We’ll be the first to admit that our dogs would like nothing better than to have free reign to raid the litterboxes every day–but that’s definitely NOT the best plan for your dog, your cat–or yourself! With a few easy steps, you can keep your dog out of the litterbox, even if your dog has already fallen into the habit of raiding the box for “treats”!
Like kids in the coprophagia candy store, Irie and Tiki would happily dart into the laundry room where we keep our litterboxes for a quick fix any time they got a chance. We’ve come upon a few easy solutions in our house that has solved the problem!
Cat Door
Fortunately, thanks to our cat door installed on the laundry room door, they’re not able to get into the room unless we forget and leave the door open. (Believe me: after accidentally leaving the door open and seeing Tiki rush in and gobble up that morning’s deposits, I do not forget now.)
If your dogs are larger than cat size, a cat flap or cat door to restrict access to the litterboxes works well.
All our cats have always learned to use the cat door quickly. The laundry room is fairly large so they have plenty of room.
Ideally, we’d have more than one entrance and exit from that laundry room so no cat could “guard” the flap but we’ve never had a problem.
Peek a Boo™ latch
If you can’t install a cat door (which involves cutting a hole in the door), an easy solution is the Peek a Boo™ latch. Like a large screen door hook and eye latch, it holds the door ajar enough for a cat to enter…but not so much that any dog larger than a cat can slip in.
Although I don’t have a litterbox in there, I use one of these in my office so the cats can come and go for some “alone” time while the dogs are downstairs.
A baby gate with a cat door
You can find a lot of pet gates and baby gates to prohibit access into a particular room but this Carlson gate has a small cat door built in.
If your dog is too large to fit through this gate, you’ve got an easy way to restrict litterbox access.
A baby gate your cat goes over
Are your dog and cat close in size? In that case, you may need to encourage your cat to jump over the baby gate.
Place a chair or nightstand on each side of the gate to give your cat a mid-way point to get up and over to the other side. (If your cat is a senior or has any mobility issues, this isn’t a good option.)
A baby gate your cat goes under
You can also raise the baby gate so your can goes UNDER the gate. This works better for senior cats — as long as your dog is larger than your cat.
A raised litterbox
Similarly, a litterbox on a raised platform can deter any canine snacking. Again, this isn’t an option if your cat has mobility issues.
An enclosed litterbox
Many cats (ours included) don’t like enclosed litterboxes but, if yours don’t mind, you’ll find many options on the market, both commercial litterboxes and do-it-yourself options.
This type of two-story litterbox works great to keep your dog from sticking his head inside the litterbox!
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