KITTY STUFF - Caring for the elderly cat

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This article is courtesy of the Feline Advisory Bureau from the UK. Their articles are straightforward and, of course, humane and this one is no exception. According to my vet, an "elderly" cat can be as young as eight years of age and impaired kidney function can start at that age. (Our Christmas, who is about 8 or 9, has the very early stages yet Polly, who is about 15 or 16, doesn't yet show symptoms. BTW, symptoms don't show until kidney function is about 2/3 gone.)

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

Answers

If your cat is having problems with arthritis, this litter box might help:

Click to see more

I was in PetsMart a few weeks ago and happened to be there when such a box, missing the door and litter tray thingy, was marked down to ten bucks. I really like the space-saving corner design; this box is bigger than it looks. My oldest cat likes it because it's low to the floor and her creaky joints don't protest so much. I have a "litter catcher mat" outside the entrance so there's not much of a problem with stray litter granules. The regular price is 27.99 and when I have a bit of spare cash, I'm going to replace one of my other boxes with this type.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001


Do any of your cats know how to use the toilet, maybe even flushing?

I'm sure you would appreciate if one did and taught the others.

Mine goes to the door, and if no one is looking, she finds someone and stares at them and once in a while she even meows. Seems she has found her voice after all the car rides she's had recently.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001


Rambo actually taught herself to use Sweetie's toilet but after we had the new one put in, she got huffy and went back to the litter box. It's not so bad. I've gone down from five to four boxes and that Scoop Away is wonderful stuff. I've also found out that if I feed them "premium" food, like Hill's or Iam's, there's not so much of the end product. Truly--you notice such things with multiple kitties. Sweetie takes care of the most popular box; I do the other three. If you could just teach babies how to use litter boxes, I might've had more than one.

-- Anonymous, November 27, 2001

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