Problem: My cat doesn't clean herself

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Problem: My cat doesn't clean herself

by Nancy
(Bloomingdale, IL)

She uses the litter box but doesn't clean herself afterward. I'm having to wash her rear every day or I find little brown poop spots all over my bed, carpeting and the rest of the house.

My Thoughts:

Some cats are more fastidious than others in the grooming area, but if a normally clean cat stops cleaning, that is a red flag.

Is she an older cat? Is this a new problem? Is she having diarrhea? Does she groom herself in other ways, or has she stopped cleaning herself completely?

Older cats may have difficulty cleaning, especially the hard to reach places, possibly due to pain and limited ability to move. Cats who've developed arthritis (at any age) or are injured may experience this as well.

Typically, if a cat stops cleaning and is not old then she's either injured or taking ill.

If the problem is only related to cleaning the butt area, then it very well could be a limited mobility issue due to injury or arthritis.

Now, it could instead be that she's having a bowel problem, such as constipation/diarrhea or impacted anal glands. Some cats will experience a "half-in/half-out" situation with that last bit of fecal matter if it's heavily wrapped in hair. I have, on many occasions, had to grab Frankie and "pull out" what wouldn't come out on its own because of all the hair. If you don't do that, you end up with a mess as you describe.

So, if it's a bowel problem then you'll have to treat for constipation, impacted anal glands, or other bowel problem.

So, new problem? Is she cleaning everywhere OK except the back end? Is she having a bowel issue perhaps?

-Kurt

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Problem: My cat doesn't clean herself

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Mar 23, 2009
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Kittens Separated From Their Mothers
by: Kurt (Cat Lovers Only Admin)

@Kyle --

Assuming a young cat is in good health, the cleaning issue (especially the butt) may be due to early learning processes being short circuited. Mother cats keep their kittens clean by grooming them often. Eventually, the kitten is old enough to take over the job completely.

If a cat is taken from its mother too early, however, it may be lacking some cleaning skills (and have other emotional/socialization issues). So, as the surrogate mother, it's now our jobs to instill the "I've gotta clean myself" desire into our cats. Some cat owners have been able to correct poor butt cleaning behavior by:

1. Consistently cleaning their cat -- Several times daily, wipe your cat down with a wet cloth. Some people use baby wipes, but make sure that whatever you use is not toxic to cats. I would use a soft rag with plain water. Wipe your cat down from head to toe.

2. Bathing their cat -- Sometimes a bath (or several baths, perhaps once per week or so) will kick start things. You can try this in addition to wiping her down often.

The ASPCA has a step-by-step for bathing your cat which you can follow. I'll just comment here on some points I think are important...

Sinks are better than tubs. It's easier to control your cat. You may also need help to restrain your cat as most object by biting, clawing, and scurrying away.

Get a rubber mat and put it down in the sink so that the cat can get a grip and doesn't slide around. They like to have firm footing and they may get scared and fight more if they don't feel secure.

Some cats may be turned off by using a sprayer. You can fill a bucket (or second sink if you have one) with warm water and use a cup to scoop the water and rinse your cat.

Some groomers and breeders recommend dish washing detergent like Dawn. This is often recommended to degrease Persians. Personally, I would prefer to use a product specifically made for cats so that no allergies or irritation can occur. Your cat's skin can be dried out by some shampoos or cleaners.

Watch out for the face, ears and eyes. Use a wet rag on the face or some diluted shampoo so the eyes don't get irritated.

Have some thick towels nearby so that you can wrap her up quickly and dry her off so she doesn't get chilled.

The younger the cat, the easier it will be to get her used to the bathing process. Remember, though, that a very young cat who gets soaked may get chilled.

One more idea:

You can also shave the back end hair to help with the cleaning. Electric clippers with a comb will work for this. This can be especially helpful for longer haired cats.

Wiping down your cat often and bathing may get your cat started on taking over the cleaning process for herself completely.

I hope that helps.

-Kurt

Mar 23, 2009
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My kitten is having the same problem with cleaning
by: Kyle

I have two kittens. The one is well behaved and cleans herself, the younger kitten has issues with cleaning herself after using the litter box, pooping. She cleans herself other wise. Just her poop that she doesn't clean. How can i get her to clean herself instead of wiping her butt all the time? please email me at ***email removed for spam filters*** for solutions.

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Problem: My cat doesn't clean herself

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Problem: My cat doesn't clean herself