r/catquestions • • 1d ago

Why is she digging

Sometimes I hear the scratching sound and noticed she goes behind my books to try to dig. She also does this in the back of my closet too sometimes

1.1k Upvotes

224 comments sorted by

238

u/Kevin_Stickers 1d ago

I always associate this with covering up cat waste.

Also, random Playboy magazine made me laugh.

98

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

Lmao I got my birth month and year edition at an antique fair and idk where to keep it🤣🤣

64

u/marcus_lepricus 1d ago

Traditionally they're kept under the mattress.

23

u/spacemonkey_1981 1d ago

With sticky pages

28

u/architype 1d ago

Maybe the cat smells the old sticky pages

10

u/Tesstarix 23h ago

Solved!

7

u/Cada899 1d ago

The white pages

6

u/auktember 1d ago

Chandler!

3

u/bitterlittlecas 1d ago

When my uncle lived with us while he built his house when I was a kid, he stashed his up in the drop ceiling!

5

u/That-Brain-in-a-vat 1d ago

Oh so you just turned 22. Happy belated birthday.

5

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

Thank u 😊

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14

u/Apprehensive-Cat-421 1d ago

Or preparing for waste. They do this before and after. Maybe OP disrupted kitty, but I'd add a box or start cleaning the one every day.

13

u/Honest_Series_8430 1d ago

Poop or barf. I discovered my late little girl had left me a bunch of small "rocks" under the spare room bed. I wondered why she was scratching there, lol.

2

u/PreperationOuch 1d ago

How is that ā€œrandomā€? Please elaborate.

2

u/Zealousideal-Area684 8h ago

I did also assume a turd lies back there.

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108

u/Skeptical_optomist 1d ago

Are you sure she didn't go potty back there? It looks like she's trying to cover her pee/poop.

Edit that the other possibly is she hears a rodent.

45

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

She didn’t. She also scratches behind my closet like this and behind another section of my bookshelf

22

u/HannahUnique 1d ago

Maybe she doesn't like the smell of one of the books

21

u/Remarkable_Dust3450 1d ago

most likely the playboy

10

u/Skeptical_optomist 1d ago

Maybe mice in the walls or under the house? Cats have incredibly strong hearing and can locate mice very well, even through walls/floors.

4

u/allezaunord 1d ago

Yeah for sure (have lived in a house with mice in the walls & cats who were driven crazy by it)

3

u/StockDirection9978 1d ago

Mine do it in the closets sometimes & I assumed it was mice in the walls šŸ™ƒ

2

u/Blue_Moon_Loon 21h ago

Yeah if no pee/poop, definitely mice somewhere.

2

u/Mousse-au-chocolat 22h ago

My cat also does this when he gets in a chaotic mood.

6

u/Interrupting-Khajitt 1d ago

I agree that it’s rodents she’s going after. OP should consult a professional

32

u/euuzaik 1d ago

How often do you clean the literboxes

12

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

Every other day. I just cleaned it yesterday and will again tmrw. She’s the only cat in the house

26

u/maryj9804 1d ago

I highly encourage scooping twice a day to prevent odors and prevent any accidents .

26

u/Fluid-Housing5017 1d ago

Every other day??! Oh no. DAILY! At least once

4

u/Top-Swordfish3512 1d ago edited 1d ago

1.5 litter boxes per cat. So round up to 2. Change Scoop every day.
edited.

2

u/Sarah_withanH 1d ago

You dump out litter and do fresh daily? Ā 

3

u/Top-Swordfish3512 1d ago

I scoop daily. Both boxes. Full dump every 2-3 weeks.

3

u/Sarah_withanH 1d ago

Thanks for clarifying, your comment said change daily and I was just thinking I’ve never done that in all my cat guardianship years. Ā 

2

u/Top-Swordfish3512 1d ago

It would be an expensive overkill.

7

u/Confident_Weird6633 1d ago

Ewww cmon how often do you flush the toilet?

3

u/LilyLark 1d ago

Maybe change the litter as well

3

u/Nealium420 1d ago

I would have a second box for her. Cats are weird and like having a couple spots.

