What is the best way to trim a cat's bum?!

[MedusaIsHavingaBadHairday]

After the poonami Obie had , I have to say our methods were not the most aesthetically pleasing but thankfully he has grown back most of it already.

We are still battling with Ophie's loose bowels though. Trying to transition to raw..and she is having none of it. I bought some Butchers Classic today..the other two wolfed it down and she ate a little so hoping she wan tolerate that. BUT she has the longest fur I have ever seen on a Maine Coon...and a lot of it is her thighs, so she gets a bit manky at times. I would really like to give her rear end a short trim while we work on firming up her bowels.

Unlike Obie, who frankly couldn't care less, Ophie is timid and I think grabbing her and snipping would terrify her. She isn't fond of being groomed either (again unlike Obie who is 'yeah baby more more more!') so I need to approach with caution. But it DOES need doing !

ANy tips? Our usual method is to groom and trim bits at a time (unless poonami in which case, grab bath.. chop!) but I need a gentler approach for her.

They do something called a "hygiene cut" (or something like that) at the cat beauty parlour. Where they just trim the floofy trousers.

I don't think it's recommended to use scissors when trimming cats, because they have a very high pain threshold and mask pain well. Meaning you could unintentionally give their skin a little snip by mistake.

We used a beard trimmer on the Persians, it has a safety guard on it.

Fluffy, do they not panic at the sound? I think some sort of trimmer would be the easiest way to keep it in check but I think we'd have to restrain her first..she is a such a sweet and timid little thing.

(Just managed to trim a hidden but smelly dangle of poo off so that's a start!)

They weren't keen on it but we had three of them & that's a lot of poo.

Yes to the beard trimmer, we used a battery Braun one which isn't too loud, on our old cat's tum when she was struggling to groom herself.

Its a two person job really- if one of you can wrap her chest and front legs in a towel, then the other can hold one leg at a time and trim her furry thighs! If that makes sense?

The things we do for our furry friends?!

Spray some feliway on a towel and one person wraps it around cats head keeping it firmly still whilst other trims with some grooming scissors, these are rounded at end so not to injure cat, also wear rubber gloves, if that's not possible best to take to vet for a pantaloon cut.

Two people wearing gardening gloves and a trimmer, cat wrapped in a towel!

We had to do it to our poor Ruby a few years ago for the same reason, she's also very timid (and very fluffy). We first tried a trimmer that's meant to be for pets, which we bought especially for the job, but it was too loud. DP sacrificed his beard trimmer in the end and it did the job - and Ruby got over it quickly and forgave us!

Good luck!