Hello! I just got a new kitten & my one dogs has never really been around cats before. They're all getting along fine, but my dog is sneaking in the room with the litter box in it & eating the cat litter (mostly the poo)! What can I do to stop this? I don't want to close the door to the room because I obviously want the cat to have access to the litter box when he needs it. Please help!

Years ago, when I had a cat & my parents had dogs, their dogs kept doing this too. I took my cat to the vet (she was getting shots) & asked about it since he was the dogs' vet too & he said it is because cats don't digest the protein in their food completely. The dogs eat it to get the excess protein in the poo.

I can't rememer what he said to do to stop it though, sorry.

One way or another you have to block the dogs access from the litter box.

There are several options you can try....
- place the litter box up on something where the cat can get to it but the dog can't
- gate off the room, if the kitten can't easily jump over the gate just lean the gate against the doorway with enough space for her to get through
- get a covered litter box that opens at the top such as the "Clevercat"
- get a regular hooded litter box, place it in a corner facing the wall and block each side so the kitten can fit through but the dog can't
- get a litter box house...they come in cardboard or carpeted wood. its basically a large covered box with an opening for the cat to climb inside, you place the litter box inside the box

You could also get one of those automatic litter boxes that automatically sift out the poop as soon as the cat steps out.

Boy, do I ever wish I had the answer for that. My dogs do it with my cats (inside and outside) and goats. I have tried every method short of the electronic litter box (but that doesn't really help when they do it outside too). :???:

We do not have a litter box anymore, but we still have two cats. We taught our dogs, the leave it command. yes it takes time, but it will work if you are consistent.
Outside, if the dog is sniffing, and we think it is cat droppings, we still say leave it and lo and behold they do!

You are lucky! My dogs go after it like it is their favorite treat. Yuck! Nothing will stop them.

I wonder why they do this? I have also experienced my dog doing that before. Yak, just don't know why they like it?

my dog gets into my cats litter box too, I often wonder if he does it because he thinks in his mind that they are soiling his kennel.....(he is of the oppinon that the whole house is his kennel). Like the cats, he does not like soiling near his sleeping and eating areas and because the litter trays are in what he considers to be this personal space that he is cleaning it up......only assumption though!!!!

Opokki is right,
You have to move the litter box, as well as being gross, the actual cat litter can cause mild gastrointestinal upset if eaten.
Another option is to get to the poop before the dog, sprinke chilli powder over the top and he might think twice about eating it again.
Most dogs usually grow out of coprophagia (eating poo) but in the meantime make sure that he is eating enough and also treat for worms as they sap a dogs strength, requiring them to eat more.
To dogs, poo is just a secondary meal!
Good luck!

You could try feeding the cats canned pumkin, not the pie mix just plain pumpkin. It is SUPPOSED to make the poo taste bad, but will it taste bad to Fido? Who has tried this? Anyway that is the theory.

Years ago when my kids were little and got a new kitten we had the same problem with our dog. It didn't matter how much I scolded our dog or tried to teach her not to eat it she still did it. We finally had to be creative and block her access to the litter box. The cat was able to get to the litter box but not our Doberman.