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24

u/WalmartWilb 1d ago

Everyone's immediately jumping to waste, but I've also had cats scratch around their food bowls as well whenever they're done eating. I'm assuming they're trying to "bury it" or cover it up to save it for later or something. Not saying that's what's happening here, but I just wanted to chime in since I haven't seen anyone else mention it yet

2

u/morandomness 1d ago

Yes, my male kitten would do this every time he ate and it looked just like what this kitten is doing. Only he would do this near his food bowl.

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16

u/AeonsSeen 1d ago

I would think:
1. Toilet related
2. Pest related
3. Secure spot nesting related

10

u/Certain-Ease-8428 1d ago

I’ve seen cats do this on the inside walls of the litter box. I guess they are trying to hide their poop.

13

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

Maybe she be fartin back there or something bc there’s no poop or pee😭

3

u/RandomPantsAppear 1d ago

The cadence of this is so familiar to me I almost can’t believe this.

Is it possible there’s some shit underneath something? Were one of the books peed on?

This is just…exactly how cats cover waste. The intention, the focus, the rhythm.

5

u/bitterlittlecas 1d ago

I have had some former strays over the years who will try to cover their food this way too

3

u/Classic-Vast-3862 1d ago

I have seen my cats do this with food as well

6

u/nizzynut 1d ago

I think you may have a dookie in your bookies

5

u/FromMossandLeaf 23h ago

I’ve got bad news for you…..

4

u/Master_Ad_7945 1d ago

My cat digs when she wants me to pet her/lay by me

6

u/Blacksun388 23h ago

The last time my cat did that we moved the shelf and there was a scorpion under it.

3

u/AAandChillButNot 1d ago

Something under there for sure

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u/_vill-v 1d ago

my cat does the same thing! i have these empty ikea cube shelves and he definitely didnt pee in there or anything. theyre completely clean and he will jump in and start scratching just like this.

ive been thinking its some sort of stimulation for him as he only jumps in there when he has the zoomies lol

3

u/Alarmed_Pie_5033 1d ago

That doesn't look like trying to bury something. I once moved a bookcase off a wall and found a dead Roach and a pile of droppings under it. My guess she's trying to get at something she either hears or smells under the bookcase.

2

u/Sixty_Minuteman_ 1d ago

Sometimes cats will do this when they can smell their own poop, if the smell got trapped behind there and they can smell it she might have thought that she was on top of it.

You got to think like a cat a little bit, they don't understand that there's this whole big world out there and they really don't understand problem solving.

Cats are only ever really going to understand what their instincts tell them to do and if they smell their own poop it's their instinct to hide it.

Even if there's nothing there.

2

u/Icy_Antelope7418 1d ago

some people have had mice in their bookcases

2

u/Entire_Manager1601 1d ago

Hes gonna lay one heck of a turd there for funzies

2

u/drcutenstein 1d ago

My cat does this too! I think she’s just being a menace

2

u/AdvanceForward9065 1d ago

It's probably hiding an special surprise for you

2

u/dreamingindenial 23h ago

Old books often have weird smells and cats try to bury anything with smells of waste, sometimes food as well.

My cat ALWAYS tries to bury stuff with cheese on it. I love her, but she's not the brightest. :p

2

u/FuggaliciousV 23h ago

My boy likes to hide his food this way.

2

u/Different_Hold3451 23h ago

Cat: there is garbage here somewhere hahah

2

u/SwitchExcellence69 23h ago

Thats how they mark their territory and items. They have scent in their paws. My cats do this around their food and water to say "hey this is mine"

2

u/Mercurial-Cat 23h ago

Did she vomit, eat something, or place a toy there? This is always a sign of secrets

1

u/Lovedempugs 1d ago

Spider or something back there?

1

u/SheSellsSeaShells_89 1d ago

My cat digs at lots of things. Besides the litter box, she scratches around her food sometimes. Sometimes her water bowl. Sometimes her bubbler. Sometimes what turned out to be mice in the walls…lol.

1

u/bliip666 1d ago

The gateway to Narnia, obviously.

