Why do cats usually cover their feces and urine?

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A Maine Coon longhair cat with cream and white fur sits beside a tabby shorthair cat in a garden with green foliage in the background. — cat Two kinds of domestic cats.

Domestic cats typically bury their waste in loose soil as a natural instinct to conceal their presence from predators and more dominant cats that might track them by scent.1

In contrast, dominant cats often leave their urine and feces uncovered or use urine spraying to intentionally mark their territory, signaling their presence to others. This behavior highlights why maintaining a clean litter box is essential for domestic cats, as they naturally prefer to avoid areas where their scent—or the scent of others—is already concentrated.1