switching cat litter?

Question

I had my cat declawed so I have to use the "yesterday's news" cat litter because the little bits in regular litter will stick in her cuts, she refuses to use the bathroom in it. what can I do

If I wanted your opinion on if I should have it done or not I would have asked. I am asking about the litter and ONLY the litter

Answer 1

My first question was how did you have the declaw done? Are there stitches or was glue used to close the wounds? Was it Laser surgery or "old fashion?" The only reason I ask is because of the 4 of my 5 who have been declawed were all a bit different. The last one was done with Laser surgery, which heals quicker than the original methods. My vet told me to use oatmeal...try that with 4 cats in the house. As long as she doesn't have stitches and isn't puffy or oozing, spread a little of her normal litter on the bottom and put the "yesterday's news" on top. Again, as long as her paws are healed, you should only have to do that for a few days, rather than 2 weeks. My youngest lasted 2 days with the oatmeal. Prior cat was shredded paper, which lasted less than a day. The important thing is to watch her paws and make sure that they are clean after she's been in the box.

To those who are "anti-declaw," well, I'm sorry to hear that but if my cats weren't declawed my house would be a bloody mess. All of my cats have their full defenses in their back claws and two of the 5 can still climb trees. Chill out! My cats are healthy, haven't had worms or fleas in years and are treated better than most children in this country.

Answer 2

We never had a problem switching litter...and never had to do it gradually. However, some cats are a little more particular and you may need to do this. We have six litter boxes set up around our house and because I'm part of a rescue organization, I use anything that's been donated. Even my adult cats don't have a problem switching. I say this, though, with the disclaimer that we only use scoopable litters...I've never used the gravel-types or the pine pellets...but brand of scoopable has never been a problem. Cathy

Answer 3

Hey sweetie. I've had the same situation before. There's couple of tricks you can do: 1-SAND. this will be comfortable on her healing wounds. 2-The scoop-able cat litter which is smaller granules. 3-If she still doesn't go, gently pick her up and place her in the litter-box and move her paw in a scratching motion to let her know this is where she should do her business. She should catch on pretty quickly after a couple of times. 4-If you think it is because of pain or infection that she may not be going to the box, don't hesitate to call the vet immediately.5- After she heals, I would switch her back to a regular litter. Tidy Cats (not the scoop-able) the regular. I've tried every brand out there and believe me you will hardly notice the box is there. It absorbs smells better than any brand name or generic I've tried.

Answer 4

OK place cat litter(very small amount on the botttom of the pan cover with full news paper then add the shreded paper, sprinkle a very small amount on it so it smells more ike litter and that may work.
Im against declawing but in some rare cases its a must. Also try baby socks and use sporting wrap tape(the bandage that doesnt stick to you or fur just to its self) She will hate it but hey its better than a infectoin in her paws

Answer 5

This is a tough problem! I once got a different kind of litter 'cause the regular brand & type was sold out, and boy was my cat pissed at me! He only went once that night after standing around for a while protesting, first thing next morning I went to another store and got him his regular litter. The one method I've always heard about for getting cats used to another kind of litter is mixing it in first, but you can't do that with her paws, that might've worked if you'd gotten her used to the different litter ahead of time but I suppose your vet didn't think of suggesting that. Try using shredded newspaper rather than the newspaper-litter and see if she likes it any better?

I wish you'd asked around on Yahoo Answers before getting her declawed. Many cats won't use the box after declawing, it's not only because I believe it's cruel that I always advise people against it, but also because it can CAUSE several problems -not using the box and biting are both very common in declawed cats. I really hope your cat will be fine after her paws heal and she can either use her regular litter or she'll get used to the newspaper type, since it's too late now to do anything else. But I have seen quite a few cats with behavioral problems, and in my experience litterbox problems are far more difficult to correct than scratching problems. Never personally known a scratcher that couldn't be corrected but known several that kept having 'accidents' all their lives :-(

Answer 6

Some cats are finicky about their littler. I've always found that shredded newspaper worked pretty well. I might try putting the litterbox and the kitty in the bathroom. She might still do her business outside of the box, but at least it will be on an easy-to-clean tile floor.

Answer 7

I can only suggest trying different types of litter until you see the cat comfortable with one. I guarantee there's something out there that will suit her.

You may also wanna try things like shredded paper or sand or soil. I heard soil works really well. Good luck.

Answer 8

Poor kitty!!! i wouldn't want to have my toes cut off at the knuckle then be forced to walk on hard pellets just to relieve myself.

I don't have a suggestion other than talk to your vet. Also i am suggesting you thoroughly research any unnecessary surgery you are considering for a pet before getting it done next time.

http://www.declawing.com/htmls/declawing.htm

I use a soil-like litter for my kitties called Rainforest Organic Cedar and moss litter. I love it; it's cheap, smells nice, is made from recycled/unusable products. But it wouldn't be good for a cat recovering from declawing.....

Answer 9

add some of her usual litter in it, just a small amount so it smells like it. It may help. Good luck

Answer 10

Its sucks that you did that to your cat! There is nothing you can do but wait for the cuts to heal...