yucky question for overweight cats

[shais_mom]

OK, so Kylie is a little pudgy.
She has trouble cleaning around her anal area and tail. I try to comb/brush this area out when I see she has 'ahem' residue left over. But she doesn't like that. I alone can't keep the area trimmed or shaved b/c I can't hold her and do it.
Should I just keep trying to keep it combed? She doesn't hold still well enough when I bathe her either.


Don't let your cats get fat!!!

[catlover4ever]

My Mystic is overweight as well, she does her best but does not always manage to clean herself properly.

This will sound like it is mean, but I DO NOT HURT her by doing this.

I use my left hand to grip her face and then cradle her head close to my stomach/chest area. With my right hand I either comb her back area of if she is a little messy, I take a warm face cloth and clean her. She of course does not like to be handled like that but it is the only way I can handle her by myself and get her cleaned at the same time.

I would keep trying to keep her combed...she may get used to you doing it and will maybe tolerate you cleaning her after a while.

[RedHedd]

Mitzi is round too and has trouble reaching that area. I do like catlover4ever, and gently try to comb and brush the *ahem* residue off. She HATES being brushed, combed or picked up, so it's a bit of a struggle. Also, she's SO round it's hard to keep a grip on her

She has lost a teeny bit of weight on a reduced calorie diet and is grooming that area bit more by herself, but occasionally I have to help her. I LOVE my little pudglet!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

You might consider taking her to a groomer and have them shave those parts back there. That way there won't be anything for the 'residue' to stick to. Otherwise, there is always the old "put the cat in a sleeve of an old sweatshirt" tactic. I think SAS was the one that I first head this from for pilling purposes. The only thing is you'd have to cover her head instead of her body and legs, and you'd have to make sure she could get air while you're doing your thing.

Tubby every now and then has 'residue' but I mostly try and brush that part just because he doesn't let me do it enough to get it done good, and even though he's a short hair cat, he gets lumpy back there sometimes and needs to be brushed. This new shedding comb thing is slowly doing the trick though, and getting all that excess hair out of the way, which should help in the 'residue' dept. too.

Good luck, and I assume you've got her on some sort of "lite" or low calorie food? T & P had been on Science Diet Feline Maintenance Lite for years before I switched them to the Senior formula. Kept Tubby's weight in check for all those years, so it's just a suggestion.

[slick]

EWWWW - Kling-ons!!! I hate them. I've had my share with Max and Speckles. Specks is overweight and also has trouble "down there". I take her to Petcetera and for $5 she gets a thorough combing and bit of a wash. As for Max, I keep his bum hair short....

[krazyaboutkatz]

I had this problem with my RB Pepper. I would use baby wipes to clean him and then a flea comb to comb out his fur. My vet also trimmed his bottom area one time when he was very sick and having bad diarrhea. This really seemed to help him. Good luck.

[Kirsten]

I think this is a problem many long-haired cats have, and it doesn't necessarily have something to do with being overweight...

My RB-Aysche was a Persian and we had to trim the fur around that area, too.

Kirsten

[Cataholic]

I agree, it isn't necessarily the weight, but the hair. Tenny can have problems back there. He is pretty long haired. You know what I do? I groom him, and wait until he gets really relaxed. Then, I use smaller scissors, and cut the hair back there. He doesn't even know I am doing it, cause he is used to me petting him, grooming him, and I just snip, snip, snip away. Even shorter hair is better. Tho, I have had him shaved back there, too.

[Desert Arabian]

Our old girl tortie cat was EXTREMELY overweight, and she had that exact same problem. This is a little gross, but hey- it's part of owning an old fat kitty: she would get some poo matted in her fur around her anus, mom and I called them "klinkers". lol. We had to comb them out of her fur, and once and a while Mom would take a warm washcloth with some mild antibacterial soap and wash back there occasionally to help her out. It worked out really well.