Litter Box Strategies for Disabled Cats

 . You may reprint this article, electronically in free-only
publications in it's entirety in an Ezine, blog or web site.
. You may not use this article for commercial purposes without
our written consent.
. You may not use this article in Unsolicited Commercial Email.
This article can only be distributed in opt-in email lists
only.
. Whenever this article is used, it must include the authors
byline with an active link back to our web site.
. Courtesy copy of ezine or URL on web site is appreciated.
. Ask for changes you'd like made, if any.

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!

About the Author

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.

http://www.cat-urine-odor-advisor.com

 Nancy E. Wigal

More Articles 

The Cat Lady Answers Your Questions - Iris Townsend The Cat Lady
from David the Dogman Just this side of Heaven is a place called The Rainbow Bridge. When an animal dies that has been especially close to someone here, that pet goes to Rainbow Bridge. There are meadows and hills for all our special...

Ragdoll Cat History is Stranger Than Fiction - Louie Latour
The origins of Ragdoll cats are full of myth and controversy. This cat's history is often contradictory and confusing; some of the Ragdoll story is just not possible. Other parts we know to be factual. First things first: the Ragdoll cat breed...

Training a Cat to Have Likeable Behaviors - Tony Robinson
Cats can be very finicky at times. When you are trying to change bad behaviors, this can be hard. Cats will not always do what you want them to. When you are trying to change a bad behavior you need to introduce one good behavior. Redirect them...

How To Make Sure Your New Cat Will Be At Home In Your Home - Niall Kennedy
Buying a cat is a big decision. Do you have time to look after her? Is your home or appartment suitable for a pussy cat? Are there any health issues you need to think about, and are your family members ready for a new addition to the family? Find...

Training Cats with Nocturnal Behaviors - Tony Robinson
Here the problem the cat is up most the night playing wanting to go outside tearing around the house and wake me up in early hours of the morning to go out. Once I do let him, out he does not want to come back in and once I do let him in, he...

Training a Cat for the Litter Box - Tony Robinson
Did you know that you can control when a cat has to go to the bathroom and when they don't have to go? It is called feeding time. One of the first things in training a cat is do not feed the cat anything unless you are going to be home for a...

Training a Cat to Hunt - Tony Robinson
How to train your cat to hunt with out eating the prey Does you cat seem to be hunting all the time, pouncing on the toys as they were going in for the kill, raking their claws over your feet as if they are a piece of meat ? Hunting is a...

Dog, Cat, And Other Pet Natural Remedies - Joe Rote
Since ancient times, hundreds of thousands of known herbs and other natural remedies have been used to treat human illness, and unwanted conditions. Like people, today's pets are affected by the health hazards of pollution, poor nutrition, and...

Extreme Cat Urine Problems Are Preventable - Mike Taylor
Many times cat owners are at a loss as to why their cat doesn't use their litter box. Here are some great tips that can help you solve the problem. The litter box is the first thing you should check. It should be in a quiet, private area of the...

"How to Keep Your Cat Free from Diseases with This Quick Guide to Cat Parasites" - NS Kennedy
Parasites are organisms that survive by feeding off of other creatures. Among cats, parasites generally feed on the animal's blood. Detecting internal parasites can be difficult, but a close inspection of skin and fur is usually all that is needed...