Litter Box Tips for Tripawds - Member Tips

Think outside of the box for recovery - low sided, easier access, a step up & out.

Calling all Tripawd Kitty Pawrents..

Does anyone have litterbox hacks?  Something that worked for you and your kitty after surgery in recovery & after recovery?  

Something that did not work for you and your tripawd would also be appreciated. Please add if your trikitty is a rear leg or front leg amp and the details. We have all been thru this let's take some guesswork out for the future trikitties.  

Please share in this forum. THANK YOU!

We bought a special box for recovery, and we could have saved the money and altered our regular litter box. We all learn as we go!  This is the Recovery box we bought.  We thought this would be purrfect with the low lip for Purrkins (front leg amp) in recovery.  It was not purrfect, it was still too high, and the lip came outward. It was hard for Purrkins to get in and out on his own without flopping into the box and out of the box face first.

                               Before                                                                                  

We made it more accessible for him by cutting the rim down.

                                   After

This did the trick for Purrkins in recovery. This box proved to be too small after recovery, and we went back to our regular litter box with the same alterations. Below

                             Before

                                 After

This works great for us. Purrkins brother quad Saxton has never minded the alterations.(notice big litter mat)

We used a Dremel tool with a cutting wheel on it, then filed it smooth there are no jagged areas! This is tough plastic you need power tools!  

If you do not have a Dremel tool, you could use Rubbermaid totes. They come in all different sizes and colors. Rubbermaid totes are more flexible and are not so tough to cut.  You can cut the Rubbermaid totes with a box cutter or utility knife, X-Acto knife, please BE CAREFUL & file jagged edges.

This is a tall example and great for kitties that pee high or scatter litter everywhere.

This is a newer litter box from Pet Fusion that has recently come out, and it looks like it would be great for tripawds.

This box from Natures Miracle would also provide easier access.

• Be patient Kitty just had major surgery, you may or may not need to tweak the box.
• You may or may not need to help your new tripawd kitty in and out of the box the first day home.

Some people change litter type after surgery, follow your Vets instructions of course.  We were not asked to change our litter.

I am a kitty owner just like you, not all cats are alike, but cats, in general, do not like immediate change!  In my opinion, only I would not change the litter when kitty comes home from surgery!  Enough has changed! Let's not cause any more stress with a litter change!

Be prepared if you make a litter change after surgery, to have what your kitty is used to using if there is an issue (kitty not going potty or going outside of the box) get your old litter out! ASAP

Other things to consider

•  If there is a lid on the box, take the lid off! (lids are a human preference, not kitty preference )
•  If there is a door on the box get rid of the door.
•  Make the box easier to get in and out of, by cutting the box, adding a step up and out to easier access the box.
•  Put the box close to where kitty is recovering, but not too close to food and water bowls.
•  A low-entry pan * - get a litter mat for the litter scatter or mess.  We can work around this issue!  A litter mat will become your best friend! 

*note - Purrkins can use a regular sized box without it being cut out!!
 Do I want him to hop out of a regular size pan (uncut)? NO.  
Do I want Purrkins to have NO problem using the litter box? YES.  This will put less stress on Purrkins remaining limbs as he ages. We need to think long-term with our tripawd kitties!  We took the spare let's protect the 3.

• Scoop often! Kitty may not have the energy to cover up their business at first.  No big deal they will gain strength each day.

After recovery things to consider are-

• Placement - low traffic area (privacy)
• Multi-level homes - a litter box on each level, convenient for your tripawd kitty - let's make things easier for our kitties!  If kitty is upstairs and needs to go the basement to use the box? You might be asking for problems.
• Size of the box - is the box big enough?  
The box should be big enough for your cat to turn around in comfortably - consider the size of your cat!
• Litter should be at least 2 inches deep not deeper than 4 inches (I keep ours 
about 2 1/2 inches)
• Multi-cat household one box per cat plus one !! We have 2 cats and 3 boxes.

If you have a cat going outside of the box, first rule out medical issues. Then start the detective work. This is usually human error most of the time & with detective work, time and patience these litter issues can be resolved! Sometimes we have to go thru trial and error. Educate yourself on cats and litter box issues. Hopefully, you educate yourself before having problems; sometimes we have to learn as we go either way, please don't give up on your Tripawd kitty!!

We look forward to seeing everyone put what works and what does not work here.  We and our kitties are all individuals and what works for one may not work for another! This is why I feel it is important to have more than one person's experience here. 

Please take a few minutes to add your reply when you have time. It will be much appreciated in the future.

Thank You❣️