Monday, July 24, 2023

Reworking The (Cat) Restroom

In the past few weeks Jackson the Cat has had some litter box issues.

Most of the time there would be clumps of wet litter in the box, but other times there would be puddles of urine next to, and underneath the box. I never caught him in the act, but at 21 years old Jackson's not moving too well. Hubby Tony and I suspected it was getting hard for him to climb over the side and get into the box.

I poked around on the internet for adaptive litter boxes. There were a few, but they came at a hefty price and I wasn't sure they would work. Then I found a web page that had suggestions for senior cat litter boxes. One of the ideas incorporated the same model of litter box that we already had in the laundry room for Jackson! 

The box was designed with indentations on the sides. I followed the directions to cut one of the short ends along the indentation line so it was lower, then sanded the cut edges to remove any sharp edges. Not to pat myself on the back, but I think the finished box looks pretty professional.

 Jackson's been using it for several days, and all of the urine has gone where it's supposed to. 

Five years ago today: A Tale Of Three Pits

21 comments:

  1. I'm sorry it's getting harder for him. Wiggy having similar issues. Glad the pee is going where it should. Job well done.

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    1. With all the attention it was getting, the laundry room floor was the cleanest one in the house!

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    1. Isn't it? NEVER would have thought of that solution on my own.

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  3. Hmmmmm, just like we humans. Glad he's adapted. Linda in Kansas

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  4. That was a loooong video that basically said cut the side out. 😊

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    1. And kudos for you for watching when you weren't planning on doing the project.

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  5. What a relief that must have been. We had to put a cat down as she was afraid to use the litter box. I felt badly, but it couldn't be helped.

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    1. I know Jackson's days are limited, so we're trying to do whatever we can to help him.

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  6. Cats can need handicapped restrooms just like people. Glad you could make modifications for his elderly body.

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    1. I was surprised that 'handicapped' litter boxes were so hard to find. Glad that we were able to find an easy modification.

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  7. Another instance that makes me realize how limited information was (especially right at our fingertips) before we had access to the internet.

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    1. I hadn't thought about it lately, but you're SO right!

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  8. That's what I did to make Kitty's box accessible through the door. Glad to know of its additional adaptation.

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    1. And I hope you never have to make my adaptation for your kitty.

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  9. We have always used totes for our litter boxes and the last few years we have had to cut the openings a lot lower for our senior cats. It makes it a lot easier for them.

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    1. I actually researched totes, but couldn't find one that was the right size for the available space.

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