Will a Cat Use a Potty Patch?

Yes, it was. Marketed for dogs, the Potty Patch offered pet owners the hope of no longer arriving home to dog urine on the floor. Instead, the premise is that the dog will be drawn to the grassy-looking surface and thus do his "business" right there. The urine goes under the grassy surface and can be poured out later. Any poop can actually be scraped off, although that aspect of bowel elimination is not focused on in any of the advertisements I have seen. Perhaps it is thought too gross or potentially messy to mention.

So will a cat use a Potty Patch?

The simple answer is yes, because I have seen it happen. But that doesn’t mean that all cats will. My Prince Albert uses a Potty Patch on a regular basis. Here’s our story:

I met Prince Albert several years ago when he lived with the neighbor lady next door. Albert was used to tom-catting around, and I saw him frequently outside, sometimes in my own yard. When the lady next door, who was up in years, would end up in the hospital or rehab for a time, I would offer to go over every day and feed the old prince. Like his dear owner, the cat was also up in years, and pretty much a loner, I was told. Still, he warmed up to me, and when my neighbor died, I told her daughter I would take him in.

Whether it was Albert’s previous schedule and freedom to roam or his advanced age that caused his bathroom habits to be erratic, I can’t say. Prince Albert was about 17 years old when I adopted him, and that was two years ago. The poor old guy would pee on rugs. Rugs were his thing. So I took up all the area rugs and gave him a puppy pee pad, thinking it was rug-like, to use in the bathroom, which he took to well.

At some point, I began to wonder if the Potty Patch would work for the geriatric cat, as there was a green grassy-like outdoor rug on the patio that Prince Albert would eliminate on.Many times, I thought about shelling out the 40 bucks to get one. When I came across a brand new Potty Patch at a yard sale for only ten bucks, I decided it was time to go for it. Sure enough, the old cat took to it immediately. While that patch is on the screened-in patio where he stays a lot of the time, I recently bought a miniature patch to put in the bathroom for him where he stays during cold weather. These Potty Patches are definitely cheaper in the long run than pee pads as they can be cleaned and used again and again.

Just today I scraped the poop—yuck—off the grassy turf, sprayed it down with a garden hose, and hung it out to dry. Not a job for the grossed-out at heart. It’s a quick job, though, and not too disgusting for those of us who are used to caring for pets...or children!

So, yes, a cat will use a potty patch. I got the idea when Prince Albert was drawn to rugs and I needed an alternative. Starting from a kitten might be an idea, though. as the Patch would sure save lots of money on cat litter over the life span of a cat!