Expert: Tomay - 9/11/2006

Question
Hello,

We recently noticed that our cat has a good amount of poop stuck in his fur under his tail.  He is a large cat 20# and strong, and he did not like my wife and I trying to clean his butt.  We got some of it but he can stuggle hard and he will bite / scratch if he can.  It seem irritated.  Any suggestions as to what we could do short of taking him to a vet?  Would something like witch hazel on a towel help?  He struggles to hard to try to cut it out of his fur.  Thanks for the suggestions.

Jeff

Answer
HI Jeff,
I wouldn't suggest putting something like witch hazel on an already irritated area.  That will most likely be very uncomfortable!  You can treat the irritated areas with some anti biotic ointment on a soft tissue or baby wipe.  You can also use baby wipes to attempt to clean his rear end.  Or, if he will tolerate a localized bath, you might just try using very warm water to wash him off.  You might try calling around to local grooming shops and ask if they work on cats.  (Not all do)  Ask if it would be possible to just come in for a sanitary clip.  This will alleviate the problem with excess coat and subsequent problems with poop sticking to it.
Hope this is helpful for you.
Thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site,
Tomay