Expert: Dear Tabbi - 10/17/2008

Question
I have a few concerns about our cats.  Both were adopted into our home almost four months ago.  They are 2 (male) and 5 (female) years, but lived with the same family since they were kittens.  Both are neutered/spayed.  They are shorthaired.  Both are obese (and now on gradual, vet recommended diets) with no other known health conditions.

My first concern is their...butts.  Is it normal for a little 'residue' to be there, is it indicative of a problem, or could they be too overweight to reach to clean properly?  There is no problem with odor.  It looks like smudges around their business areas, not in the fur, but doesn't rub off on furniture or our clothes.

Another issue is bathing.  Our cats will drink from their dish or a running faucet, but otherwise avoid water.  How can I bathe them?  My mother-in-law suggested vinegar and water (I'm assuming spraying it on their fur) and toweling it off, but I don't know if it will irritate their skin or how much water to vinegar I would use.  They do need to be washed.  The fur on their backs near the base of their tails is looking sort of greasy (especially the male, Elmo, who has a gorgeous grey and white coat).  Do you have any tips or suggestions?

I would also like to ask your opinion on the Softpaw/Softclaw nail covers as our cats are both indoors only and are big 'kneaders'.

Our female, Peachy, sheds incessantly.  Her coat is shiny and appears healthy, but I can brush her for 45 minutes without any decrease in the amount of hair I'm picking up with each brush stroke.  It is usually very, very soft, like belly fur or undercoat, unlike the somewhat coarser fur on her back.  I only brush them 3 or 4 times a week.  Do you have any suggestions or know of any products that might help me conquer kitty hair?

I grew up with dogs and this is pretty much the first experience with cats for both my husband and myself.  Anything you're able to share will be a great help!

Katelyn
kjindra1986@aol.com

Answer
Katelyn,

Overweight cats need to have more activity. I would suggest a pet laser light (Petco/PetSmart, etc). They love to chase the little red bug...even lazy cats. Pull a shoestring around, most cats can't resist going after one.

Cat that is greasy:
It could be from hair that has not shed and his skin is not getting enough air to keep it clean. Brush often. Diet has a lot to do with the greasyness too. Rub cornstarch into the cat's fur where it is greasy. Let the cat clean itself. This technique is less stressful than using water. If you have problems with cleaning the cat, Petco and PetSmart have groomers that are experienced with 'cat cleaning'.

The vinegar and water ratio is: a few tablespoons of white vinegar to a couple gallons of warm water. But that is basically a rinse used after you use a cat shampoo. You can wipe 'dirty areas' with distilled water. Bathing I woul not do.

For the cat with the backend problem, he may not be squatting high enough from his 'deposits' and it may be touching his rear end. I would keep the hair trimmed back (carefully) from his bottom. That may help some.

Here is a VERY good and helpful link for a LOT of varied information such as trimming claws, grooming, cat food, etc.:
(copy and paste, or type, the whole linkinto your address bar)

http://members.tripod.com/~tw_fatcat/table-of-contents.html

For the cat with a lot of undercoat hair, there is a nifty deshedding tool called the "FURminator". It is purposely for undercoats and loose hair. I got mine at Petco, but PetSmart probably carries it. The company's website is www.FURminator.com for more info.

I hope this has been helpful.

Tabbi