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Cat with a dirty bum

Good grooming practices are essential for maintaining health and happiness for you and your cat. This is a forum to exchange tips and advice for proper care of your cat's hygiene needs.

  
♥Siss- y♥

Sissy Girl		 
 
Purred: Sat May 9, '09 7:45am PST 
So my long haired cat Sissy constantly has a dirty rear. I had her groomed and i even shaved her giving her the Lion look but now that is grown back out we are back to square one. I would like to groom her myself instead of paying $40 dollars. My only problem is her claws. She does not like it at all. She has had infections in the past and I cannot let the infections keep coming. Any tips. It is very appreciated.
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Atrus

Fluff butt		 
 
Purred: Mon May 11, '09 5:46am PST 
Why is she constantly dirty? Does she have chronic loose stools or what? I would think if that's the case you should be looking into a dietary change first or even a trip to the vet to rule out parasites.
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Maynrys

I love my daddy!		 
 
Purred: Tue May 12, '09 4:39pm PST 
If there are no medical problems, perhaps you could wrap your kitty in a towel so that she can't use her claws when you cut her fur. It may be a two man job where one person holds the swaddled kitty while the other exposes the bum area to cut around it. We have to do this with our little Caly when we trim her nails or we would be torn to pieces. Our Maynrys is physically unable to clean herself well - she has the widest, barrel shaped torso I have ever seen on a cat. In addition to cutting her hair, we have tried cat wipes. They look like baby wipes and are sold at pet stores like Pet Smart. Good luck finding a solution!
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♥Siss- y♥

Sissy Girl		 
 
Purred: Thu May 14, '09 4:52am PST 
I have taken Sissy to the vet twice with this problem. I believe, TMI, she has OCD with licking. She heals up and the problem comes back within a month. She has no parasites. she is up to date on shots. I am taking her to the groomer today. I don't want to fight her trying to do it myself plus I do not have any shears for a shave. On the second visit to the vet she suggested I get her groomed. There is one cat groomer that is close to me! I guess people would rather not groom cats. This will be our second grooming. BTW I love her shaved! She looks like a lion and my house is hair free!
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Allie

Princess of- Purrs
 
 
Purred: Thu May 14, '09 5:07pm PST 
Persians are known for messy behinds so I know what you're going through. Mine mostly outgrew it, but we still have the occasional dirty bottom. I give a "bottom bath" where I just wash that half. It's less traumatic than an entire wet kitty. You could also request a hygiene clip instead of a full lion cut. They just shave the backside and it takes less time and costs less. Cat groomers are harder to find because the certification takes longer than dog grooming. Cat bites are very dangerous and more cats are unwilling participants so it's just not something people are rushing to get certified to do. I had a wonderful groomer that worked out of my vet's office and then the silly girl had to go and move to Florida on me. I have bought my own shaver but I haven't had the nerve to even try it yet. Good luck with your baby!
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Boris

Brr!		 
 
Purred: Thu May 14, '09 6:25pm PST 
About the shaving, I think you should try to do it yourself because it will be cheaper and you won't have to pay that money! I like that towel idea. If it were me I would just have a fun petting session to get her calm, then try to incorporate the shaving into the petting so its not too stressful. Maybe shaving her whole body isn't something that is necessary though. I have never done this with my cats.

For nails, I usually have me and one other person attempt to hold the cat down, while we clip the nails. Just make sure not to clip too far and get the blood vessel. Or you could try "sitting" on her, not putting your weight on her at all though. While she is stuck underneath you you could grab a foot and try to clip.

Boris's bottom gets dirty as well, and he gets to have regular bottom baths. Kitty wipes are a great idea too though, maybe I'll look into those.

Good luck!
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