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I adopted Bob, a healthy community cat, from a park next to my HDB block in 2008. Late December 2023 when he was around 18 years of age, he became paraplegic and unable to toilet himself. He was fortunately still eager to eat and remained curious. Worried about Bob getting urine scalding, I bought various pet pee pads and human underpads/bed liners to see which would work better. For the past half year (till Bob’s passing in Jun 2024), I relied on both disposable and washable pee pads as well as cleaning and skincare products; and had a routine to keep Bob clean and comfortable.
Preferred Pee Pads
My favourite pee pads that kept Bob’s bum dry for a longer period (at least an hour) are:
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- Improvia Washable Underpad (34 x 36 inch) – I bought 2 pieces from Amazon at $40.32 which was shipped from the US. Bob’s bottom remained dry for a few hours. The con is of course the trouble of cleaning it (soaking/washing and drying), but I found it sustainable and cost effective to reuse it. I used it when I had to be away from Bob for more than a few hours. The material is also more comfortable and less warm for Bob to stay put in the same position.
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- Priva Disposable Bed Pad (30 x 36 inch) – This is available at Amazon at $104.44 for a pack of 50 pieces (also from the US). As this is the most expensive disposable pee pad at $2.04 per piece, I used it when I was away from Bob for a few hours or we were sleeping at night.
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- Assure Medical Disposable Underpad (75 x 75cm) – This local brand is available at Lazada at $20.30 for 3 packs (10 pieces per pad). At 80gm, it is more absorbent than the cheaper human/pet pee pads and Bob’s bottom is dry after peeing once. I used it when I was home and could check on Bob every hour or so.
The description of the other disposable pet pee/training pads and human underpads/bed liners on Lazada/Shopee or online pet shops often states that they are extra thick, super absorbent and can hold up to 4 cups of liquid. However, Bob’s fur got wet immediately after he peed once on them. They are useful for me to feed Bob his food and clean and wash him and his bottom with shampoo and water, while his bed below stayed dry.
For Bob’s comfort, I also got him the following:
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- Happy Products’ Happy Mat ($21 for size XS), Mini Tilam ($90) and an extra Tilam cover ($90). While they are waterproof, Bob’s bottom got wet immediately after a pee. I still like them as the material is smooth and comfortable for Bob to rest on. I used the Happy Mat for Bob’s upper body at night and lined a pee pad on the Tilam for Bob’s lower body. More information on Happy Products can be found at their IG handle (@happyproductsg) and website (https://happyproducts.com.sg).
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- Cooling mat for Bob’s upper body during the day. There are various types of cooling mats for pets available on Lazada and Shopee. I got the one without the feature of cooling gel as Bob bit/chewed on the mat/pee pad at times and I did not want him to ingest any toxic substances.
Cleaning and Skincare Essentials
I tried a few pet shampoos, wet wipes and skincare products on Bob. I did not repurchase the shampoos and wet wipes with strong fragrances (off putting for Bob too).
My favourite products are:
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- ATTITUDE Furry Friends Soothing Oatmeal Shampoo for Pets [available at Bud Cosmetics stores and online (www.budcosmetics.com) at $18]. It does not have any strong smell and does a good job in keeping Bob clean and smelling fresh.
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- APT.1022 Dog & Cat Green Pet Care Natural Dry Clean Spray with Marine Collagen (price ranges from $14.40 to $16.90 at various online pet shops and Shopee). I sprayed it on a wet wipe to clean Bob’s soiled bottom, as the scent is pleasant.
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- Shake Organic Pet Skin Cleanser (approximately $18 sold at various online pet shops) – I like this better than the few other waterless shampoo as it has a light pleasant scent and seems gentle on Bob’s skin when used together with wet wipes.
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- Shake Organic Pet Skin Cream ($24.30) and NHV All Clear Skin Ointment ($38)- I initially used 3M Cavilon Durable Barrier Cream (also applied on elderly humans with incontinence issue; at $16) but stopped doing so, as Bob could earlier lick his hind legs and ingest any toxic substances. I alternated between NHV ointment and Shake cream and applied a thin layer on Bob’s skin (especially his lower belly, around his prepuce/anus, hind legs and folds that were in contact with the pee pad) to prevent urine scalding.
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- Earthbath Tushy Wipes (Rosemary & Chamomile at $21.60 for a pack of 100 extra large sheets), NurturePro AG Silver Pet Wipes (unscented at $4.95 for a pack of 100 sheets) and Pets Truly Hypo-Allergenic Organic Bamboo Pet Wipes ($8.90 for a pack of 80 sheets) helped me to keep Bob clean and almost odour free in between intensive washing. I would add APT.1022 spray or Shake Skin Cleanser as mentioned above to the wet wipe when Bob was dirtier or stank more than usual.
My Routine to Keep Bob Clean and Comfortable
To reduce wastage, I cut the more effective pee pad (i.e Priva or Assure) into pieces (each big enough to cover Bob’s bottom and part of his lower body) and placed a piece below Bob’s bottom. Bob and the effective piece of pee pad would rest on top of a less effective but comfortable pee pad lining the bed. I just needed to replace it when it became too wet. The photos below illustrate the different pee pads on Bob’s bed and the placement of the pads and Bob.
I eventually moved towards intensive cleaning for Bob with shampoo and water once a day and the use of wet wipes when needed for the rest of the day, as I did not want Bob’s skin to be too dry and break/bleed with frequent washing. As Bob was immobile other than moving his head, I did not move him to the toilet/shower area to bathe him. Instead he remained on his bed with a clean pee pad (lower quality/cheaper) while I had a small basin of warm water and soft towel with shampoo to lather and wash his dirty face, bottom and limbs. I had another basin of warm water to remove the soapy water. In between shampooing and rinsing, I would replace the soggy pee pad with another clean piece and used tissues and a soft towel to dry his fur. The photo below shows the towels and big handkerchief used, which clean/dry well and did not scratch his skin. I would apply the ointment/cream on Bob’s dry skin.
As this intensive cleaning and drying would usually take me more than half an hour, I would do it in the day time or night when I had no subsequent appointment or urgent matters to attend to. It was important for me to feel calm and alert, as my mood and energy level would affect Bob. I also had to be mindful in moving/lifting him carefully and gently, so as not to accidentally injure his stiff back and limbs. He received my cuddles/sayang for being patient with me.
I hope my reviews of the mentioned products and my experience will be useful for those of you taking care of pets with similar conditions as Bob. Please take care of yourself too!
This article was contributed by our client, Jacin, who kindly offered to share her expertise on caring for her geriatric cat with special needs.
