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Litter Box Strategies for Disabled Cats
Cats
that are blind, partially paralyzed, have a missing limb, or very
old
can develop litter box problems that affect you as well as them.
Owning
one of these special kitties is challenging, but you can
develop
solutions to work around cat litter box issues.
This
article will touch upon some of the cat litter box issues and
corresponding
solutions you can implement for your blind, paralyzed,
amputee,
or very old cat.
Blind
cats:
If
you have owned kitty for a long time and her vision fades, it is
critical
that you keep her surroundings as static as possible. She
will
continue to navigate her way around by memory, and it's vitally
important
that her cat litter boxes remain fixed in her memory. This
doesn't
mean there won't be accidents, but you can eliminate the
possibility
by maintaining her cat litter box location.
You
can also develop a system where you keep her confined to a room
with
her food, water, litter box, and toys when you're out of your
home.
This way, she's in familiar surroundings with all her
essentials.
If she does have an out of litter box experience, it's
confined
to one room. When you're home and can monitor her wanderings,
she
has the freedom to travel around the entire house without getting
into
too many difficulties.
Please
stay in close contact with your kitty vet if you have a blind
cat.
She can suggest more ideas and processes to help you and your kitty.
Partially
paralyzed cats:
Some
cat owners will opt to keep their partially paralyzed kitty
alive.
This is a personal choice made in coordination with the cat's
vet.
Paralyzed kitties have absolutely no control over their
elimination
functions, so the feline owner is faced with a constant
task
of cleaning up the mess and the cat.
Again,
close owner supervision will be necessary. If the cat moves
around
the house quite a bit, the feline owner will need to inspect
the
home several times a day to discover and clean up cat urine stains
and
feces. Conversely, the paralyzed kitty can be given a room of her
own,
with her food, water, toys, and possibly some cat litter on the
floor,
contained by a very low box, or on a protective piece of
plastic.
It's possible the kitty will be in the vicinity of the cat
litter
if her system eliminates cat urine or feces.
Your
vet and you can further consult on additional techniques and
solutions.
One such solution is learning to express your cat's bladder
to
cut down on the number of cat urine puddles you will find in your
home.
Missing
a limb:
Cats
who are amputees will want to do the right thing by using the cat
litter
box, but due to limited mobility, may get frustrated and use
the
floor. They lose the ability to scratch at the cat litter to cover
their
production, as well as maintaining balance while eliminating waste.
You
can find a plastic storage bin that has high sides. On one or both
ends,
cut a "U" shaped opening so that the bottom of the "U" is about
two
inches from the container bottom. This will help the amputee kitty
get
in and out of the modifiied cat litter box easily.
You
may wish to consider confining your special kitty when you're not
home
to cut down the number of places to find cat urine and feces
spots.
Give her a nice room with her favorite food, clean water, toys,
and
a clean cat litter box that she can easily hop in and out of.
Consult
with your vet. She may have experience with other feline
patients
and can pass on "lessons learned" to you.
Very
old, or senior kitties:
One
of the most frequent problems for senior kitties is they can
develop
confusion and dementia. The cat then forgets where her litter
box
is located, and finds the nearest convenient place to eliminate.
Another
very frequent health issue for old cats is stiffness in their
joints,
which can limit their mobility.
If
their cat litter box is far away, or is in a now-inaccessible
location,
kitty will once again develop her own cat litter box
location
that is more convenient.
In
these cases, keep more litter boxes available, and limit your cat's
traveling
distance. For example, if your cat starts voluntarily
confining
herself to one particular part of your home, put a cat
litter
box nearby. You may also have to change the type of cat litter
box
you're using, if it's too difficult for her to get in and out of.
Once
again, your local kitty vet may will have more solutions to
discuss
with you.
If
you have one of these special kitties, it's essential that you keep
a
good enzyme cleaner in stock at all times to quickly and efficiently
clean
up cat urine and feces spots. Good luck, and bless you!
Nancy
E. Wigal
http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com
Nancy
has successfully eliminated cat urine odor from her home, and
kept
the kitty that caused it. The Cat Urine Odor Advisor helps you
save
money and stop the damage in your household by offering solutions
that
work together to eliminate cat urine odor from your home.
Subscribe
to the Cat Urine Odor Solutions newsletter, and I'll send
you
my free report "Four Important Litter Box Basics For Your New
Kitten."
Start your new addition to the family off right, and never
have
a cat urine odor problem!
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