Pet Gazette

It doesn’t matter how doted you are on your cat, there comes a time of day when his litter box needs emptied and you wish that he belonged to someone else! How could something this cute produce something that smells so bad?  Even if you don’t have a problem with it on a daily basis, there are times in everyone’s life – perhaps days when they’re all dressed up for a special event (such as a wedding), and the kitty tray still needs cleaned usually right before you leave the house! 

The quicker you get the mess out of the litter box however, the less time it’s likely to take.  In the case of poop, quickly scooping it out will mean that you don’t have to change the litter because it hasn’t had a chance to be soiled.  Be careful as you scoop though, it’s not like your pet insurance will cover the carpet cleaning costs if you fumble.Leaving the litter tray for an extended period of time on the other hand means that you’re likely to have quite a mess on your hands, and it’s going to take some time to clean up.

One of the best kitty litter box products is the litter tray that resembles a plastic pet carrier.  It has a small “doorway” at the front that allows your cat to get in and out, and is higher inside so that he can sit upright when he’s doing whatever needs to be done.  They are long enough to allow kitty to stretch out his paws when covering over his mess, but they don’t take up much more space than a normal litter tray as it’s little more than a normal one with a lid.  The beauty of these litter boxes is that they keep all of the mess out of side, and it also helps to keep the odours out of the room also.

If you really hate cleaning out the litter box however, you could take a look at one of those self-cleaning litter boxes.  Although not usually a traditional rectangular shape, these litter trays will “rake” the litter clean and the waste removed.  If you are often away from home, or taking care of home, family and work then one of these could be just what you need to remove one job off your daily “to do” list!

When cleaning your kitty litter tray be careful not use any products containing chemicals which could be harmful to your cat.  If you keep the litter tray clean, and change the litter daily, a little warm water should be enough to keep it fresh.

As if it wasn’t bad enough knowing that your beloved cat is sick and needs medication in order to become healthy again, you also find out that the medication is in tablet format and you’re expected to get it into your cat’s system – somehow.  Not the best of days!  However there are a number of strategies that you can use in order to get the needed medication into even the most anti-pill cat.

1.       Crush it!  This is by far the easiest technique to use, and if it works, you’re set!  If it’s a capsule, open the cap and sprinkle it amongst your cat’s food.  If it’s a hard pill, place it on a metal spoon and crush with the underside of another metal spoon.  Mix the powder with your cat’s food.  This works much better with moist cat food, but you could also try giving your cat and putting it in something like a small portion of tinned tuna fish so that the cat is more likely to eat it at one time and not chance letting the food go stale and uneaten.  Using this method it’s important that the meal containing the medication is completely eaten so that you are sure the cat has had the right dosage. 

2.      Use a device such as pet piller. If you anticipate problems getting tablets into your cat, you should ask your veterinary if they can tell you where to obtain one.  This device will hold the pill on plastic rods, and once you get the piller into your cat’s mouth, you press the plunger down to release the pill, and then quickly remove the device.  You’re going to have to make sure you have a firm grip on him before you start otherwise his wriggling is going to make placing the pet piller in his mouth almost impossible.   

3.      Determination and strength!  Use a towel and wrap it gentle around your cat so that his legs are confined and he’s not able to scratch you.  Gentle tilt his head backwards and encourage him to open his mouth.  You can do this by tickling him under the chin, or gently blowing across (not into!) his nose, or even letting him sniff a treat so that he licks his lips.  Be ready for action because once he opens it, he won’t keep his mouth open for long!  As soon as his mouth opens, drop the pill in as far back as you can, then close his mouth and rub his chin gently until he swallows.  Once he swallows, the pill ought to be gone so give him a treat and then put him on the floor before taking the towel off him.  You’ll get a look of distain rather than gratitude for helping him get well, but at least the medication will be in him!

If you find that despite everything you try, your cat still refuses to take his pills, then call your veterinary clinic within 1-2 days and ask if the medication be changed to a different format as you’re finding it impossible to get your cat to digest the pills!