she can jump over baby gates.

[TinkerbellT421]

Well I really cannot think of anything that might help but I do know that dogs have a bad habit of eating any type of cat liter. It is well known. Only think I can think of is spraying the dog with water when you catch her and eventually she will learn that thats a no-no? But I had a dog who liked to eat the liter...and cat...do-do's...its a dog thing. I have known several people with this problem. I had a big dog though so I was able to block her access way to the cat liter box with a childs safe-gate...sorry I couldnt help you more. I will try to find out anything I can tonight after I get home from work and see if I can get any ideas from the people that I know have had this problem. :(

[Dulcee]

Our dog use to do the same thing. It was gross :sick: as not only did she enjoy the litter but she also liked what the cat left behind :ack:. We ran into the same issues as you did as the dog has the same run of the house as the cat. Eventually we came to the brillant idea of putting the litter box on a small counter space in the play room. It was raised up and visible which no one liked but since the dog can't jump up on the counter it solved the issue.

That was a couple of years ago. The litter box is back to ground level now. Our mutt must have grown out of it or just forgot about it because she doesn't bother it anymore.

Best of luck..

[kakn7294]

As long as it doesn't change the integrity of the litter or make the cat so it doesn't use the box, you can try to spray the litter with a commercial spray that is suposed to prevent animals from chewing.

[DisneyDog]

So, we ended up buying a new kind of litter. It's made with pine. The dog has gone in to the laundry room a bunch of times, but then just turns around and comes back. I think she's starting to figure out that there is no more corn snacks lying around on the floor.

Also, we bought new food and have begun to introduce her to it. It's the Nutro small bites, and it has no fillers at all.

We decided to wait to see if the litter made a difference before trying a different type of litter box. However, I think we are going to be forced to buy a new box anyway, as the flap seems to have broken this morning. The poor cat was sitting outside of the box, meowing up a storm because he couldn't get in. So, I fixed it, and then it slipped again. I had to leave for work, so I removed it (the dog is crated). I didn't want him locked in, or getting stuck inside of it. That would have been bad.

[Jeri Lynn]

Yes, dogs love to eat Cat litter...
Could you turn the litter box in a different direction that would only make it accessible to the cat?

[Jasper]

Usually the best way to solve this is to put the litter box on a shelf or some other high place that the dog can't reach. Fortunately cats are good leapers so it should still be able to reach the box even if the dog can't.

Other than the shelf there really is not a whole lot you can do other than trying different cat litters until you find one the dog won't eat. The good news is that if you find a way to keep the dog out of it for the first year or so then most dogs won't go back to it when you put the box back on the floor.

[TennesseeTink]

Our dog did the same thing. She's very small and agile so just putting the box higher didn't help. About 3 years ago we bought a Clevercat TopEntry litter box and there have been no more issues. The dog has never tried to get down into the box. I've seen this box at several pet supply stores and highly recommend it. :thumbsup:If you do buy one, don't forget to buy the liners that go with it because no other liners will fit it.

[pink]

We had the same problem with our dog. What we did was buy a tall plastic container this way since only the cats can jump high only they could get in. It's not a cat box but it works perfectly. :mickey:

[DisneyDog]

I think that we will buy the Clevercat top entry box. That is what I have been looking at online. I haven't yet found one in a store. I might have to order it online.

Things have been better the past few days. The dog still wanders into the laundry room on occasion, but comes out immediately. And I know that eliminating the corn from her diet is making a big difference on our walks. So, I think we did the right thing.

DH fixed the flap on the litter box, but I think it's days are numbered. We will be on the lookout for the top entry box.

Thanks everyone!

[pixiesmimi]

Our DD's dog was doing the same thing and the Vet gave them some stuff to put in the cat box that makes the dog sick and they learn to leave it alone. It didn't take but one or two times to turn the dog off and worked. Ask your Vet about it.

[thrillme]

Spray the litter with "Bitter Apple" a product that you can buy at the store. Be sure to "trick" doggie by leaving a little outside of the box but be "diligent" about spraying the litter both inside and out.

The best thing would be to train him/her NO...but...I know I have a "trash dog"...she LOVES trash. Training and deterrants just didn't work so I ended up keeping the trash in a place she couldn't get to it.

BUT...in your case try using the bitter apple for a while. If it tasts bad enough maybe she'll learn it's a bad thing.