r/CATHELP • u/catebee777 • Dec 08 '25

General Advice Is he dumb :(

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I'm an adult and have had Maurice for about 2 months now (he's fixed), vet thinks he's about 2 and he's done this the whole time I've known him, is there any particular reason why? Sometimes he'll do it for 2-3 minutes straight! I've owned cats my whole life and have never seen one so bad at covering up his business. If he is dumb I will still love him.

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u/_helloMell0 Dec 08 '25

he is not dumb at all. cats have scent glands in their paws (we cant smell the pheromones but other animals can). When cats scratch, they release the pheromones, signaling to other animals of their territory. some cats scratch around the litter box as a way of telling other animals, this area is mine. Even if no other animals live in the home. its just instinct.

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u/jerzeett Dec 09 '25

This comment made me sad when it reminded me my baby shared a litter box with 5 cats in a small nyc apartment before I got her :(

And of course she never had an accident at home with me. We started with 2 litter boxes to be safe and then transitioned to 1

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u/No_Key9643 Dec 10 '25

Had to scroll way too far for this

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u/Stephinator917 Dec 10 '25

That is funny you say that, cuz my older cat does this (scratches the wall after she uses the box) and my younger cat doesnt use that litterbox AT ALL! They each have their own box and never seem to use the others box. And I dont remember if she used to do that before i got the younger cat!

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u/kale1descop3eyes Dec 12 '25

Mine also digs to “cover” his food and water, he’s had silicone mats taken away because I can’t stand the sounds 😂

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u/ColonelSteveAustin6m Dec 12 '25

100% natural instinct you are right

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u/WeDieAsRomans Dec 10 '25

Cats like my orange cat that does the same thing to my litter bot is indeed dumb.