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The litter tray

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

Oh my God. The cat has rolled in fox shit. How do I clean him?!

32 replies

thecatwiththesilveryfur · 16/04/2020 09:48

It's all over his head and shoulders. He STINKS. He likes to sleep on all our furniture (including in the baby's cot) and rub his head all over everything.

How do you wash a cat?! What kind of cleaning product do you use? DH says he's just not coming back in, but that seems cruel for a much-spoilt lap cat.

Help!

OP posts:
Northernsoullover · 16/04/2020 09:51

Sad baby wipes?

caffeinefix · 16/04/2020 09:51

Why do you let him sleep in your baby's cot Envy

You'll have to shower him.

TummyTurtle · 16/04/2020 09:55

Ketchup is usually recommended by dog owners to shift the smell!

Can't imagine trying to slather a cat in ketchup though Grin

Grumpyoldpersonwithcats · 16/04/2020 10:21

Bath - and dog shampoo.

You will need a suit of armour and gauntletts Grin.

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/04/2020 11:26

Oh good grief. How’s it going?.

RedRed9 · 16/04/2020 11:29

Oh god you are going to get scratched to shit. If it’s only his head and shoulders I’d be inclined to wrap his body in a towel so he felt more secure and have one of you hold him while the other washed. Get everything you might possibly need ready first, even have the two running already, to make it as fast as possible.

Alwayswithalacrity · 16/04/2020 11:33

Our local dog walker always uses tomato ketchup when the dogs roll in it

Fluffycloudland77 · 16/04/2020 11:41

You can put a towel in the bottom of the bath too so it’s not slippy for the cat.

Beamur · 16/04/2020 11:43

Good luck.
I would try and dissuade your cat from sleeping in the baby cot though. Not safe for the baby for many reasons. Higher risk of developing asthma for one - just from the hair and dander.

WhoWants2Know · 16/04/2020 11:51

Some cats actually like a bath...

Alfr · 16/04/2020 12:12

This looks like the safest and most effective method

Oh my God. The cat has rolled in fox shit. How do I clean him?!
Pelleas · 16/04/2020 12:17

If you don't have a special pet shampoo or cat wipes, your best bet is just to use water to try to wash the worst off. Human shampoos and soap will have the wrong acidity level for a cat and will cause skin irritation, and possibly stomach damage if ingested.

pilates · 16/04/2020 12:24

Get the worst off with wipes and then massage tomato sauce and rinse. You may need someone to help you. Fox poo is awful 🤮

ThisTooShallPassHopefully · 16/04/2020 12:27

Ooh I can offer advice what not to do, having experienced this before...

I knew of the ketchup theory, so took the cat and a bottle of ketchup to the bathroom. Dd16 (and the cats chosen human) helped. Amongst our disgust at the smell and the giggling at finally being able to sing Phoebe from friend's smelly cat song for a valid reason, we battled to stop the cat licking her self clean.

The cat was fine with having the ketchup slathered on, and I thought we were onto a winner. Then I turned the tap on...the cat turned into a whirling dervish. As we tried to add water to message the ketchup in, Dd got scratched to ribbons.

The cat got free and ran all over the bathroom, a million times. Thankfully we had the foresight to shut the bathroom door before the attempted procedure.

Eventually we managed to catch her and gave it up as a bad game. We wrapped her up in an old towel and promptly deposited her outside, complete with ketchup still on her fur.

When I walked back into the (white) bathroom, it looked like someone had been murdered, there was red splashes everywhere. On the fittings, on the walls, window, mirror, even on the ceiling. Some of it was hard to distinguish between ketchup contaminated with fox poo and DD's blood.
It took an age to clean up, and maintained a pink hue in places until it was repainted.
The cat clearly got the hump and was not seen until the following morning when she appeared for breakfast with no sign or smell of fox poo, but pink stained fur where she should be white.

Dd still has some scars.

So the best I can offer is...good luck.

gamerchick · 16/04/2020 12:28

2 people job, wrap in towel, baby shampoo and a shower head. Be prepared to lose skin though.

WorkingItOutAsIGo · 16/04/2020 12:31

Sorry only joined the thread to laugh.

Ketchup is for skunk spray not fox poo.

Good luck!

eddiemairswife · 16/04/2020 12:34

The last time I washed a cat I held it VERY firmly by the scruff of the neck, put it in the water, and lathered it and rinsed it using the other hand. Dried it with an old towel. I seem to remember it was summer, so did it outside in a washing-up bowl.

Wolfiefan · 16/04/2020 12:35

Ketchup does work on fox poo.
OP I hope you’re ok. I’ve only tried to wash any part of a cat once.
It didn’t end well!
Grin

Robin233 · 16/04/2020 12:50

@Alfr
That's the funniest thing I've read all YEAR

We had a ginger and white kitten/ young cat that went up the chimney once

Mum had him in the wash bowl.
Don't think he had time to react and was probably relieved to be out the chimney ( we were redecorating and that's why the chimney was open )

Once towel dried and released he looked like a skinny rabbit and walked off all stiff legged.

I think he also managed to get under the floor boards too ;)

Toddlerteaplease · 16/04/2020 13:17

@ThisTooShallPassHopefully I'm crying with laughter at your post.

BrooHaHa · 16/04/2020 13:30

Oh jeez. Good luck to you!

WhoWants2Know · 16/04/2020 13:38

Don't turn on the tap while trying to hold on to the cat- the noise is scary. Warm, very shallow water and a towel in the bottom of the bath is a good start. Ketchup can combat the smell but may stain light coloured cats. Use a flannel to wet the fur and apply whatever you plan to wash with (dog shampoo is usually ok), lather and then into the shallow bath to rinse.

Then administer first aid.

practicallyperfectwithprosecco · 16/04/2020 13:39

The ketchup / blood stained / poo spattered bathroom has reduced me to fits of giggles!!

tiredanddangerous · 16/04/2020 13:43

Oh heck. You’re going to need to wear something thick that covers your arms and a pair of rubber gloves. Grab cat firmly by scruff of neck and put in bath. Scrub with other hand. Keep your face away from his claws.

Wolfiefan · 16/04/2020 14:33

Oh I hadn’t even wondered if it was a white cat! Shock
And when it’s allowed back out and the neighbours call the RSPCA because they think the OP has done something truly awful to it. And it’s ketchup?? Grin

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