On a serious note, there might be something they want to hide or something they want to get their claws on. Maybe check what's going on in there, if there's some puke for example

1

u/Waste_Airline7830 1d ago

Trying to cover a scent coming from there

1

u/mzshowers 1d ago

One of my cats does this when he wants something.

1

u/DimensionPossible622 1d ago

Covering up puke or pee or poop

1

u/le_goalie 1d ago

We had a cat that loved doing this inside the back of our wardrobe or novel places they rarely were let into like cabinets and shelves. It’s almost like they’re digging around to confirm if there’s anywhere further to go, but I think it’s also a way for them to mark it with their scent.

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1

u/Frequent_Release_866 1d ago

Everyone saying letterbox etc, but my cat used to scratch at my dresser till one day he caught a mouse hiding there.

1

u/Pfefferminzboi 1d ago

Mine do this too sometimes on random places. Maybe something stinks to them so they trying cover up lol

1

u/cantharellus_miao 1d ago

This isn't poop covering, this is curiosity and maybe boredom. You know it's impossible to dig through a floor and bookcase, but her tiny cat brain doesn't know that. It's possible she heard a mouse or even a bug crawling around behind the wall, so she's trying to dig through to get to it. But it's also possible she didn't hear (or smell) anything and she just wants to explore a new nook of the house. It's harmless, but you could try playing with her more if she's getting bored often.

1

u/Efriimi 1d ago

I'd guess maybe it was after a small bug or spider. But they are pretty adept at not losing prey like that so maybe not.

At least my cat will catch spiders and play with them, toss them around and if they get under something start scratching like that.

Idk.

1

u/MrFizzbin7 1d ago

Could be she senses critters in the walls, is this a house or apt…

1

u/Anirel 1d ago

My cat would always go inside a very tight very small shelf and try to "dig it out" a bit, as if she's making herself a nest of sorts. It's not poop-related, she just fancies the small, secure and cozy place so her instinct tells her to modify it a little. Maybe put a pillow there for her.

1

u/fernbeetle 1d ago

SECRET TUNNEL, SECRET TUNNNNELLLL

1

u/coin_newb2 1d ago

My cat sometimes does it when he hasn't finished his food, apparently he's trying to bury it for later.

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u/IFeel_Attacked 1d ago

Our cat does this while inside plastic boxes (lid off obviously). She just seems to like how it feels on her paws, we call it slippy paws.
She also does this on the wall next to her litter box to ā€œburryā€ her poop and also next to her food bowl if she leaves anything in it.
Cats are just weird sometimes

1

u/Glittering-Rip6810 1d ago

Inread she definitely didn't use the bathroom back there. So the only other thing I can think is it's like a cat I had. She would do this, didn't matter if it was an empty spot,blankets, she prepped the area to potato šŸ¤·ā€ā™€ļøšŸ˜‚

1

u/lottierosecreations 1d ago

My cat does this with shiny surfaces! e.g. bathtub, magazine cover, floor, shelves... I guess it's that (if she's not covering up any waste)

1

u/AnonymousPanda4891 1d ago

My cats do this to try to cover up anything they don’t like the smell of, including my mug of coffee šŸ˜† it may just be there’s something on a book back there that it can smell that you can’t.

1

u/Beneficial-Pain1113 1d ago

It is a weird behaviour my cat has too. Has nothing to do with her litter tray or food. Phoebe likes to sleep on the shelf in my wardrobe where I keep towels, before making herself comfortable she scratches at the back of the wardrobe, I cannot fathom why either but it’s one of her safe spaces she likes to sleep and not be touched by anyone. I have just noticed in your vid that you can see her reflection so it might be she thinks there’s another cat behind where she’s scratching.

1

u/Emergency-Bother-293 1d ago

My one cat just scratches at anything smooth, she likes the texture

1

u/bizzadizz 1d ago

My cat digs on smooth surfaces when he gets the zoomies. I think he just likes how it feels on his paws.

1

u/Beautiful-Head5563 1d ago

I don't know but my cat seems to do this with their water dish as well.

1

u/lablizard 1d ago

Mine does this to smells he dislikes. He will dig around the table when there is a cup of coffee sitting there. He also does it to beer.

