My cat of 9 months has always been perfectly clean. However, after being declawed and operated, he stopped using his litter for about a week while recovering. Now, he's begun using it again, but he forgot he has to cover his business after doing it. This has been going on for about two weeks now. This is a serious problem because my husband can't stand it, and says that if we can't train kitty to cover it again, he will ask me to get rid of him. Any ideas??
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Since being declawed, cat stopped covering his poop
elise20
Jun 08, 2003 11:49 AM
Replies (2)
meow2me
Jun 08, 2003 01:13 PM
I am not sure why this is such a problem for your husband, but perhaps your kitty just needs more time to recover. He has been through a very traumatic time, so some understanding is in order. I am guessing his feet still hurt and that is why he is not covering. Give him more time. If it continues, call the vet. There must be a reason related to the surgery.
To avoid your husband's complaints, perhaps you can do it for him for a while! I am not trying to be sarcastic about this. I have a 3-legged cat and sometimes I see her try to cover it with the leg she no longer has - the muscles move on that side of her body but, of course, nothing happens. She thinks she has done it, but hasn't. So I sometimes do it for her. 
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ellen
PHMadameAlto
Jun 08, 2003 07:01 PM
Declawing is extremely painful and either the cat has probably started to associate the pain in his paws with burying his poop or he may be trying to show that he is boss because he feels vulnerable.
Check with the vet first and then try some different types of kitty litter if you get the green light. This may help if the feel is different. Also you may want to bury the poop yourself as previously suggested. If you can, carry the cat back to the poopy box, make a few burying motions with his front paws and then offer a treat. This may help.
Please give your cat time to adjust to his new paws. Many tasks that were easy for him now have to be relearned.
Good luck!
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