Expert: Jessica - 8/15/2009

Question
Hi, I have two female cats, about 8 years old.  They're both declawed (was not my choice). My problem is one or more of them is fond of peeing on my laundry.  If it gets left on the floor, they pee on it.  More recently, they chewed up a garbage bag (in the middle of some heavy cleaning) and peed on that as well. They're confined to my bedroom because when they were kittens, their litter box wasn't cleaned frequently and they peed everywhere. My parents have tried to get rid of them, and I am the only thing keeping them at this house. I want them to stop peeing on my laundry, and I don't want to lose my cats. Is there anything I can do? Thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi Carley.  This is a common problem with declawed cats, unfortunately.  Their feet can be sensitive to litter, and laundry is a lot softer.  I would recommend to do some experimentation with their litter.  I have a declawed cat who was a rescue who would not use a litter box, either.  She would use the kitchen sink or floor as a litter box.  Eventually, I got her to use puppy training pads, and this was an improvement.  But finally, I got her to use a litter box when I tried Feline Pine Scoop!  This is a clumpable litter that is made of saw dust, essentially.  It has natural guar added to help it clump.  The odor control is amazing, and because it's so soft, I have found that even declawed cats with sensitive feet are more willing to use it than traditional litters.  

There is also a litter called Cat Attract which is formulated to correct litter box problems like the ones you're experiencing with your cats.  It uses an herbal attractant to lure cats to use the box consistently and guarantees 100% litter box usage or your money back.  You may want to consider kitten attract with your kitties, because this couples the attractant with an extra fine texture, which may be easier on their sensitive paws.  You can find a retailer at www.preciouscat.com

Try to be especially meticulous about keeping your laundry out of their reach.  An enclosed hamper with a lid on it should help prevent accidents, and without their preferred medium to urinate in, a litter box will seem like the next appropriate place for them to relieve themselves.

Good luck!