Should I Use Cat Diapers?
Cat Diapers are a great product that has many amazing uses for kittens and cats a lot. These are best suited for cats that has issues with Incontinence.
Incontinence is a fairly common problem among sick and elderly cats. Unfortunately, it often results in frequent clean-ups for you, and significant discomfort for your pet.
However, there are solutions—one of the best being cat diapers.
Cat Incontinence
What is Cat Incontinence?
Incontinence in cats is just a fancy way of saying your cat has accidents. Most of the time, they have accidents because they can’t help it.
Either they don’t have control of their bladder or have a hard time holding it in when they do have to use the bathroom.
Cat incontinence can be caused by many conditions (such as obesity or bladder stones), and even illnesses or old age.
This makes it all the more important for you to be ready to make your cat’s well-being a priority, as it will be a process. Keep in mind that, despite the use of cat diapers, you still want to air your cat’s behind out to prevent infection. This should only be done when you have time to watch your cat, or when your cat is in a place where it is not harmful for them to have accidents.
Diapers are a great solution to deal with incontinence, especially if you don’t have the time to carpet clean all day, every day.
As with anything, diapers have their pros and cons. Before we get into important considerations, however, it’s necessary to review the kinds of diapers available for your cat.
>> Need To Remove Cat Urine From Your Home? Learn More Here!
Different Types of Cat Diapers
There are three common types of cat diapers that I have found thus far. Those are disposable, cloth, and cat wraps. Let’s go into more detail about each of these.
Disposable
Disposable diapers are great of those who don’t have time to wash diapers every day. (Or for those who really don’t want to).
These single-use diapers are effective because they’re usually adjustable and can go straight in the trash afterwards, allowing you to forego the washing process.
As with baby diapers, though, the cost can add up. Rather than paying for only a handful of diapers one time, you have to continue to buy diapers and make sure you always have enough for your fur-baby!
It can be stressful to make sure you always have the diapers on hand…but for any momma’s out there, you understand and probably have a great system already in place.
Note: if you are buying diapers on Amazon, you can also do the subscribe and save option. Then you don’t have to remember to order diapers…they just come in the mail every month, or however often you decide to get them sent to you.
Cloth
Cloth diapers are a great option for cats. These washable, eco-friendly diapers will be softer on your cat’s bottom, making them way more comfortable. However, they may be a tad more difficult to adjust to your pet, and you will need to wash them regularly to prevent rashes.
You also want to make sure you have enough cloth diapers to cover washing time. You don’t want to only have two cloth diapers. If you have one in the wash and one on your cat, and they have an accident you’re in trouble until the laundry is done.
If you keep a decent number of cloth diapers around, and remember to wash them however often you need to, they are a great, cute, and affordable way to take care of your kitties problem, without breaking the bank.
Wraps
Cat Wraps are actually my favorite option for cats. This is because they only cover part of your cat, and don’t cover your cat’s bottom. This means that they are solely for urine. Which for most cats is the biggest problem cat owners have. Wraps can come in both cloth and disposable and tend to be more comfortable for the cats.
Because they are less restrictive, it is normally easier to train cats to get used to them.
However, these cat diapers won’t work for your household if your cat has bowel problems as well.
If they do, you will want to stick with one of the first two options.
Positives of Cat Diapers
Let’s start by talking about the positives and negatives for cat diapers.
The positives are fairly obvious. First, they keep your home clean. They keep your cat from making a mess everywhere, which can cause confident issues in cats… and adds work onto your life having to clean it up.
Second, cat diapers allow your cat to regain his independence and urinate more frequently and comfortably, preventing him from getting infections. This will also save you in vet bills in the future.
For cats with weak rear legs, either from paralysis or old age, diapers are a saving grace. Cats with these problems tend to scoot around on their bottoms, so diapers lend them a layer of protection that keeps them from getting rug burn.
Diapers are also great for cats that scoot around, because they keep bacteria off the floor from entering the urethra and causing a Urinary Tract Infection (UTI). A UTI is the last thing your cat needs, as it will only further his incontinence issues and increase his discomfort.
Therefore, cat diapers are not only a good choice for incontinent pets, but for immobile pets that tend to scoot around.
Finally, cat diapers are great for cats that really just need trained. Male cats (and females cats) have a tendency to spray. Cats spray as a way to mark their territory.
Basically, cat diapers can be a great training technique for cat owners to stop their cats from spraying before it gets worse and ruins your house.
Negatives of Cat Diapers
The positives of cat diapers are fairly obvious. Now let’s talk about the not so fun part, the negatives of cat diapers.
Up until this point, it may be thinking, ‘Cat diapers all the way!” They are the best thing to be invented. And while they are great, they are not perfect. They can seriously change your cat’s disposition toward his condition, and improve their quality of life.
However, some cats are not always cooperative, making placing them in a diaper considerably difficult.
Sneaky cats can also figure out how to get out of their diaper, so you need to make sure you put this diaper on your fur-baby. For this reason, it’s important to be as calm and gentle as possible when approaching your cat to replace their diapers.
How To Change Your Cat’s Diaper
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- Cradling your cat like a baby, slide their tail through the diaper hole first.
- Then, bring the bigger side of the diaper between the hind legs and under the stomach. For long-haired cats, this part can be extremely hard, so be patient and give it a few tries.
- Place the shorter side over his back and bring both sides together, securing them with the hooks/clips/tabs that might come with the diaper. Try to avoid holding your cat firmly in place or using excessive force. This will only make your cats more stressed out and make the entire diaper changing process stressful.
- Note that cats with tails might have a harder time squeezing into diapers. For these cats (and cats with fused legs), turning the diaper sideways will ensure coverage, while still keeping it relatively comfortable.
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It is also important to remember that not all cats will like diapers. And even fewer will like them to start out with. They can be irritating, and can take some getting used to.
Alternate between disposable, wraps and cloth diapers to see which one your cat better adapts to, and test out various brands before settling on the right one.
Final Verdict: Should You Use Diapers On Your Cat?
Cat diapers are great solutions for many cat urine related problems.
They are not a quick fix, although they may seem to be. You want to make sure you slowly train your cats on being okay with having a diaper on.
One final thing to note is that keeping the diaper in place could be the biggest challenge of all. At first, your cat might try to wiggle, claw, and bite the diaper off. Remember that a cat is a naturally anxious creature, one that will barely tolerate having a hat on his head, much less an entire wrap around half his body.
Like everything with cats, patience will be your greatest friend.