The Old Man And The Pee Pads (Less Expensive Incontinence Pads)

Snicklefritz

Two of my older male cats urinated outside the box for the last few months of their lives. There’s a lot that can be done to figure out what’s causing this and deter cats if it’s behavioral. If there’s nothing that can be done to eliminate this issue, there are steps we can take to minimize damage done by the urinator.

What most of us turn to are housebreaking pads sold in pet supply stores. But if you go through a lot and have no end in sight, the cost can get to you after a while. I’ve found quite a few inexpensive alternatives. My biggest tip is that instead of buying potty training pads at the pet store, comparison shop for human “incontinence protection” versions of the same wee-wee products.

The ones I have on-hand at my house are:

• Disposable pads made by Tranquility, such as these on Amazon. You can buy this in large quantities of this brand and others for much less than puppy training pads at Winco, Target, Fred Meyer, CostCo, and various online stores.
• Washable underpads made by Becks and Plaidbex. (Available online from many retailers.) These are large enough to fit on a double-size bed.
• Washable, velvety chair protectors made by Invacare. (Available online from many retailers.) These are really soft, come in a variety of colors, and are about the size of a small bath rug. They’re the perfect fit for cat beds and small pet carriers. I place one in the carrier when I take certain critters to the vet because they always lose bladder control in that situation.
• Waterproof rubber sheeting (sometimes called crib sheeting). (Available at brick-n-mortar fabric stores and online.) This stuff looks and feels like soft white felt but has a waterproof layer between the felted outer layers. Since it’s white, it gets stained easily. Just sayin.