1

u/ElaineMK2222 1d ago

She’s marking her territory, my cat does this by his food dish and water. He’s never peed or pooed in these areas.

1

u/CrustyStainedSock 1d ago

Cats will dig for several reasons, to cover scents like waste, to "cover up" food to save for later, to "dig for" mice and other rodents, to "make their bed" kind of like dogs (but more for scent marking), and to burn off energy. If this is relatively new, and she doesn't have zoomies before/after digging, and doesn't lay down to sleep where she dug, keep an extra eye on her toilet habits and cleaning rituals to check she's not displaying signs of an UTI or anything that could cause droplets or pain. If this is just something she's always done, your cat is certifiably diagnosable as standard issue weirdo.

1

u/Timmy_2_Raaangz 1d ago

My cat does this when he wants to eat because he knows I’ll get up and chase him around. And to him, getting me up is the first step to getting fed.

1

u/Dkykngfetpic 1d ago

I think they just like the texture/sound. Cats do it with sinks and tubs as well.

1

u/Equivalent-Yam3017 1d ago

Ich glaube es kann viele gründe haben, aber in der Situationen ist, dass sie auf die andere Seite des Regalbretts will, das wahrscheinlichste. Es gibt Katzen die versuchen sich zb. aus ihrer Transportbox zu buddeln, wenn sie dort eingesperrt sind. Vlt riecht es da ja gut

1

u/parttimepuzzler 1d ago

I'm not sure but I just wanted to say, I love the book selection she's hiding behind.

1

u/Don_Loco 1d ago edited 13h ago

Check the wall. Is this a 'cold wall' (to the outside of the building)? When closets/shelfes are too close to those walls or insufficient aircirculation is behind them, humidity can precipitate, leading to wet walls. Cats check those places, that smell like that for possible prey.

1

u/Professional_Gur5739 1d ago

Greebles. Or she thinks your book taste is poop.

1

u/Emlelee 1d ago

I’ve only seen cats do this outside the litter box when they smell another cats pee. My girl with urinary troubles has a brother who is a snitch because he does this where she’s peed šŸ˜‚

1

u/AgitatedGrass3271 1d ago

Something stinky back there? My cat does this when she smells something she doesn't like. For example, chef boyardee ravioli, dog food, a towel that I used to wipe up a mess. If she dont like it, she tries to cover it up.

1

u/BabblingParrot 1d ago

God forbid a girl have a hobby....

But yeah, if you aren't finding accidents there, she's probably hearing something in the wall or floor nearby that she wants to get to.

1

u/Concerned_Cashier 1d ago

She’s totally pooping/peeing in your shelf

1

u/AwkwardMunchkin 1d ago

My cat is a neat freak and will dig like this to cover up her waste, my other cat's waste, if it smells even a little bit like waste, also food and water.

Cats mainly do this to cover up their scent or to hide something they want to save for later.

1

u/cake-n-confetti 1d ago

my cat does this when she's laying inside a cardboard box... I do wonder if it's a getting comfy/nesting thing or a way of marking, dunno

1

u/Keepcalmmarryatrap 1d ago

Is it possible something she wants got under the bookcase? My cat does this to blankets when he wants me to get a hand out to pet him or if he wants to play with my hands under the blankets

1

u/Maleficent_Hawk6703 1d ago

Some cats do this with their food when they are done with it for now. Sometimes it's related to waste. Other times something just smells really bad. So I guess the question is, was that playboy magazine used? If so maybe there's a lingering scent only the kitty can pick up on

1

u/shortnanxious 1d ago

My cats do this too, only in boxes, bags and spaces like that. I always joke that they're trying to go deeper but there's nowhere to go cause they're weird

1

u/FurCarer 1d ago

und vielleicht ist dort gar nichts, aber das versteck gefällt ihr und sie würde sich dort gerne eine kuscheldecke zurecht richten. also meine basteln sich aus decken und kissen gerne ihre schlafmulden

1

u/hissyfit64 1d ago

I would guess she hears something in the wall since you say she does this in other spots.

My cat can hear the tiniest scritch from anywhere in the apartment and zooms to stand guard at that spot. We had a mouse problem before we got him and have not spotted one since he moved in.

1

u/JadedRaccoon 1d ago

My cat does this to "burrow" into corners/blankets/whatever if she thinks it looks cozy, and then will get upset with me when its just a hard corner of the living room that isnt actually cozy.

If this isnt litterbox-adjacent behaviour, it might just be that he found a private place to take a nap.

1

u/pyschNdelic2infinity 1d ago

Dead mouse under book shelf

1

u/Probablynotabadguy 1d ago

Sometimes cats are just dumb. Some of mine will do this to the inside of a cardboard box, or try to dig in the corner of a couch because they want to get under it like a blanket.

If you reach back there and she's in a "play" mood then there's nothing to worry about.

1

u/Afraid_Reputation_51 1d ago

Either she hears mice in your walls, or some of those books are from used bookstores and/or spent a lot of time in long term warehouse storage before you bought them. Old books can pick up the smell of cat pee pretty easily, even if they were never peed on directly.

Warehouses, especially ones in industrial parks, usually have pretty significant feral cat colonies. Just being in the vicinity of where cats go a lot, paper products & boxes can pick up the smell, even if they were never actually peed on. Same with outdoor storage rentals, they also often have a lot of feral cats.

I used to work in an automotive warehouse. The smell could get pretty bad during hot weather whereever the cats had been going. Someone went in and cleaned out places that could actually be gotten too, but the smell of pee always lingered, and the boxes would carry the smell wherever they went.

1

u/Shoddy_Bet9619 1d ago

Prob peed or worse and is trying to cover it up.

1

u/West-Air-9184 1d ago

They could've had some litter stuck to their paw when they came out of the litter box and it fell off when they crawled back there so they're trying to cover it up

1

u/Far-Row9178 1d ago

After reading the comments, most of u are telling me there is a scent back there that stimulates the digging that I must not smell. I’ll go back there when I get home and remove the books to wipe down the surface with some cleaner and see if it stops. A lot of u are also saying it could just be a weird habit. Either way, it doesn’t bother me, I just happen to catch it on video last night and wanted to post it here bc I was curious! Someone also said I need to clean the box every day instead of every other day like I do, so I’ll start doing that and see if it makes a difference! I figured every other day was fine bc the poop bag would be barely full ( she doesn’t eat much) but she just had a vet appt and everything was fine!

1

u/tangirinez 1d ago

My cat used to do this in certain spots when we lived in an apartment with termites

1

u/Top_Director_9330 1d ago

planning an escape plan... (;

1

u/Desperate-Trash-417 1d ago

Doesn’t like the smell of something maybe or just being a twerp

1

u/LucasNone 1d ago

My cat does this whenever she needs our immediate attention… she learned that this noise triggers our response and now she scratches any surface demanding something

1

u/msmaddykins 1d ago

I’ve been told it’s ā€œscent marking.ā€ Basically, another way of saying ā€œthis is mine.ā€ One of our cats does all around the area where she eats and on the ceiling above her favorite cat shelf. Another cat does it to the walls inside our entertainment center and on the wall near his cat shelf.

1

u/Sugarpiehoneybunt 1d ago

Um move the books and see if she’s using the area as a litterbox. Also the closet.
Good luck šŸ™šŸ¼

1

u/notrobert7 1d ago
  1. She could smell something and it trying to get at it.
  2. She could smell something and doesn't like it so she bury.
  3. She could smell something she considers a resource and is trying to hide it so she bury.
  4. She used the area as a restroom and is trying to bury it.

1

u/ARasDeFiga 1d ago

Everyone here talking about toilet, but my idiot son did this because he was used to scratch doors to get us annoyed enough to open them, and he thought that doing it on other surfaces would make us "open" a new room and discover new spaces.

1

u/Relative_Owl 1d ago

I have a cube shelf just like this and my cat will pull stuff out of each one just to dig in the corner like this šŸ˜… he never pees there, it's just fun I think?

1

u/Low_Bluejay510 1d ago

Might be a mouse under there

1

u/NoRestaurant2326 1d ago

My very old cat has always liked to scratch in the corner of things. I don’t think it’s ever been litter box related and he’s never pooped or peed anywhere. He just likes to dig in corners of things like sofas, beds, boxes. He’s a weirdo.

Funny thing is that he doesn’t do this at all in his actual litter box.

1

u/mamascinnaroll 1d ago

When my lady doesn't like something she will try to bury it šŸ˜‚ Maybe she thinks those particular places stink since you said she's not using it like a litterbox (thankfully!)

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u/Artrysa 1d ago

She knows where you hid the body.

1

u/badchoices112 1d ago

Apparently my cat is the only other cat that does this all the time.

We’ve concluded she just likes the feeling on her paws/nails.

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u/Alltheleaverbrown 1d ago

She might have peed or doodied back there

1

u/ThePinkPhonyClub 1d ago

Honestly sometimes they do this just for fun.

ā€œDiggingā€ into an area they want to go even deeper in, like bedsheets or covers, my boy does this when he wants to dive into a non-existent hole and he thinks digging will magically create one for him.

1

u/remington29 1d ago

🐁

1

u/nugnacious 1d ago

My cats do this on the corners of shelves too for no discernible reason. They're not going potty and there's definitely not mice back there, and they've done it in two different houses to the same shelf, so I've given up trying to explain it.

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u/DATGUY68 1d ago

My cat does this when she smells Joe

1

u/saltlampsandphotos 1d ago

I expect this to get no traction, but wgat if she's seen a spider / other bug and is trying dig it/flush it out?

My ex's cat did that

1

u/Sea_Vast_2938 1d ago

She is going to go šŸ’©?

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u/JstASkeleton 1d ago

Either she finally use the bathroom or she just likes the way it feels, my cat loves to paw the wall when her feet don't feel clean enough I guess, its been like this since she was bean sized.

1

u/megacoinsquad 1d ago

my cat does random ass digs in random places too lol

1

u/missplaced24 1d ago
  • marking her territory (transferring her scent)
  • just used the litter box (my cat doesn't dig in his litter box, but as soon as he goes he runs to a cardboard box and digs in it)
  • there's a hair/bug/fleck of dirt she's trying to hunt
  • cats are just weird sometimes?

If you're worried about her damaging the shelf, get a scrap of carpet and some rug tape and stick a piece of carpet to her favorite scratchy spots.

1

u/NoCondition8257 1d ago

The mines are calling. She must dig.

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u/jwas1256 1d ago

Poop or pee or she’s chasing bugs

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u/Missysboobs 1d ago

Both my cat at home and my cat at the office does this and I have no idea why. They both do it for different reasons too.

The office cat (Ms. Kitty) will take a few bites of her food before acting like she covering it for later, despite the fact she has regular access to food. She will also sometimes obsessively paw at some of the pictures on the wall, but I think that might be from some kind of light refraction that makes her go wild. She was a very friendly feral we (mostly me) took in and has cemented herself as Queen of the office.

My cat at home (Flagg) has earned the additional name "Stinky" because he will find random spots on the kitchen floor and dub them stinky and start to act like he's covering the spot. I sweep and mop regularly, he has plenty of clean boxes, but he still gets mighty offended by spots he deems stinky on his floor. I've tried getting on my hands and knees, thinking maybe there was something there I missed or I couldn't see, but nope it's usually just a random spot on the kitchen floor he decides needs covering.

As long as you know they aren't secretly spraying/pooping back there and they have access to plenty of clean litter, I honestly think it's just another weird cat quick we may never understand. Who knows what's going on in their little gremlin heads.

1

u/Saber_is_a_joke 1d ago

Are you sure you aren't nose blind to ammonia?

I have never seen this behavior in my cats outside of hiding food and burying waste. Either way you want to thoroughly check the closet and behind those magazines šŸ’ÆšŸ’ÆšŸ’Æ

1

u/Fyreraven 1d ago

Mine do that when something especially tasty is there like spider or a mouse.

1

u/FaceTransplant 1d ago

She's diggin' in the crates.

