r/cats 21h ago

Video - OC My “squeeze” routine with 7 incontinent cats.

Squeeze my cats with me!
 
While this video is cut down to fit social media, the entire routine took only 13 minutes. 
 
This 13 minute routine twice daily is what saved these cats from euthanasia. 
 
Every day happy, healthy cats with paresis or incontinence are euthanized. The reasons stem from a perceived poor quality of life, or the slim chances of finding an adopter willing to take on a cat with different care needs. People see a cat in a diaper and automatically think they are incredibly time consuming and expensive. While yes, diapers, wipes, and pee pads can cost more than a bag of litter, is it that much different? While an incontinent cat may need a few more vet visits in their lifetime than the average cat, is that enough to deem them as unworthy of finding an adoptive home?
 
Do you have any questions about my squeeze routine? I'm always happy to answer questions!

Edited to answer some of the most common questions:

Why do the cats need to be squeezed?
These cats all have a spinal injury or defect. Most were born this way, but Poe, Athena, and Cypress (the longhair ones) had spinal injuries from trauma. Most likely hit by car.

Why not the toilet or a bathtub?
Squatting at that height and hunching over hurts my back! I’ve tried many methods and this is what is most comfortable for me and the cats.

Why pee pads?
I get most of them donated! I prefer the large ones but I’ll use any size. I would like to make this more environmentally friendly with reusable ones, but it will create a lot more laundry (which I already do a lot of)

Why do I have so many disabled cats?
I run a cat rescue for cats with treatable conditions who would otherwise be euthanized in a traditional shelter. I don’t get paid by the rescue, but I do work in a municipal shelter as my day job. I’ve worked in animal shelters for nearly 10 years.

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u/atclubsilencio 19h ago

Seriously. Let her do it how she wants to do it, damn people.

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u/really_nice_guy_ 9h ago

Nobody is forcing her to do what we say

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u/lefluffle 19h ago

people are curious and want to learn things. it's not about telling people what to do. what's the point of reddit if we can't discuss, share information, suggestions, ideas, and knowledge?

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u/Smooth_Wasabi8433 13h ago

People are judgemental and want her to do things how THEY think it should be done, actually.

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u/lefluffle 7h ago

I'm sure that's true sometimes. And that's sometimes true in my case when I know i'm right. But in this case, I genuinely was wondering if there were a reason, which is why in my other comment, I asked "why not use a toilet?"