please help

[Britt]

Hello, I have a cat named Tiger, He's a HUGE mane-coon cat.. he practicly weighs 30 pounds!!!! But he's a little discusting in the rear end.. His butt is always really messy and gross looking.. I don't know what to do... If someone else has a simular problem please help! post a message or email me at [email protected]. Thanx!

[neko1]

It's probably cause he's too big to clean himself back there. You may want to shave the fur by his anus so any fecal matter won't get stuck to it. And if he can't clean himself there and it's still disgusting, you may just have to help him out and and clean the area with a damp cloth.

[Karen]

Sounds like he needs

a) a bath. Wear gloves and long sleeves, bathing a cat can be pretty challanging, although many Maine Coons just love water!

b) to be put on a diet. If his rear end is smelly, that's a pretty sure sign that he's too overweight to clean himself, which is NOT healthy.

Even for a Maine Coon, 30 pounds is tooooo much! The breed book says they can weigh "up to 18 pounds" for a "large" male, and my brother's biggest cat - actually the biggest cat I know currently, Pippin, a probably Maine Coon or mix, was a couple pounds overweight at 20 pounds. (So he got put on a diet.)

[kitten645]

My Hobbes is a big guy too though the vet says he's not overweight. He sometimes gets poopies stuck back there. The vet said to use baby wipes to clean his bottom. I agree with Karen too.

[jenluckenbach]

I agree with the "too large to clean himself" theory. And the long hair compounds the situation. I'd have the hair trimmed away and kept short while you try to help him lose some weight. The shorter hair will help you when you need to help him clean the area. If the poops stay hanging around for an extended amount of time, he can get the equivilent of diaper rash. Raw and sore, adding to the smell and painful for kitty. Good luck with him.

[Britt]

The only thing about putting him on a diet.. is that he meows constantly when he doesn't get fed right when he wants to... he may meow for quite a long time. but i'll try the diet thing...

[Barbara]

Try it Britt. I know that cats can annoy you for quite a time. I always think they feel what you are thinking and that you are very close to do what they want but he'll be much happier, cleaner and will live longer. I wish good luck to the both of you.

Britt , some time ago my little Inka had diarhea ... . Not really funny when you know she is long-haired too ( we think she's a Main Coon too) . I did this : I cut the hair around her butt short . Is not really a beauty tip , but it sure makes the cleaning job much easier !! try it !

[Britt]

Thanx all! I'll try that!!!

[smokey the elder]

I had to wash my little foster Screech after he did his "business" because for some reason he didn't groom there. After a few indignant experiences he learned!

[HoRsELUvR]

if you wash his butt with a rag,make sure its an old and clean one.

[nsweezie]

My sister's cat Minnow has this exact problem. She was quite overweight at one point, but has lost a great deal of weight in the last year or so. Unfortunatly she still has a lot of loose skin which makes it difficult for her to clean her rear end.
The problem is compounded by the fact that she has mega colon and is on laxitives, which can create quite a mess! But while I would never say that she enjoys a bath, she has come to tolerate them.

[anoushka]

My Norman started having the same problem over the summer. He is a big boy (21 lbs) and has problems cleaning himself as he should (i.e. dandruff and acne problems).

I keep the hair around his anus trimmed. It has really helped! I haven't tried baby wipes, but that sounds like a great idea when all else fails!