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ANef_is_Enuf's avatar

Why are there always spiders in the litter box?

Asked by ANef_is_Enuf (26839points) August 13th, 2011
20 responses
“Great Question” (3points)

I clean my cat boxes just about every day, but at least once a week I stir up a spider in there. Different types and sizes, but there always seems to be a spider buried in the litter box… and alive. It’s not like we have flies or other bugs, which might make sense. I’m fairly certain that spiders don’t eat poo… so why are they hiding in the litter boxes?
As if they aren’t gross enough, adding spiders to the equation seems like overkill. :\

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Answers

Moldychesee's avatar

Perhaps, because flies eat poo, spiders hang out there to prey on the flies. Or they may just like the atmosphere.

incendiary_dan's avatar

Some of the best places to hunt deer are near apple trees. I imagine some of the best places to hunt flies is near poop or old food.

snowberry's avatar

Do you have many spiders to begin with? If so, they probably wandered in. Some build webs and hang out there. Others hunt for their food on the floor. The fact that you have spiders of different kinds suggests to me that you have different kinds and they landed in there and couldn’t get out. Then a cat buried them in the process of covering their poo. It’s as good a guess as any.

I’m pretty sure spiders can’t smell.

tinyfaery's avatar

That never happens to me. What kind of litter do you use? Do your cats go outside?

Dutchess_III's avatar

Doo DOO doo doo. Doo DOO doo doo. (Wait…that’s supposed to be the song from the Twilight Zone, not a pun! LOL!! Lord I crack myself up, even by accident!.... Ooops! There I go again!!)

Seelix's avatar

That seems really weird to me too! I’ve never seen a spider in my litter boxes, and I’ve lived in apartments a couple floors up and on the ground floor (where I imagine it’d be easier for them to get in). I’ve seen the occasional spider in the house, but never in the litter!

Dutchess_III's avatar

It IS weird. Let’s all sing the song from Twilight Zone!

JilltheTooth's avatar

Another one who’s never seen a spider in an active litter box! @ANef_is_Enuf , there just must be something really special about yours….

ANef_is_Enuf's avatar

I don’t consistently use the same brand of litter, although we do use clumping clay litter. My boxes are in the cellar, and in a dark, dreary corner… somewhere that I imagine spiders would like to hang out even without the litter boxes. It just seems odd that they keep ending up IN the box.
I have seen a lot more spiders, in general, this year. I figured it had something to do with the weather… and this is the first time I’ve regularly seen them in the cat boxes. My cats do not go outside.

SpatzieLover's avatar

My guess @ANef_is_Enuf is that you have millipedes in that corner or some other basement bug the spiders are attracted to. Whatever that bug is has most likely been in our near the boxes also.

Some spiders build their webs, then rest elsewhere while waiting for their prey.

snowberry's avatar

It’s all sort of adding up to me! I’ve known many damp basements that have lots of spiders. They crawl up the wall, and fall in, or they drop in from above. Once in there, they can’t get out, and *litter*ally get buried when the kitties drop in for a poo.

Doo do dooo do!

tinyfaery's avatar

Scary. Any poisonous spiders in your area?

Bellatrix's avatar

[I read this as LETTER box at first]. Sorry @ANef_is_Enuf, never noticed spiders in the litter box.

snowberry's avatar

I’m guessing if you move the litter box away from the wall you’ll get fewer spiders. At least they won’t be falling off the wall into it.

ANef_is_Enuf's avatar

@tinyfaery we have brown recluse, but I’ve never personally seen one despite living here for 29 years.

Berserker's avatar

Er hm, weird. I have two cats, never seen any spiders in the cat box…or anything else in there, besides cat poop. As suggested, perhaps these are spiders that pray on flies. A lot of spiders don’t make webs, and get food through other means. I don’t know anything about spiders though, couldn’t say, really.

(never actually saw any flies round the cat box though…but they do get in the appartement when it’s warm, so who knows where they go)

ucme's avatar

Attracted by the smell probably.
I woke up this morning to be greeted by a big arse spider sat right on my pillow. I wouldn’t say I was shocked, but I did find out that the ceiling fan won’t take my weight :¬(

JilltheTooth's avatar

Set yourself up a spy(der) cam and report back… hee hee hee

Ayesha's avatar

Really? I have two cats myself, siamese. I’ve never come across spiders while cleaning their litter box. Where is it that you’ve kept it?

Wdfr426's avatar

I have noticed different spiders in my kitty litter too. Since many people don’t seem to have them, I’m thinking that I have a lot of spiders. They probably fall in and can’t get out.

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