Question:
Our cat, Frankie, a very long haired himmy, often has a problem with keeping her bum clean. We try to clean her down there, but she's a little coward and runs away, if you hold her down, she yowls and sometimes pee's in fear. Any ideas? Should we take her to a groomer and have her bum shaved? This has been going on since we got her a year ago, we usually just brush it out when it dries. She also has trouble cleaning herself because she ends up with a mouth full of hair and often seems to give up out of frustration. Are kitty wipes (cat version of baby wipes) any help?

Thanks.

Answer:
Hi ! I had the same problem with my female GSD . What I do is trim the fur back there with scissors when it gets to long . Both our cats are short haired so dont get this problem . I'm sure you could trim it yourself and not spoil her coiffure !

Answer:
The problem I have with Casper(DMH)is that many times after he has gone to the bathroom,he will come out doing the zoomies cause there is a poop ball hanging off him..And one of us has to get a hold of him and get it off.So what I have done is had to cut the fur in that area.It helps out alot....

I have heard that baby wipes are ok to use...But someone correct me if I'm wrong....

Answer:
I have a persian and I also keep the hair around his bum cut short. This has worked for me and hes 12 years old. I just give him a monthly trim.

Answer:
My family had a Himalayan while I was a teenager-she needed an occasional trim to keep from having cling-ons coming out of the litterbox. They annoyed her so much, she would scoot across the floor while growling! Funny to see, not nice for Chandi! It was her dignity that was most upset by it, especially if we laughed.

My brother had a long-haired cat that also needed rear-end trims to stay tidy. She didn't appreciate the process, but was much happier about cleanliness.

Answer:
My Vinnie has long hair in the back and if I catch him before he uses the carpet for toaletpaper,I use babywipes to clean him(unscented).
I am afraid of getting even near his minimized jewels with the clippers

Answer:
I have the same problem with my cat Church, he is short hair. I use baby wipes for sensitive skin and have had no problem. If I don't catch him he drags away as well!

Answer:
My longhaired lucky also has this problem and I too clip her when it becomes long.

I keep a very close eye on her butt now because I ran into a severe problem when once she got a burr tangled in the hair by her butt and it caused a severe skin irritation before it was noticed.

So now I have become a cat bum watcher....lol

Answer:
lol, my whole family is the same way. Our kids have also become cat bum watchers! Only because they get grossed out!!ha-ha It helps keep them clean and irritation free though!

Answer:
Hubby will yell,VINNIE HAS A DIRTY BUM!!!and mom comes running to the rescue.No way would my hubby clean a cats bum

Answer:
They have "pet wipes" now too in the pet stores! They come in nice little travel packs for convenience although I'm not sure how much they cost. We got them as Christmas presents so I don't know if someone was trying to tell us our cats are dirty or something...

Also don't know what the difference is between baby wipes and pet wipes, but just to toss it out there in case anyone's interested.

Answer:
I agree that clipping the area is just about the only way out of this mess! I have a rumpy Manx X and they are notorious for that - so, clipping is my answer...

Answer:
I have three long haired cats, and have had this problem over the years.
As mentioned, clipping, keeping the fur short in the nether regions, is the best way to avoid messy situations from cropping up.
A pet wipe is sometimes all thats needed.

When poop is completely embedded in the long fur, though.. this is what I have found works best.
DONT add water - unless all else fails.
Sprinkle a bit of corn starch or baby powder on the affected area to dry things out.

Take kitty into a bathroom, and using a metal comb and scissors, comb out the poop, or if not possible, very carefully cut out the fur areas that are soiled as best you can, using extreme caution in this delicate area.
Follow up with a pet wipe to cleanse the area. ( disinfect comb and scissors)

This usually does it, but in the odd instance where the cat is a real mess.. perhaps an episode of diahreah... a butt-bath is the only thing that will work.
Use a spray-attachment to focus in just on the rear area, rather than getting the whole cat wet - and as most cats despise this and will struggle.. be very quick.

Answer: