How to Stop Litter Box Grazing With The Door Buddy.

Do you often ask, Why does my dog eat poop? Why do dogs (and cats) eat weird things? This disgusting poop eating habit drives humans nuts, and even cats get upset with dogs eating cat poop. So when you ask, How can I stop my dog from eating poop?” you’ll find the answers here. Read on!

This post is sponsored by The Door Buddy. I am being compensated to help create awareness about pet-proofing and kid proofing cat litter boxes, but BLING, BITCHES & BLOOD only shares information relevant to our readers. The Door Buddy is not responsible for the content of this article.

Puppy antics delight most new owners, but dogs eating poop prompts anything but smiles. My own darling Magic indulged when he turned six months old. He’d make a beeline to visit his horse buddy next door and find the nifty treats she left on the ground. Or he’d sniff out “bunny eggs” and indulge! After these nasty snacks Magic always tried to kiss everybody on the lips, yuck! Thank doG, he finally outgrew the behavior…

But many dogs indulge, and when access to the cat box provides yummy opportunities, pet lovers need answers. Urk! That’s why I’m thrilled to review The Door Buddy.

WHY YOUR DOG EATS POOP?

Dogs commonly eat their own or another animal’s droppings (coprophagia). This is typical behavior for mom-dogs that must clean up after their babies, and some pups may end up mimicking this behavior. It first appears in pups at about four to nine months of age. And generally, the dog outgrows the behavior. There are a number of ways to deter the behavior in puppies, discussed in my book Complete Puppy Care.

DOGS EATING CAT POOP?

For adult dogs, though, it’s not unusual for the cat’s litter box to be treated as a canine snack bar. That’s because cat food contains more protein than dog food, and as a result, feline waste tastes good to dogs. The nasty habit is not only unsanitary, it puts Sheba’s tail in a twist to have a dog messing with her toilet. Cats pestered in their bathroom look for another place to “go” such as behind the sofa.

Toddlers Play In (Yuck!) Schtuff, Too!

It’s not only dogs that investigate the kitty potty and hiss off the cat–and risk illness from parasites, too. Human babies and toddlers, just like puppies, love to explore and guess what ends up being tasted? Even if there are now safe cat litters for every purr-suasion, swallowed litter makes anyone queasy. Double urk! A dog invading the cat’s space also can make litter box training more difficult.

The Door Buddy is an innovative strap that controls the size of door openings.

What’s a caring parent (of two-legged or four-legged “kids”) to do? Enter the Door Buddy.

CLICK HERE TO READ THE DOOR BUDDY STORY

I already had a couple of ASK AMY videos on YouTube about the issue, and received an email from one of my viewers. Scott Johnson wrote to tell me about his product, The Door Buddy, and offered to send me a sample to review. I was intrigued.

The Door Buddy is a management tool that helps you control access to the cat’s litter box and/or food bowl–or kitty’s favorite room. Essentially, it’s a peel-and-stick low-tech and economical solution that installs in minutes. The adjustable strap allows you to determine the size of the door opening so that your smaller cat can come and go (and eat or eliminate in peace) while preventing larger animals–including babies and toddlers!–from entering the area.

Economical & Easy DIY

The Door Buddy requires no fancy installment and is significantly less expensive than pet gate barriers or “cat flap” and doggy doors that I also recommend. When we got Bravo-Dawg, I was concerned that his 125-pounds would bulldoze through, since no screws attach the strap to the door and frame. A very determined large dog could get through–but for smaller dogs like our current Shadow-Pup and those like Bravo that only require a reminder, The Door Buddy works like a charm.

Great for Multi-Pet Homes!

At my house, my Karma-Kat is a bit of a piggy when it comes to other pet’s food bowls. Shadow has taken to doing a paws-up on the counter where I feed the cat, and reeeeeching over to clean out the bowls (sheehs, there’s another use for me!). And if you have cats of different sizes, the Door Buddy works well to offer the smaller kitty access while limiting Jumbo-Kat’s ability to nosh from the room where she’s fed.

Do you have dogs that pester your cat during dinner or potty duty? Or maybe you have Mutt-and-Jeff size dogs that need to have separate feeding ops? I could see the Door Buddy working particularly well for multi-pet homes–but also as a boon to keeping your cats calm when the grandkids come to visit!

I love hearing from you, so please share comments and questions. Do you have an ASK AMY question you’d like answered? Do you have a new kitten and need answers? Stay up to date on all the latest just subscribe the blog, “like” me on Facebook, and sign up for Pet Peeves newsletter. Stay up to date with the latest book giveaways and appearances related to my September Day pet-centric THRILLERS WITH BITE!

Amy Shojai, CABC is a certified cat & dog behavior consultant, a consultant to the pet industry, and the award-winning author of 35+ pet-centric books and Thrillers with Bite! Oh, and she loves bling!