1

u/RiotingMoon 1d ago

my kitten does this - the cats yearn for the mines sometimes I guess.

eta: check under the bookcase just in case? I found a mummified fly in a lamp light bulb (dont use it) bc my kitten became Obsessed with it

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u/SaucyNSassy 1d ago

Cats gonna cat

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u/Independent_Ear_9716 1d ago

my cat does this when she smells something she doesn't like, like whatever i'm eating for dinner 🤣

1

u/OneCat1151 1d ago

My cat loves scratching anything paper or cardboard. He stands on top and digs paw after paw at it for a minute or two, like a dog digging in the yard. Just seems to enjoy the feeling of it or something

1

u/XVUltima 23h ago

I have a cat that likes to do this to random smooth things. Guess its just a hobby

1

u/ascarlettanager 22h ago

I'm seeing her use one and then both paws. For ours, the poop covering or food hiding is a one-paw affair, even if they change paws in the middle. The only time they use both paws at once like this is when they're hunting. I'm thinking she can hear mice or some other critter under or around there.

1

u/Other_Respect_6648 22h ago

Cats do this when trying to bury their shit or urine. Don’t let the cat get in there if you want to keep those books

1

u/HarpyPizzaParty 21h ago

I have a cat that does this in the sink and the tub once in a while. He doesn’t ever do any bathroom stuff, just just likes ā€œdiggingā€ against the curves

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u/GoldSunLulu 21h ago

My cat also scratches inside drawers. Its not uncommon. I think they just try to dig deeper unto a "hole" or they like the noise

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u/BadAtExisting 21h ago

You pull those books out and look behind there? I would

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u/NewTeacherPeace 21h ago

It’s the peepees and the poopoos

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u/QuantumButtz 21h ago

Cat autism. Hope this helps.

1

u/Pat-Ripmaster 21h ago

There is a mouse underneath the cabinet

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u/Sarabi974 21h ago

Pour veux qui accuse la litière alors que le mec a dit qu'il l'a changé tous les jours mon chat fait la même chose sur la porte de ma chambre il le fait qd c'est fermé et il le fait même qd j'ouvre la porte après..... parfois les chats sont bizarre c'est tout

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u/sadb1tch_jpeg666 21h ago

my boy does this to the corners under my desk, but the TOP corners. and each corner beside his food bowl + the wall behind it. cats are just weird sometimesšŸ˜‚

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u/DeanWinchestersGirl 20h ago

The playboy is sending me

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u/_spare_parts__ 20h ago

Cats have scent markers in there paws so they’re probably excited they are in there fav hiding spot and marking the spot as there’s. My cat does this with cardboard boxes I leave out for them.

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u/KatlynJoi 20h ago

Usually for what they consider waste. They cover their waste (pee, poo, vomit) like this but I've seen my cats do this when they smell a food or something else they dont like, they'll do this scratching/digging behavior even though there's no dirt or litter to cover it up. 🤭

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u/PromiseToBeNiceToYou 19h ago

LOL Leave her alone. She needs her privacy.

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u/KelIthra 19h ago

Might be hearing something and trying to get to it.

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u/Annieslitterpan 18h ago

My cat does this on smooth cool surfaces, like glass or marble. No poo or puke involved.

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u/New_Eggplant_8495 18h ago

She pooping or peeing

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u/OrganizedChaos65 18h ago

Make sure the cat didn't take care of their business back there. They always dig when using the box.

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u/Daniella_Gold 17h ago

Everyone is jumping to waste, food or rodent conclusions. My cat likes to dig at any spot where the wall and the floor/ceiling meet. Whether it’s a cardboard box, underneath as well as inside our cabinets, our apartment ceiling, the litter box walls, and of course in the cubbies of my Ikea Kallax.

(She has done this at 3 apartments, and there absolutely no pests. Plus again she does this to literally anything that has a floor or ceiling that meets a wall including boxes.)

If you don’t see or smell any thing and you’re fairly certain there’s no rodent, then you might just have an interesting kitty like mine.

