Dirty bum

[Dilbertian]

What do you do about a cat that can't clean his own bum?

MrCat is getting old and stiff, and isn't good at washing himself. He's starting to smell a bit 'old man' IYSWIM. He sometimes has tiny dags on the hindmost fur. Luckily he loves being brushed.

He is soon to have surgery and will need to be in a collar for about 3w. Last time the poor little stinker ended up dragging his bum across the carpet because he couldn't reach to clean it. I ended up wiping his bum with water wipes. MrCat did not like this! Dh had to pin him under one arm while I got hold of his tail and wiped him.

Is there any other way of dealing with this?

Runny trousers, I believe is the term!

Hygiene trim, then you might need to wipe or bathe him. Nilaqua shampoo doesn't need to be rinsed off, just towelled off. Less hair helps.

Is there anyway that area could be shaved before the op? To make the clean up a bit more clart free.

It all sounds pretty miserable for him. If he's in pain then that needs addressing itself. They hide it so well, so often we only see signs such as struggling with grooming.

My cat was given a Solensia injection today by the vet as she thinks his reduced grooming and play is due to arthritis.

His first dose was free as it's a promotion for Pet Arthritis/Pain month in May. That seems a bit unethical to me, but if he has the positive reaction a lot of cats seem to get then it will be amazing.

The vet offered a monthly injection, but going to the vet stresses MrCat horribly, so I'd rather not put him through it. We've just started him on a daily dose of Meloxidyl, which worries really well for him after surgery, so I hope it will help him with any arthritis pain, too.

I shall ask the vet to trim his pantaloons while he's under.

I used 'Waterless Cat Bath' On him previously. A long as I'm a bit stingy with it so that he doesn't realise I'm wetting him, and he doesn't hear the squirt of the pump, it works well. I have to be careful what cleanser I use on MrCat, as I'm allergic to some of them myself.

Works really well, not worries.

Once the vet has trimmed his knickerbockers, you might find it easier to keep on top of it with scissors rather than noisy clippers.

My old long haired girl wouldn't sit for clippers but didn't bat an eyelid at hairdressing (so super sharp and quick) scissors.

Good point. I'm currently in denial about need for a monthly visit to the vets.

Hygiene trim!

A trim to avoid the dags - check!

But what about the bumhole itself? Is there any alternative to dh pinning MrCat under his arm while I lift his tail and wipe?

My sympathies- I also have a cat who won't clean his own arse. He's deaf, and we think it's because deaf or otherwise less abled cats are often shunned by their mum and treated like the runt of the litter so don't always learn how to do cat things, or simply he couldn't otherwise hear verbal instructions or noises. Which makes my heart break so much I quickly get over how disgusting it is! But you see him go through the motions and open his legs as though to clean, but when you actually look at what he's doing he's just licking the top of his thigh- no where near the actual bumhole.

He hates having his arse wiped too (sometimes the poo dries on so you have to pull it off which I imagine is quite uncomfortable)- we spray the bum area with water first which sometimes encourages him to lick down there, but often it doesn't. We have accepted that we just have to have a very uncomfortable five mins every so often, and put up with the dramatic yowling.