Keeping Dogs Out Of Your Cat’s Litter Box

If you have a multispecies home that includes dogs and cats, your dog may decide that (as my friend Jo from High Five Animal Training puts it) your cat’s litter box is a source of tootsie rolls for them to snack on. Not only is this gross, but it creates a mess and probably isn’t great for the dog.

Preventing your dog from snacking on your cat’s poop is important, but you need to do so in a way the doesn’t create a house soiling problem from your cat. Here are a few solutions that balance the needs of your cat while keeping your dog from snacking on things that aren’t actually snacks.

Things To Skip

Let’s start with things to avoid because these are usually the first things people try.

If you want your cat to keep using the litter box, you need to make it easy for them to choose to use it. While getting a covered box or a top entry litter box might seem like a good idea, they’re generally not appealing to most cats (though the covered litter box may be more due to size than the cover). Top entry boxes are usually pretty small and create more work for your cat to get in and out of the box. Rather than going through the extra effort of getting in and out of the box when they’re stressed, your cat may pick the floor right next to the box. If you have a senior cat, they’re even less likely to use a top entry litter box.

This is especially true if there’s a flap on a covered litter box. It creates an extra barrier for the cat to choose to use the litter box because they have to move the flap out of the way. This may not seem like a big deal to you, but unless you’re the one using the litter box, your cat’s perspective matters more.

Cat Only Rooms

Depending on the layout of your home, you may have a few options to allow you to keep a dog proof cat litter box that your cat will actually use. The easiest solution is putting it in a room that is easy for your cat to get to, but your dog can’t access it. This could involve a cat door or a Door Buddy to prop the door open. If you use a cat door, make sure the room is easy to access from where your cat spends a lot of time as putting all your litter boxes in the basement means more work for your cat.

An option without a door flap can work, too, if you want to get a corner cat door. Once again, remember that the cat needs to be able to easily choose to use the litter box so this doesn’t mean a distant corner of the basement is a good idea.

Other Benefits

This solution has other benefits if you give your cat a place to retreat from the dog. While cats still need resources spread through the home, having an entirely dog free room may reduce your cat’s stress because dogs can be threatening to cats. The room needs to be big enough that your cat will want to lounge in it, though, so a closet or other tiny space may not always work. This is especially true if the litter box is in there!

If You Don’t Have A Spare Room

Spare rooms are great, but if you don’t have the space for a cat only room, you need to get creative. In these cases, the easiest option may seem kind of strange: elevating the litter box. It’s not a great option for all cats (more on that in a moment), but for some it works great. The elevated litter box keeps the box out of reach of the dog and takes advantage of cats’ natural tendency to climb. It also doesn’t require a full room.

DIY Or Premade?

You can either make your own elevated litter box or get one that’s premade. In order to go the DIY route, you’ll need a surface that can safely hold the litter box filled with litter, your cat, and allow your cat to easily get in and out of the litter box. Picking a sturdy table that’s wider than the litter box is important, but be prepared for it to take up some space.

Side note: I also find the name “LoftyLoo” to be a delightful alliteration, but that’s more of a fun bonus.

The LoftyLoo has a little ledge out front so your cat can more easily get into the box without having to leap directly into the litter pan. This makes it a better choice than going the DIY route for small spaces as it will keep the total footprint a bit smaller.

Make It Easy To Get Into The Box

One very strong suggestion for both the DIY option or the LoftyLoo: have a low threshold for getting pet stairs or a ramp. Remember, your cat has to choose to use the litter box so we want to make the choice as easy as possible. Especially if you have an older cat, giving them stairs or a ramp makes it less work to go into the box as the most likely result of trying to force them to use a litter box they don’t like will be peeing on your floor.

With the LoftyLoo, the combination of the ledge and pet stairs or ramp gives your cat two options of how to get in and out of the box: they can jump onto the ledge or walk right up. They’re more likely to choose to use the box and it will keep your dog out of the box.

Creative Ideas

If you want to really make it easy for your cat to choose to use the litter box, why not incorporate it into a cat wall? Cat shelves are a great tool to add places for cats to climb and can be especially critical for cats living with dogs. Plenty of climbing spaces give the cats places to escape from the dog (it’s very important cats have plenty of ways to get away from the dog) and navigate their territory comfortably.

A regular litter box on top of a table or even a shelf might work as long as the shelf can hold the weight of your cat, the box, and the litter. That needs to be a pretty strong shelf! The shelf needs enough of a platform for your cat to step in and out of the box so they can comfortably walk into the box rather than jumping into it.

This is yet another place where a LoftyLoo comes in as being a great option. You can incorporate it into the design of your cat shelves so your cat can still easily access a litter box even if they’re avoiding the dog.

Layout Considerations

As always, you want your cat to use the litter box if it’s part of a cat shelving layout. Some hints for how to make that happen:

• Your cat should never have to nose dive into the litter box. Whether you use a regular litter box or a LoftyLoo, putting a shelf right next to it so your cat can walk in will help.
• Avoid placing the litter box near food or water dishes if you are using cat shelves with built in dishes.
• While fun shelving objects such as scratching posts or bridges can be a nice addition to a cat shelf layout, keep it simple when it comes to the platforms near the elevated litter box. A flat platform that’s big enough for the cat to stand comfortably on is best.
• Don’t force your cat to walk through the litter box to navigate the cat shelves. A cat shelf that’s above the litter box allows your cat to bypass the box if they’re just trying to get from one side of the home to another.
• If space allows, have pet stairs or shelving that allows your cat to climb up near the elevated box so it can be easier for them to choose to use it.

The Solution Depends On Your Situation

Ultimately, the best way to keep a dog out of your cat’s litter box will depend on your dog, your cat, your home, how much you want to spend, and numerous other factors. There’s not a single correct solution that works for everyone. The first thing you try may not work so, as frustrating as it can be to have something not work out, try something different if the first option doesn’t work for your situation.