My feed
Premium

Please
or
to access all these features

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

The litter tray

Cat covered in oil.. Help!

34 replies

Fanjango · 27/06/2013 20:36

My cats just turned up outside covered in dirty engine oil. She won't let me get near her and keeps trying to clean herself. She's going to be very ill isn't she? Please tell me she's going to be okay , the kids are horrified Hmm

OP posts:
Report
RandomMess · 27/06/2013 20:38

Honestly I would get hold of her and it's bath time.

Report
Fanjango · 27/06/2013 20:40

I've tried Random... She's not letting me get her . I tried wiping her with a wet wipe but she's growling and scratching at me

OP posts:
Report
thereinmadnesslies · 27/06/2013 20:40

Take the cat to the vet ASAP, they can sedate and clean her

Report
LEMisdisappointed · 27/06/2013 20:41

You must catch her :( She will be poorly if she ingests too much engine oil. Use cheapo washing up liquid to help clean it off (cheap is better for some reason) to bath her, you'll have to scruff her - so hold her tightly by the scruff of the neck, you don't have to hold her up but if you do this, she wont be able to struggle . If you can't manage you'll need to get her to the vets. Sorry, wish i could be more reassuring but if she is coverd it in then she needs to be sorted out.

Report
yetanotherworry · 27/06/2013 20:43

We've had this happen to our cat before. I jumped, fully clothed, in the shower with her and luckily happened to have some baby shampoo (suggested by the vet). She then and a trip to the vet to check her over a bit later.

Report
girliefriend · 27/06/2013 20:44

Fill the bath, sneak up on her grab her try and get hold of her, wear marigolds and stick her in the bath. She will probably be so shocked she will freeze, you will need both hands to hold her and someone else to lather her up. Have you got animal shampoo? If not human stuff will do.

You can't leave her and she may require more than one bath - sorry.

Report
Fanjango · 27/06/2013 20:46

Oh god she's legged it over the fence...I can't see her Hmm

OP posts:
Report
LEMisdisappointed · 27/06/2013 20:47

Seriously, do the scruff thing - im an ex vet nurse and this is by far the easiest and kindest thing to do, you do have to grab a fair load of neck skin and pull it quite tight, the cats tend to stick their legs out and not move (unless they are toms, then you cant get a scruff and they are a blardy nightmare) but this is the quickest and best way. If you can shower her great, but otherwise bath.

Report
LEMisdisappointed · 27/06/2013 20:47

put some food out for her

Report
Fanjango · 27/06/2013 20:59

Okay I got her and washed her in the bath... Soaped them rinsed twice. She's still quite oily but she's got away again and food/ rustling biscuits isn't working.

OP posts:
Report
ExitPursuedByABear · 27/06/2013 21:01

Hope she is ok. Where on earth had she been?

Report
girliefriend · 27/06/2013 21:01

Is she outside? How did that happen?

I would leave her alone now to dry off a bit, if really bad she will have to go to the vets to be properly de oiled.

Report
Fanjango · 27/06/2013 21:05

I've no idea where she could have gotten so covered . It looks like she fell in a container if oil. Her front half is covered and her back/ tail are fine. She's an escape artist and got out as I tried to get more soap Hmm I'm hoping she will dry off a bit and come back looking for food, I'll try to grab her again but don't think she's very happy with me right now

OP posts:
Report
Hassled · 27/06/2013 21:09

I got oil off a cat with Swafega .Here - you get it at any hardware/DIY shop]]. Do you or a neighbour have any?

You'll need an iron will, a towel, gloves, a helper. The Swarfega loosens the oil, then it rinses off easily.

Report
Fanjango · 27/06/2013 21:20

Thanks for the swarfega tip Hassled Smile. I'll ask the neighbour and see if she comes back.

OP posts:
Report
girliefriend · 27/06/2013 21:26

Yeah it really takes two to bath a cat me and my 7yo dd have it down to a fine art now.

We run a bath, I get everything ready (towels, shampoo, put marigolds on etc) I creep up on the unsuspecting cat, grab by scruff (he is a Tom and has got one!!) dunk in water, dd in in charge of lathering up and rinsing off with a jug.

Can't think it would be doable on your on. Oh and I don't bath him a lot but he has a habit of getting himself very grubby Hmm

Report
Fluffycloudland77 · 28/06/2013 08:29

Did you get her in?

Report
Lonecatwithkitten · 28/06/2013 08:52

Did you get her? Even if you did and wash her I would suggest a trip to the vets as often they need gastric protectants for a while to undo the damage oil does.

Report
cozietoesie · 28/06/2013 08:54

Fanjango

Cats often like to go under cars to sit - and owners sometimes try to do their own oil changes, including putting drip trays under the cars overnight (or for some hours) to catch the last pint or so.

Do you have anyone in the neighbourhood that looks the type to do their own car maintenance?

Hope you got her in OK.

Report
Fanjango · 28/06/2013 09:33

I've seen her but she runs off when I open the door. I'm going to try to tempt her in so I can get her, hope ill get her in today, she'll never get that oil out and she's going to get sick

OP posts:
Report
cozietoesie · 28/06/2013 09:46

Good luck. Try roasting some chicken as a last resort. They find that hard to resist.

Report
Lonecatwithkitten · 28/06/2013 10:35

Hit chicken from the supermarket counter is the ultimate tempter. When you do get her I would go straight to the vets. Don't panic, but best to be safe.

Report

Don’t want to miss threads like this?

Weekly

Sign up to our weekly round up and get all the best threads sent straight to your inbox!

Log in to update your newsletter preferences.

You've subscribed!

Fanjango · 28/06/2013 23:53

Okay so found cat again. She's had three more baths. The vet said to wash her with swarfega and washing up liquid. He said she would need putting out for a more thorough wash if we could not do it but so far I have managed to give her 4 scrubs and still have all my fingers Smile. She's still not back to her fluffy self and the white bits are discoloured but other than that seems okay. Should I carry on bathing her or let time do the rest, she screams quite badly when bathed and trembles for ages, I don't want to upset her more than necessary but not sure when it will be okay to leave...

OP posts:
Report
UnrequitedSkink · 28/06/2013 23:59

Does she seem oily? I think 4 baths will have done the trick and got the worst of it off. She will probably be grubby for a while until new fur replaces the stained stuff but not harmful to herself.

Report
Fanjango · 29/06/2013 00:03

She's not oily now, just sort of spikier than she was IYSWIM Hmm. She seems well, but off her food a bit. Should I leave it then... I don't want her to hate me as she hates being bathed

OP posts:
Report
Please create an account

To comment on this thread you need to create a Mumsnet account.