Litter Box Strategies for Special Needs Cats
by Nancy E. Wigal
http://www.stopcaturineodor.com
You don't often hear about or see information for special
needs kitties. These may be blind, very old (with limited
mobility), or disabled in some way. Disabled cats may be
amputees, or even paralyzed. There are special mobile
devices you can purchase for your paralyzed cat.
But this article will talk a little bit about the cat litter
box concerns for special needs kitties. Due to their limited
mobility or lack of site, litter box type and location are
absolutely critical.
If you have a blind cat, your best bet is maintain location
consistency as much as possible. When your blind kitty has
become accustomed to finding his cat litter box in one
location, the most successful strategy is to leave the box
there. However, if you have to move the box, you'll need to
help retrain your blind cat to find his way to it again. A
lot of patience will be necessary. You could even confine
the blind cat to that particular location for awhile, so
hell re-learn how to find the litter box easily.
You'll also want to think about the type of cat litter box.
If its too high to climb up in, hes going to get
discouraged, and hell find another, easily accessible
location to void his urine. You may even need to buy a large
storage container, cut out a "U"-shaped entrance (the bottom
of the "U" should be up about 3 - 4" to hold the cat litter
in the box), and train kitty to find it.
Obviously, this depends upon the type of dwelling you live
in, how many other cats and litter boxes are in your home,
and if you own a multi-story house. Consult with your vet
for other strategies.
Very old cats often develop mobility issues. If this true
for your kitty, you may need to strategically place cat
litter boxes in places you didn't previously consider, just
to make it easy for your senior cat to make it to the box in
time. Again, if you live in a multi-story house, you'll
probably have to place cat litter boxes on different levels.
However, if your senior cat voluntarily confines herself to
one area, then you may only need to consider litter box
placement in that part of your home. And just like blind
kitties, consider the type of cat litter box that's best for
your senior cat. If she has stiff joints, be sure she can
easily climb in and out of the box. If shes unable to squat
to urinate, you'll need a high-sided box. The solution given
above may be just the ticket to avoid cat urine odor
problems for your senior kitty.
Talk to your vet to see if there are any medications that
may ease your cats joint pain. This removes most of the
challenge of getting to the cat litter box in time.
Paralyzed cats face daunting challenges. They cant feel
anything back in that region, so very often their voiding
functions simply happen. I have had cat owners tell me that
the best solution is to diaper the cat. The downside is you
have to constantly check the diaper, but if it stops a cat
urine odor problem in your home, and you can keep your
wonderful, special kitty, that's a small price to pay.
You will probably want to make certain that your home has as
much tile floor exposed as possible. Carpet cleaning can be
costly, and eventually the material will not clean up as
well as it used to, making replacement necessary and costly.
Some cat owners confine their paralyzed kitty to one area of
their home that's easy to clean up. Consult with your vet on
the best strategy for your paralyzed kitty.
If your special needs kitty is an amputee, you may either
have a few cat litter box problems, or absolutely none. I
have met cat owners who tell their three-legged cat has no
trouble balancing in the litter box. Others report that the
only thing they need to do to accommodate their amputee cat
is to make sure they buy cat litter boxes that are low
enough for kitty to hop in and out of.
Cats that lose a limb later in life may have some initial
balancing issues. I recommend confining kitty to one area
with a floor that's easy to clean up, while the amputee
practices new cat litter box skills. Consult with your vet
for more ideas.
With a little bit of thought and preparation, special needs
kitties can as trouble-free as any cat when using the cat
litter box.
Nancy solved the cat urine odor problem in her home, and
kept the cat that caused it. Read "18 Ways to Stop Cat Urine
Odor Problems" to discover your solution.
http://www.stopcaturineodor.com
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