How to shave a cats bum

• Thread starter Moonlight_wolf
• Start Date Oct 21, 2017

Hi, my cat is a long haired cat and occasionally she will get poop stuck to her butt and I can always tell when that's happened even before I see it because it seems to really bother her lol. But I found out that despite being a generally mellow cat she hates it when I try to get it off of her. Today it was worse than usual because I usually brush it off, but today I had to cut it off and she wasn't happy. I got hissed at for the first time, and it was actually really surprising lol. And she kept trying to swat at me, that was actually pretty funny. She would be staring at me like "I dare you" and if I would go for her butt then she would bat me and she wasn't trying to hurt me, just warn me, so it was pretty funny. But I want to know if shaving that area would help or if it would have any averse effects for her? Or anything?? What do other people do?

Thanks.

Shaving that area would definitely help. A groomer can do what is called a sanitary trim - they shave around the butt area and the top of the legs. I used to get it done every 4-6 months for my long-haired girl.

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Dirty cat butts can be a real aggravation, leaving owners wondering why isn't Kitty taking care of his backside? What happens when the cat doesn’t clean himself after a litter box break? What could be the possible reasons?

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Sometimes, Kitty has gained weight and, until she loses a couple of pounds, isn’t as limber as she once was. Of course, a diet is called for, but in the meantime, Kitty will need help. Another cause might be arthritis. Kitty just can’t contort herself into a pretzel like she used to. Ask the vet about glucosamine or another remedy.

Kitty can also need a helping hand if she’s been ill and had diarrhea. That will leave a mess in all the fur, not to mention, mat up and trap subsequent output if it’s not taken care of promptly.

All in all, Kitty can be a smelly mess.

It’s Mama Cat’s job to keep the kittens clean until they are old enough to do the job themselves. In the absence of motivation, ability or good health, humans have to help out as needed.

Prevention starts with good quality food.

Cheap food with uncertain ingredients like meal or by-products can upset a cat’s digestive system. Check the ingredients list on any diet or low-calorie foods Kitty’s eating. Low-calorie foods often use fillers that make Kitty feel full but produce more waste. Don’t let Kitty stay outdoors to hunt. A mouse or bird is not part of his usual diet and can cause all kinds of stomach upsets that you don’t want to deal with.

How to clean dirty cat butts

A damp paper towel can clean up simple messes. Be sure to use a good quality towel. Cheap paper towels will leave “lint” which only adds to the problem.

After wiping with a damp towel, do a follow-up clean with another and dry with a final towel.

KKH, a TCS forum member, tried a cat bath wipe but her cat didn't like it. The scent may have been the problem. AlphaCat, another TCS member, used butter in an emergency. She softened the butter, let it melt on her fingers, and then smeared it on Sam’s butt. To make sure he didn't smear butter on the furniture, Sam was sequestered in the laundry room for about half an hour.

“I remembered the old wives' tale about putting butter on a cat’s paws after you move into a new house. Once Kitty has licked it off, he’ll remember the next time. I thought it might work for grooming himself and it did.” For more difficult messes, try sitting Kitty in warm water to loosen any clogged areas. He will not like this part so expect some (a lot) resistance. If you can remove the worst of the mess, then it’s time for a haircut.

Long-haired cats and dirty butts

If Kitty is long-haired, clip Kitty’s hair on his butt to give waste a clean exit. For dark-haired cats, a closer cut might be needed. Use blunt nosed scissors to start. Most cats won’t want the vibration of clippers on their behinds.

You might find red splotches where the hair matted and pulled, leaving irritation. To keep Kitty from scooting on the carpet - it will itch as the area heals - or from inappropriate licking, an antibiotic cream from the vet will help.

Kitty may have to wear the dreaded cat cone so he’ll stay away from the area until it’s healed. Don’t use human medication since Kitty may find a way to lick and ingest it.

Once everything is back to normal, periodically check Kitty’s backside to make sure there’s no problem. When his hair starts to grow out again, clip it short and keep it that way. A few of Kitty’s favorite treats after the haircut will keep you in his good graces. His clean behind will keep him in yours.

Comments? Leave them using the form below. Questions? Please use the cat forums for those!

Sanitary Butt Trim keeps do-do out of kitty’s bum, and that’s why Little Yellow gets one a couple times a year.

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Check out the litter boxes in Modern Cat Furniture at Tuft + Paw by clicking on the image below.

While covered boxes keep the poop out of sight, they are intimidating for the cats. Paws has 2 covered boxes, and 3 uncovered. However, 2 of the uncovered ones sit underneath specially made cat furniture, and the cats really like this. They have plenty of head room and the sides do not hem them in. These specially designed store-bought pieces keep the litter out of sight and give the cats ample room to do their business in privacy, but not with the fear of getting ambushed. At Paws, we strongly recommend investing in the furniture.

While we have a pretty god handle on those issues, there’s one that remains The Biggest Challenge. Little Yellow, an 8-year-old long-haired orange Tabby has asthma, and trying to find a litter that doesn’t have too much dust has been something the Paws’ family has been struggling with for the past 4 years. While we look for the best litter, we may change it out a bit too much, leaving Little Yellow and his 4 feline siblings a bit confused.

With his long hair, his poop will periodically get stuck on his hind legs and tail. This presents a nightmare because the poop is gets on everything his kitty body sits on. We all know cats like to be clean, and when this poop gets stuck in his fur, he freaks. He knows he’s dirty, and he wants it out. But it’s stuck. As he knows this is not ‘politically correct’ and the poop should be in the box. He becomes belligerent and scared when his human comes with a pair of scissors and a wet paper towel. He wants no part of this. The removal is not easy and can take hours of coaxing. Sometimes, he will relax enough to sit in his human’s lap, and then let he take the paper towel and start removing the poop. To say the least it’s unpleasant for him and for his Mommy.

A butt-trim might be the best option

With his health challenges, he cannot be periodically shaved because putting him under anesthesia could be dangerous. Our veterinarian has confirmed this. Every 2 to 3 months, we schedule a butt-trim. As his human is a single person, there’s no help and we aren’t going to chance cutting his paper-thin skin to do it by ourselves. We go to the vet, and there they take out the razor and trim off inches of hair from his hind legs and the lower part of his tail. It’s like magic. For months, there’s no more issues. Then it grows out, and we have to repeat the procedure. It’s well worth a few sheckles to prevent the fiasco of removing the poop. He still may get some caught, but it usually falls off right after he leaves the box. We have litter mats in front of the boxes and that usually gets most of it. Once in a while, we find a solid piece of poop on the floor. We have hardwood floors due to the cats, so it’s an easy clean-up.

Paws recommends cat owners tune into your kitties’ needs and wants. When it comes to the litter box, you need to find a happy medium between their needs and desires, and your wants. The last thing you want is a house that smells like a litter box. The last thing they want is to feel threatened, distressed, scared, and uncomfortable.

For more info on butt trims, you may want to check out Questions About Cat Butts Answered on Catster.com.

In addition, check out this article on Why Cats Groom Themselves So Often at OurFitPets as we all know cats like to be clean

For more info on cat litter, check our blog posts on just that topic.

• CatSpot, a new form of cat litter
• Smart Cat Litter is the best

There’s some terrific info there that’s worth checking out.

Comments

Do you have some litter box tips to share? Please weigh on the discussion and share them with Paws’ readers. It’s an important subject that’s never going to go away. Later this week, we are going to discuss a new type of litter that Paws’ is checking out.