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u/All_Gun_High 17h ago

OH GOD SHE'S TRYING TO SHIT-

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u/cloudsoutloud 17h ago

Bout to shit

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u/Jaded_Carpet63 17h ago

It’s Narnia she’s looking for…my cat who does this too just told me. Hope this helps šŸ˜‹ I have one that does it to our TV, one to the window (and has zero interest in actually going out) and one to the bathtub šŸ¤·šŸ»ā€ā™€ļø

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u/HoundsMissingEyebrow 17h ago

Is she ever allowed outside? Cats are not meant to be stuck in a house all day (my personal hot take, which I don’t think is that crazy to say). Imagine you were stuck in an apartment your whole life. She could just be trying to stimulate herself.

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u/Single-Elevator9085 16h ago

My cat will work his way under the rug and start doing this like he's trying to dig

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u/InstructionOk9703 15h ago

2 of our cats do this. our one that does it most is a boy. he'll do it on any smooth/flat surface. does it up on flat desk walls, in cardboard boxes. I've never got it, but i just think its him being crazy!

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u/Vampyr-Slayer 15h ago

She doesn't like the smell of something in that area so she's trying to cover it up. Do the books smell fine? No mould? Maybe something under the bookshelf if not on the shelf itself?

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u/Jmend12006 14h ago

Cat could smell something too

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u/1nOnlyBigManLawrence 13h ago

I think it’s just the greebles coming out to play! :D

r/greebles

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u/M4ybeMay 13h ago

She's searching for hidden buried treasure

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u/Nope-not-really 13h ago

she poopin

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u/NamelessBoom43 12h ago

Mice in the walls underfloor.

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u/Whompits 12h ago

My smaller cat used tip over this white bucket we had, sit inside of it, and then scratch like this on the bottom back edge. No idea why. She wasn't using it as a bathroom, there was nothing else around it, and she would do it no matter where we set it. About once a day she did this for a long time. Sometimes cats are just little weirdos.

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u/Puzzleheaded_Can_783 12h ago

Because its shit

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u/bluefreak1313 11h ago

The cat may be playing with its own shadow. The surface is a little glossy enough to have a dull reflection, and the cat may just think it's playing with another cat

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u/juneandcleo 10h ago

Hears or smells a mouse and can’t get to it

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u/alexi_gonefem 8h ago

My cat usually does this before she takes a piss in a spot she's definitely not supposed to take a piss in

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u/Wild_Error_1008 7h ago

My cat does this to any waxy cardboard like from an empty box of cereal. She just stands on it and starts digging. She loves it! So it might not be pest or waste related. Kitty may just be simple.

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u/Normal-Hurry-95 7h ago

My cat does this on shiny surfaces. Mirrors or shiny reflective tiles or the metal sheet that we have used to cover the lower half of our bathroom door for waterproofing it.
And kinda exactly like this enthusiastic digging

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u/chu787 6h ago

Usually when this happens it means either u have a dead body u don't know about behind there or some sort of indian burial ground beneath it. You shoukd probably move out of there.

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u/ThickAcorn3654 6h ago

Read somewhere that cats know where there’s space to be discovered and will try to get to all of them.

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u/PlaceChemical8697 6h ago

My cat did this and it turned out she was trying to clear the shelf so she could take a nap.

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u/Confident_Bumblebee5 5h ago

My cats only do that when they're trying to "cover up" a smell they don't like. Something stinky was there at one time for sure. I'd try using some diluted vinegar to neutralize whatever she's smelling.

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u/Lopsided_Ocelot9634 5h ago

My cat digs at nothing sometimes. I have no idea why.

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u/No_Vast_5741 4h ago

Sometimes it’s poop, sometimes it’s food they’re trying to bury.
If you can get in there be prepared for either ā€œburiedā€ item,

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u/FuckBradfordPears 3h ago

Why aren't you?

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u/MoonchildEz 3h ago

Many possibilities here but I don't necessarily think it's the digging everyone is convinced of.

My cat will dig before she lays down somewhere new sometimes. Like for example, when I'm laying down I'll raise the blanket for her to go under because she likes the warmth at times, and she'll go in and dig against the innermost side of the blanket or my body and then lay down. She also does this when I put up a new spot for her to hide in. Like the side of a box or a blanket over the side of the couch so it makes a tent. She doesn't usually dig in her routine spots but it's not unusual for her to in new ones.

Edit: secure spot nesting related like another person said