Our Litter Champ was featured as a brilliant solution to cat litter disposal in the Spring 2010 issue of Southern Paws & Tails magazine.

Millions of Americans suffer from one form or another of arthritis. It is a painful and debilitating disease of the joints. This is also true for middle age and older cats. Recently, Dr. Alice Wolf from Texas A&M University College of Veterinary Medicine, studied the radiographs of 100 cats aged 10 to 18 years. She found that 90 % of the cats over 12 years of age had some type of arthritis. In another study done at shelters, one out of every five cats over one year of age had at least one sign of early arthritis.

Sources of Damage

Arthritis comes in many forms, and can be associated with a variety of factors. There is no difference in incidence between male and female cats. Most cats get a form of arthritis which is called DJD (Degenerative Joint Disease). This is very similar to the human form called osteoarthritis. Precipitating influences for DJD may include a genetic predisposition, an infectious disease, an injury, gradual wear and tear, or some other congenital structural problem such as Hip Dysplasia or a “trick knee”. Very young cats are more likely to develop the type of arthritis called rheumatoid. In this case, the joint damage is brought on by the malfunction of the immune system. While the sources of the condition vary, they all eventually lead to the erosion of cartilage. Cartilage is the smooth tissue found in joints, which protects the ends of the bones from rubbing together. When this protective tissue is worn away, the bone ends come in contact. The persistent grinding of bone results in inflammation and pain!

Typical Signs

DJD starts out very subtly. It is unlikely that as an owner you may notice stiffness or an altered gait. Limping is rarely noticed because usually both sides of the body are equally affected. If you stop and think, you may recall that your cat has not jumped up on the counter lately. You may find that your cat may become more “cool acting”, choosing to stay in one place despite what activity may be going on around him. Due to persistent discomfort, some animals will have less fastidious grooming habits. Or they may start having “accidents” outside the box because they can not lift themselves comfortably over the edge of the box.

Diagnosis

Veterinary diagnosis of a cat experiencing arthritic pain focuses on excluding other conditions and, insofar as possible, definitively confirming the presence of osteoarthritis. Because cats are often stoic in the office and will not easily demonstrate how they are walking at home, the veterinarian must first get a thorough history from the owner. Sometimes a videotaping is very helpful! Next, we feel the joints and do range-of-motion tests. This approach is then followed by X-rays, which are done with pain medication so the patient is always comfortable.

Easing the Pain

Treatment is directed toward pain management and preserving a good quality of life. It is best to start by reviewing the cat’s environment. For example, we confirm that the food bowls are high enough and in a convenient location. Stools and ramps are placed such that felines can still happily get to all their favorite places Be sure to use a large litter box with a low entry point and higher sides filled with a finer-consistency litter.( One such box is the Lucky Champ™ Litter Pan which we have available at out office.) Our house calls are ideal for a full evaluation of your home set-up.

Medical therapy often begins with the use of a nutraceutical such as Cosequin™ or chondritin or glucosamine. Cosequin™ will work to maintain the structure of the cartilage in the joints while inhibiting the enzymes that destroy cartilage. After starting this product, it will take 4-6 weeks to reach maximum effect, but many of our patients notice improvement within two weeks. An alternate form of chondritin and glucosamine may be necessary if your cat has beef allergies. If too much product (as in a human dose) is given, diarrhea may result, but otherwise this product is very safe to use in cats. It also comes in tasteless and yummy chicken and tuna flavored sprinkles and capsules. Chondritin and glucosamine are also sold as seafood treats and liquid formulations. Ask us for details on how we can entice your kitty to take something that will ease his discomfort. If oral treatment is not possible, an injectable drug called Adequin™ may be the best choice.

Adequin™ can be administered by a nurse in our office twice each week for four weeks. The drug is injected painlessly, and only needs to be repeated monthly after the initial series. Although this treatment is more costly, many cats that do not respond fully to Cosequin™ will respond well to this alternative.

If the desired pain-free state is still not achieved, then the next step is to prescribe anti-inflammatory medications.

