Cleaning the cat litter tray is probably the most unpleasant task of owning a cat. We all love our cats and talk about how clever and beautiful they are, but no-one mentions the litter tray. Why? Probably because our society is conditioned not to talk about anything to do with the elimination of bodily wastes, even from our pets, unless there is a problem.
Cleaning out the cat’s litter tray is a chore that often gets pushed to the end of the list, purely because it is smelly and not something that anyone looks forward to. And unfortunately in most households, it is left to mom to do this as the kids are busy at school, or doing homework, or are at sporting practice, or doing any other excuse they think they can get away with.
Your cat’s litter box does need cleaning at least once a day to scoop out solids and rake over the liquids. The litter itself needs changing every week. And if you are a multi-cat household, you really need to have one litter tray per cat. Which means more cleaning. And if you have a two story house, you really should have a litter tray on each level, and the job escalates further. Even with the best intentions in the world, sometimes the job gets forgotten.
We all know that cats are very fastidious, and they don’t like using dirty litter trays. It is very much like you finding an unflushed public toilet. You want to go elsewhere. So what can your poor cat do if the litter tray has been forgotten and it cannot get outside to eliminate? It will use an area that is clean. The cat doesn’t mind where the area is so long as it is not near its feeding area. Favourite places are the bathroom mat or bath towels left on the floor.
There are alternatives out there. You can purchase self-cleaning litter trays which will do the job for you. I’ve done some research on these and they can save you from having to manually scoop every day. I’m not going to go into brand names here, but you can purchase automatic litter boxes for your cat. The principle behind them is that they sense when the cat enters the box and a switch turns the automatic cleaner off so it can’t accidently start while your cat is in there. After the cat has left, they start up and sift and/or rake the litter, shifting the solids to a disposable unit and leaving the litter clean and odor free, ready for the next use.
Of course there are pros and cons for each unit. There are reviews of many automatic litter boxes online. This is where I did my own research. Most of the units I saw are covered. If your cat has never used an enclosed unit, you might need to retrain it. I believe there are some raking units that are not enclosed which will suit some cats. Some units appear to be more noisy than others. Some have replaceable cartridges which will be an ongoing expense. They will need to be placed near a power outlet and will take up more room than a conventional litter tray.
If it is you, the mom, who is left with cleaning out the cat’s litter tray each day, I would suggest asking everyone to chip in some money to buy your cat an automatic one. If there are objections, and there probably will be, tell them it is their turn to start looking after cleaning up after the family cat.
As our cats age, their bodies stop working as well as they used to. Just like with us. I’m sure most of us have noticed our grandparents needing more care as they age. Our senior cat needs to be watched more closely for signs of body functions not working as well as they could.
Kidney disease is something your older cat is at risk of. Sometimes it is because of changes in the kidney, and sometimes it can be due to other organs in the body not functioning properly. If the heart is not working at full capacity, there will be a decreased blood flow around the body and into the kidneys.
Sometimes the first sign of kidney disease is an increase in water consumption and urination. However, these symptoms can also be put down to feline diabetes and many other medical problems. If you do notice your cat drinking and urinating more often, lethargy or tiredness or constant scratching, any weight loss (especially in the muscles), please check with your vet as it could be due to the loss of kidney function. Your cat may also have a decreased appetite because of the build-up of the toxins in the blood stream. Anaemia is another indicator of possible kidney problems so check your cat’s gums to make sure they are still a healthy pink color.
Remember, the kidneys will start to lose their ability to properly filter the blood and remove waste products which will mean an increase of toxic materials in your cat’s body. Make sure there is always plenty of fresh water for your cat to drink. If the tap water is treated with chemicals as is the case with many local authorities these days, give your cat filtered or bottled water to drink. If you drink bottled water, so should your cat.
Unfortunately there are often no clear signs of kidney failure until around 60-70% of the kidneys are no longer functional. This is why it is essential to be aware of your older cat’s habits and note any changes.
The liver is something else that starts to deteriorate with age. Healthy liver function is essential for your cat’s health. It detoxifies the blood and produces necessary chemicals and proteins to enable the metabolism to function properly. If the liver is not working efficiently, your cat’s body won’t be able to detoxify itself in the proper manner. This in turn will accelerate the aging process. Cats can also get ‘fatty liver’ or ‘Hepatic Lipidosis’ if they stop eating for a few days. This can be life threatening so make sure your cat eats regularly. Livers can heal themselves but you will need to feed it a high quality high protein diet for a number of weeks and also stop feeding it any dairy products such as milk.
If you notice the white part of your cat’s eyes are looking yellow, contact your vet immediately as this jaundice is one of the main indications of a liver problem.
If you older cat is on anti-inflammatory medication for arthritis, be aware that some of these can lead to kidney and liver disease if used over a long period. Talk to your vet about this if you have concerns.
I also suggest talking to your vet about some probiotics to help reduce toxins in the body. Why not find out about herbal and/or homeopathic remedies to help your older cat’s kidney or liver problems.
While all of this might seem like a lot of work, looking after your cat and feeding it the best food you can afford throughout its life will help reduce problems when they get older. And looking after an older cat who has given you years of love and joy is a small price to pay.
