Last Updated: 5 days ago
“How to make cat diapers” is a question cat owners never want to answer.
But some will need to know how to offer layers of protection against bathroom accidents.
I intend to make this painless by guiding you through the entire process.
You’ll soon know everything required to make usable, disposable diapers for your cat.
How to Make DIY Cat Diapers (6 Steps to Follow)
My preferred method of making cat diapers or doggy diapers is using an old t-shirt. After all, it’s a simple process that doesn’t require sewing skills or high-quality materials.
In other words, it’s perfect for me as someone who doesn’t know anything about sewing. But there are some things to know before we get started.
It will help if you start by choosing a t-shirt made from 100% cotton as it’s a soft fabric and quality material with a high absorption rate. It also needs short sleeves, so pinning the diaper together is easier.
Finally, make sure the size is correct and check for the cat’s waist measurements.
A Maine coon might require a bigger size, such as medium size, than other smaller breeds: most cats will be OK with a range of sizes between small, extra small, or newborn size.
Step 1: Locate Your Shirt and Set it Up
Once you’ve found the shirt, find a surface to lay the shirt diaper flat.
This surface needs to be flat for a much easier experience, so a table or the floor will be sufficient.
Step 2: Begin to Fold
You’ll want to start by folding one side of the shirt over. From there, the shirt’s bottom needs to be folded ⅓ of the way.
Meanwhile, the seams where the sleeves meet a shirt’s body have to align below the neckline’s center.
Step 3: Fold The Other Side
Nothing is complicated here, as now you fold the other side of your shirt. Next, repeat the process outlined in step 2 for this side.
Step 4: Create a “T” Shape
Grab the top of your shirt and fold it down, creating a “t” shape. Then, fold the shirt’s bottom in half, which will shorten it.
Step 5: Wrap the Diaper Around Your Cat
You’ll now want to wrap the diaper around your cat. It’s a simple process of bringing its bottom portion up and over the front of your cat.
From there, wrap the sleeves around back to the front and pin them together with fur-friendly fasteners.
Step 6: Cut a Hole in the Back for Tail Holes
Your cat’s tail needs some room to come out of the diaper. So cut a hole in the back where you’ll want it to go out of your cat’s diaper.
If making cat diapers isn’t practical for you, check out our article “BEST CAT DIAPERS” It’ll show you the best commercial cat diapers, even reusable diapers and washable diapers, available.
You can also try this method:
When Should You Use Cat Diapers?
Several health conditions and situations can require the need for pet diapers. In some cases, these diapers will be limited, and in others will be permanent.
Let’s look at a few to understand what could require diaper usage. It’ll help you prepare for a potential situation if one of these conditions starts affecting your cat.
Spraying
Many cat owners get quite shock when their cats start spraying urine around their house. I don’t blame them, as it’s disgusting and gross.
But sadly, these behavioral issues are relatively common and usually linked with anxiety or stress issues. It’s a cat’s way of “telling other cats or new people to back off without a direct confrontation.”
The issue often stems from an absent owner, new pets, or noisy neighbors. A dog that isn’t too cat-friendly can also cause spraying issues.
Cat Urine Incontinence
Urinary incontinence in cats is caused by several conditions, such as obesity, diabetes, birth defects, tumors, and much more. In addition, cat incontinence is “most likely to affect middle-aged to older cats and large cat breeds.”
A few indicative signs and symptoms of cats with incontinence: notably dribbles on furniture or floor, most lower belly area, leakage of urine, and genital area skin irritations.
If you notice any of these symptoms, please visit your vet before putting on a diaper. It’s best to discuss with a professional before doing anything drastic.
Senior Cats
Sadly, cats aren’t immune to old age, even though I wish they were. So their bodies will stop working as effectively as they age.
It’s not uncommon for cats to suffer bathroom accidents when aging. A common age-old issue would be dementia or urine incontinence, which is linked with inappropriate urination.
Meanwhile, blindness or cats with mobility issues can stop them from using their litter box. Age truly is undefeated for both humans and cats.
Diabetes or Kidney Disease
The diabetes rate in cats only seems to be increasing. In fact, many experts see the condition’s increase as alarming.
Similarly, CKD, or chronic kidney disease is a widespread condition among senior cats. These conditions cause cats to increase their water intake and more litter box visits.
As a result, affected cats regularly have urine incontinence accidents outside the litter box.
Bladder Infection
Bladder infections are another common reason for diaper usage. These infections come from a cat having bladder stones or uroliths in most cases.
Notable signs include frequent urine incontinence, straining to urinate, bathroom accidents, and passing blood-tainted urine. Again, if you see any of these symptoms, please visit a vet.
FAQs
Can I put a human diaper on my cat?
Putting a human diaper, such as a disposable baby diaper on a cat is a bad idea. Baby diapers don’t have a tail hole and aren’t built to fit the needs of cats. You’re much better with making your cat diapers, buying disposable cat diapers, or washable cat diapers.
What size are cat diapers?
The range of sizes for cat diapers is small or extra small for most cats. I’d recommend measuring their waist and locating options with adjustable waist size measures. Finding suitable disposable diapers shouldn’t be difficult if you do these two actions.
Conclusion
Making cat diapers isn’t a complicated process as some people assume.
All you need is an old t-shirt and some patience to create a suitable diaper to help with issues like feline incontinence.
But if you still have a few questions, don’t hesitate to post in our comment section. I’ll make sure to answer each one as soon as possible. Thanks for reading!
Have you tried doing a DIY cat diaper? Let us know in the comments below!
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Ben is an animal lover, blogger, and all around geek. He divides his love equally between his family, his animals, and his video games. In his spare time he is attempting to get a blog off the ground. Boy, are they heavy!
