Disabled Cat *can* Clean Himself, But Won't...

[Pycnogonida]

...until it's too late, and he's spread it everywhere.
Hi!
My cat, Merry, was born with back legs that aren't quite right. As a result, he walks and runs at a squat and can't jump quite as high as his brother. I've been told it doesn't hurt him.

When he uses the litter box (or worse, doesn't), he steps in the poop and gets it on his back legs and doesn't seem to care that he's disgusting. I've seen him clean his back legs, so I know he can do it, but he usually doesn't do it in a timely manner and it seems like I'm constantly cleaning up crap.
We are addressing his soft stools (no parasites, so the vet put him on an antibiotic and it seems to be helping), and it isn't an accessibility issue, as he can get into the boxes easily and I keep them clean. I've given up on trying to get him to cover his poop; now I'd just be happy if he would quit getting it on himself. We adopted the boys at 3 months and they purportedly came litterbox-trained.

How do I encourage him to have good hygiene before I lose my gd mind?

 

[5starcathotel]

Oh wow, I am so sorry you are dealing with this....and I don't have great advice.

I might seek a second opinion on his deformity....are you sure he has 100% control over his bowel movements? Maybe you can also ask in health forum.

Otherwise, I can only guess that he isn't any more enthusiastic about licking the crap out of his fur than you would be. On the other hand, many dogs would consider it to be a treat! (I did warn that I don't have great advice...)

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am guessing based on info in your post that these cats are not that old? Just curious. I am kind of leaning toward the idea that his disability has something to do with his litter box issues, and probably also the reason why he doesn't keep himself as clean as you think he is capable of. It could mobility issues, or even lack of sensation that drives some of his behavior.

Although not really trying to compare the situations, my Feeby has never been one to cover her poop, and infrequently covers her pee - have no idea why, I just live with it. So, your guy may never be one to cover the poop.

And, now that Feeby's older she has been peeing on her leg, and spreading litter all over the house because of it. She doesn't clean it off either! Because she also doesn't bother to clean her booty much anymore, I use hypoallergenic grooming wipes on her behind daily.

I am sure her issues are more related to her age, weight, arthritis; but, in seeing some slight similarities, I truly believe your cat's physical disability is likely causing a big portion of his cleanliness issues - some of which you just may have to learn to adjust to.

The only other thing that could be attributing to some of his habits might be the soft stools. Is there a time correlation between that and the poop issues?

 

[Willowy]

I wonder if puppy pads would be better for him? Maybe it's the act of climbing out of the litterbox that makes him step in it. If he doesn't bury it anyway there shouldn't be much difference as to odor. Give it a try!

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! I'm confused, why is he on an antibiotic?

I wanted to mention that you could consider trimming his behind, that might help a little.

If you use wipes, be sure they have as few ingredients as possible, and no chemicals. Pampers aqua, earthbath, or micellar wipes as long as they aren't laden with chemicals.

Mostly though I wanted to suggest a food change to help his poop be a little drier and less sticky.

 

[Pycnogonida]

Hi! I'm confused, why is he on an antibiotic?

I wanted to mention that you could consider trimming his behind, that might help a little.

If you use wipes, be sure they have as few ingredients as possible, and no chemicals. Pampers aqua, earthbath, or micellar wipes as long as they aren't laden with chemicals.

Mostly though I wanted to suggest a food change to help his poop be a little drier and less sticky.

The vet put him on antibiotics to see if we could get rid of the blood and mucus that I saw in his stool (which only happens occasionally, though he has had soft stools for as long as I've had him... About 2 months now). I haven't seen any since.

I have tried trimming his rear (and he's a mediumhair, so it's a jungle back there.) It helped a little.

Do you have any suggestions as to which food we might try? They currently eat Merrick Purrfect Bistro Kitten formula for dry, and usually just Fancy Feast for wet. I also tried mixing some pumpkin into their wet food today to see if the added fiber would help firm things up, so we will see how that works.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! Hopefully the pumpkin's extra fiber helps.
Keep trimming, the more you do the easier it becomes to do.

How old is he? You can use foods that are labelled as All Life Stages.

You could double check with your vet but possibly an addition of commercial raw might help as well, there's Radcat or Primal, because often cats' systems process it better.

Here are a couple databases to look at regarding food;

Cat Food Chart from catinfo.org

CatFoodDB - Cat Food Reviews to help you find the best cat food for your cat

 

[Elphaba09]

How high are the sides of the litter box? W Willowy suggested puppy pads. That may be a good idea.

Has the vet stated what is causing poop issues? Something must be causing the stool issues, and the cause needs to be treated.