(Examples for humans only would be Ibuprofen™ or Tylenol™, which are toxic to cats.) Only in the past two years have this class of medications been made safely available to felines. The first drug made available was Metacam™. It is very effective (response within hours) and inexpensive and easy to give, but it must be used with caution in cats with kidney problems, so cats on this product must be monitored carefully.

In just the last six months a new and VERY promising anti-inflammatory medication has emerged. Duralactin™ comes in powder and liquid. Much to the cat’s delight it contains a special milk protein which makes it tasty!! Improvement has been seen in 7 days, but full effect is achieved in two weeks. The only side effect reported is some mild vomiting in a few cats.

In very severe cases of arthritis, veterinarians may turn to steroids or narcotics to provide immediate relief while waiting for slower acting medications to take effect.

It is also worth noting that cats with rheumatoid arthritis can benefit from grape seed oil. This product is a strong anti-oxidant and vascular modulator. Unfortunately, safety studies in cats have not been done, so this product must be used with extreme caution.

In our office we are also proud to offer Acupuncture and Therapy Laser to our patients as a non-drug therapy for all stages of DJD. For both humans and animals, these modalities have been proven to reduce pain and the amount of pain-relieving drugs that are necessary.

Since Arthritis is not a curable disease, early detection and intervention is valuable. The ultimate goal of any form of treatment is to keep your cat comfortable and functioning as well as possible for as long as possible.

Kristine L. Hoyt, D.V.M.

Cats on Call Newsletter, Volume 7, December 2005

256 U.S. Route One, Scarborough ME 04074 – (207) 883-7000

Thank you so much for making the Litter Champ!!  It is exactly what I was needing!  The design is wonderfully well thought out, and I especially appreciate the biodegradable bags.  I hope in your next model you will consider making the magnetic strip for the scoop go all the way around, making the scoop opening bigger, making the scoop itself bigger, and providing the option for the door on top to stay up while in use.  Thank you!!

Kathy Crespino

This is a picture of Precious and Princess awoken from a cat nap.

Dina Monroe

I highly recommend this litter box. We have an older cat (14 yrs) and she’s been peeing and pooping outside her old box for a few weeks now (it’s quite unlike her). We tried everything: scooping every day (making sure the box was very clean); more litter & less; taking the box top off; and all sorts of different litter. Then we tried this box and it solved our problems! As soon as we put it down, she went right in! And now we have no more problems with her going on the floor! I think the low entry, larger space, and shallow sloping sides made a huge difference.

Meg Redinger

Hi, I just received the litter pan and canopy – just love it.  The pan is nice and big and there is plenty of “head room” for my kitties.  I especially like the fact that light can filter through the canopy and the “girls” don’t have to enter a dark cave.  The lower front is also nice. They have ventured in a few place and have used it so that means it’s a hit. Thank you for making such a wonderful product.  I always disliked the covered pans made of plastic no air, no light very bad design-made for people not kitties.  Thank you again.

Betty Marszalek

I recently purchased the Lucky Champ Pan for our big boy, Indiana Jones (Indy). Indy is a Bengal and is really long. He doesn’t fit inside regular litter boxes without having to hang his head out the front, so I was excited
when I found your brand. I am going to order the cover next.

Thank you for your great product!

Jacque Burgess

I have recently purchased the Litter Champ to replace my Litter Locker system. Your system is by far better, easier to use. And clean and it looks find in my kitchen. Thanks for this product.

I recently purchased your Lucky Champ disposal system, litter pan and
designer canopy. The disposal is good looking and odor free. I have two
Ragdolls and your litter pan is both pleasing to look at and functional,
given their size.
The canopy is great except for one thing. The plastic clip that attaches the
rear of the canopy to the litter pan broke after only a couple of days. The
plastic clip, if it were made of aluminum would last forever and give you an
indistructable product. The broken canopy was replaced by the PETCO store in
Manchester, N.H. Thank You for such a great product.

I have 4 cats in the house and 2 cats in my cat condo and I have used
nothing but the lucky Champ from the very beginning of when it was first
made. I love the product and yes at one time I did have trouble finding the
refill bags but I had bought enough to hold me over for a year. Thanks for
making a great product.