would you recommend "pet stairs" for an elderly cat?

[disney world dreamer]

he is going to be 15 next month and he's still hanging in there despite losing weight and becoming weak and in pain so i thought maybe pet stairs would make it easier for him to climb on and off of my bed.

if you would recommend getting pet stairs for my cat then do you have any links to ones that you think are decent but not too expensive? (trying to stay at $50 or less since i'm not even sure if i can "teach an old cat new tricks")

 

[Luvchefmic]

he is going to be 15 next month and he's still hanging in there despite losing weight and becoming weak and in pain so i thought maybe pet stairs would make it easier for him to climb on and off of my bed.

if you would recommend getting pet stairs for my cat then do you have any links to ones that you think are decent but not too expensive? (trying to stay at $50 or less since i'm not even sure if i can "teach an old cat new tricks")

You don't have to spend anywhere near $50. try eBay, amazon, as seen on tv, etc and some will have free shipping.
I bought them and the cat wouldn't use it and the dog it was really intended for couldn't quite get the concept. Maybe try to buy locally ( Petco, PetSmart, Wal-Mart ) so you can return it if the cat won't use it either.

Good luck.

 

[apirateslifeforme]

We also have a 15-year-old cat and she's been showing signs of arthritis in the winter the past few years (she's still VERY active, however). She's not a bed sleeper, but we have a little table in the kitchen for eating; she eats on the top and her brother gets his food on the floor. We haven't been able to get them to switch, so next to the table, we have a small folding chair and a set of stairs similar to these:

http://www.amazon.com/Home-X-Doggy-...F8&qid=1431000878&sr=1-10&keywords=pet+stairs

We didn't buy them, my SIL had bought them for her dog but the dog didn't use them. The minute we brought them home, our cat started using them. We're thinking of buying a few more for some other areas of the house. One thing we really like is that the cover is removable and machine-washable, so when she spits up a hairball on them, it's easily cleaned.

 

[Meriweather]

I would find something inexpensive to try.
Our elderly cat would never use any aid like that to get onto the bed. He refused, so just found a new place on the floor and we got some padding for there.

 

[Pea-n-Me]

You could also fashion something yourself to make it easier for him to get up to the bed, like a series of sturdy boxes or something like that. It's frustrating buying those types of things when the pet won't use them. (I have so many of these things myself!)

 

[Jaime4004]

I have this for my dog:
http://www.amazon.com/Solvit-PupSTEP-Plus-Pet-Stairs/dp/B000MD57OO/ref=zg_bs_2975332011_1
He didn't take to it right away, didn't trust it, I think. I had to teach him how to go up and down. Now he loves it, been using it over a year

 

[Happy Snowman]

We got some for our aging dog. She would not use them. I gave them to my step-mom for her aging cat, he would not use them. We found that using a padded footstool for our dog to jump on and then up to our bed was better. I think the soft landing spot helps but who knows. I think an actual ramp would have worked better than stairs for our dog and maybe Mom's cat?

 

[DizBelle]

These are what we have for sick cats, old cats, ittty bitty kittens too small to jump on the bed. ALL of our cats use them even if they are young and healthy.

http://smile.amazon.com/Animal-Plan...9718&sr=8-1&keywords=animal+planet+pet+stairs

 

[MrsDuck]

I too would be worried about the kitty not using them.

 

[pryncess527]

It took our dogs some getting used to, but they do use their stairs. It's been very helpful for our oldest dog who can't get on the couch anymore on her own, but even our puppies have taken to using them.

We have 2 sets, both just the cheapest thing we saw at PetSmart or Bed, Bath and Beyond. The dogs don't weigh much, so aside from attractiveness, I'm not sure what benefit would come from more expensive stairs. They cheap ones are sturdy enough in our experience.

 

[lorimay]

I purchased mine on amazon as many others have. I looked around and they do have the best price.
My cats both 14 use it to get on to the couch.

 

[mom2rtk]

I purchased mine on amazon as many others have. I looked around and they do have the best price.
My cats both 14 use it to get on to the couch.

Our 14 year old cat is still leaping to tall surfaces. I've started putting stuffed animals up on those surfaces to make them less appealing to her. I'm glad I read this so I know what sort of options are out there as she continues to age.

 

[FergieTCat]

When my cats got older, I put two boxes (one lower and one higher) by my couch and bed. I showed them how to climb on the lower one, then the higher one and then the couch or bed -- by patting the boxes, not climbing on them myself (!!) So, I think you could show your cat how to use pet stairs.

If not, I have wasted $50 of your money. If you don't mind the décor, I recommend the boxes!

 

[Muushka]

I have no idea how old my poor kitty is. But I do know that she was having a lot of difficulty climbing on the bed to visit me.

I took one of those $5 plastic footstools and placed a large square pillow over it. Then I covered it with a towel and bungee corded it.

The good: it took her about 2 minutes to learn how to use it. I think she thinks it is a new adventure.
The bad: It doesn't look all that wonderful, but it is in the bedroom and nobody sees it.

 

[rszdtrvl]

Our older cat always used our dogs pet steps.

I ordered these ones to see if my dog could use them again to get on the couch (he had acl surgery last year and now has a hard time using steps) but he couldn't so I sold them locally.

http://www.collectionsetc.com/Product/indooroutdoor-portable-pet-steps.aspx/_/N-n6ay

They are well within your price range.

 

[TaylorEar]

We have something similar to this ramp, but it can also convert to stairs. A ramp might be easier for your kitty to use.

http://www.amazon.com/Pet-Gear-StRa...=UTF8&qid=1431057473&sr=1-4&keywords=pet+ramp

 

[tasha99]

My cat has this one:

http://www.amazon.com/Armarkat-Steps-4-steps-B4001-Ivory/dp/B003BYQ0ZG

She uses it about half the time. She is able to jump on the bed still, but biffs it about 10% of the time.

 

[SharonZ]

I have multiple sets of these at my home and the cats started using them the first day I put them out. My beds are kind of high and even though they are not technically senior yet, I wanted to avoid any injuries.

http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/prod_display.cfm?pcatid=1386