TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › Help poops getting stuck in Midnight's fur
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:

Help poops getting stuck in Midnight's fur

post #1 of 15
3/28/11 at 11:03pm
Thread Starter 
Midnight is a long hair, lately when he does #2 he winds up with it stuck in his tail. We've been able to just wipe him off. Except tonight he's really got it stuck in the fur around his tail and bottom. We're calling the vet tomorrow. We're going to have to get him shaved.

My question is to all the other people on here who have long haired cats. Do you have to always keep him shaved? What do you do about this problem? Or is this not even a normal problem with long hairs just something wrong with Midnight?
Reply
post #2 of 15
3/28/11 at 11:30pm
I know some people do have this problem with their cats... I have 4 long-hair cats, but luckily do not have this problem here in the house.
When Hope had her IBS crisis a year ago she would get poop stuck on her back fur, and I would just cut it off instead of wiping it.
My vet told me rather have me cut the fur/poop off when this happens that wipe it off, so kitty doesn't lick/ingest all the poop.
Anyways, Since I don't really have this problem, I am sure others can help you more than I do.
Good Luck!
Reply
post #3 of 15
3/29/11 at 5:41am
Thread Starter 
Poor Hope

We did cut some of it off of Midnight. He's got an appointment with the vet later this morning to get his bottom shaved. The vets won't give him a bath, and he stinks. The places that do grooming are booked up. 1 can take him on Friday, that's the earliest.

How often will Midnight have to be shaved?
Reply
post #4 of 15
3/29/11 at 5:43am
Sometimes poop being stuck can be a sign of constipation or other health problem (if the poop is too soft).

It may even be hair ball trouble. If the poop is full of fur he might be having trouble passing the stools so it gets stuck. Daily brushing and regular dosing with hairball medicine (about once every 4 days) might help him.
Reply
post #5 of 15
3/29/11 at 5:46am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by otto View Post
Sometimes poop being stuck can be a sign of constipation or other health problem (if the poop is too soft).

It may even be hair ball trouble. If the poop is full of fur he might be having trouble passing the stools so it gets stuck. Daily brushing and regular dosing with hairball medicine (about once every 4 days) might help him.
I'm going to bring that up to the vet today, to make sure Midnight isn't sick.
Reply
post #6 of 15
3/29/11 at 5:52am
That happens to my Charlotte once in a while. She's very, very good about letting me comb it out.
I've never had to have a cat's rear end shaved, so can't tell you how often that might need to be done.
Have you tried using kitty wipes on Midnight? That's the closest my stinky Bridget comes to a bath (she's a tad overweight and can't clean herself very well).
Good luck at the vet's; hope Midnight doesn't get too stressed out.
Reply
post #7 of 15
3/29/11 at 6:04am
Thread Starter 
I've looked up kitty wipes, I'll stop at Pet Smart on the way home from the vet.
Reply
post #8 of 15
3/29/11 at 7:03am
HI! I have not had this problem yet, but did with one of my long-haired cats years ago. I just trimmed her pant hairs and the hairs on the bottom of the tail with scissors. I used to be a dog/cat groomer so I knew how to keep up with this. It worked very well. You can also shave the area, but don't shave it too short, leave about an inch or so of hair and that will be good enough. I have had some issues with Pipsqueak and his IBD flare ups but not recently and he is a short hair. I also used unscented sensitive baby wipes. I always have those on hand as well for any quick bottom clean-ups if needed. Let us know how it goes at the vet!!!
Reply
post #9 of 15
3/29/11 at 7:32am
My mom Farleyv asked me to answer your post. My cat Stanley has this problem. He is very long haired. I have to keep him shaved back there (hygeine cut). And Stanley also stinks in general because he will NOT wash. He will wash his face after he eats, and thats it! Its very frustrating. I bathe him about twice a month and just really wash that area well and everywhere else. Since he has long hair and doesn't groom, it matts easily. So he looks pretty pathetic with shave marks all over his body. In the summer we shave him right down, and while he has short fur, he will groom. So he just must not like the long fur getting stuck in his mouth. I know others have said for you to shave him, and I just wanted you to know that that is what I do along with the baths. I am lucky because he is pretty good about having a bath...I don't know that your cat would be. Theres also waterless spray wash for kitties. Maybe that would help to use, i'm not sure...its just an idea. Let me know how things go.
Reply
post #10 of 15
3/29/11 at 8:22am
Parker gets turds stuck in his fur from time to time. I know by the skid marks he leaves on the floor trying to get it off. So once a month or so I take the scissors and trim as close as I can get without risking catching his skin. I do this all around his butt and up his tail about 2-3 inches. Too much effort to take him to a vet for a shave.
Reply
post #11 of 15
3/29/11 at 9:01am
All of my 10 cats lift their tail (even Tiny Dancer w/the Radial Hypoplasia, even in his tail which is bent under - just have to keep tail trimmed at end - it's short).

I've always given my 2 longhaireds "sanitary trims" if the poop is just right around the beginning of the tail area near the bum; but if it's going out to the middle or end of the tail, that would be more of a behavioral problem if he hasn't done this before which, as someone else mentioned, a vet's attention would be necessary which you are already doing - yay!

NOTE: When I was fostering newborns until they got adopted (at 8 to 10 weeks), along with stimulating them to pee/poo - after I put them in the box, I would keep lifting their tails if they weren't up, so they actually got used to it and by the 8 weeks, all kitty tails - UP! Happy little poopers!

I hope this will be something easily fixable for your baby!!

Warmly,

Julie O'
Reply
post #12 of 15
3/29/11 at 4:53pm
Thread Starter 
Ok at the vet they cleaned Midnight up for me, and shaved his bottom. The vet didn't think he had any health problems. She just thought this problem is because he's got a lot of fur back there. It's right at the beginning of his tail, where this seems to keep happening. It's happened a few other times, but not as much as there was this time.

I don't think I'd be able to trim or shave Midnight's fur back there without help. Midnight fought us so much with his last bath, that it's easier to let the groomer bathe him. I think it would probably easier to have the vets shave him. They said he'd probably have to be shaved again in a month or 2.

I did stop and get the kitty wipes. Baby wipes are also on the next shopping list.

Finsterhead what is waterless spray wash for kitties? Is that something I can get at Petco or Pet Smart?
Reply
post #13 of 15
3/29/11 at 8:53pm
I have one cat that has this issue on occasion. So much so, that I have a routine.

I prepare my sink vanity top with a towel for her to stand on, I tear up pieces of paper towels (or you could use the wipes, I suppose). I run warm water and wet the towel pieces.

I pick up the cat, and hold her with her fancy pants britches facing the running warm water as she stands on the towel. As I hold her, with my left arm wrapped around her tummy, I use my right hand to take a piece of the wet/warm paper towel and clean off any dirty stuff, using a new piece of wet paper towel with each swipe. Her swishing tail proves to be a obstacle, but we manage.

When I'm done, I use a shop towel to dry her off.

Yes, she complains - but, now, she is use to the routine and I kind of think she's grateful for the cleaning.

Using scissors to trim her is probably a dangerous thing to do as the cat's hide tears if/when it is cut, and is cause for an emergency room visit or so I've read.

I agree that loose bowels might be of concern - such as a food problem. If constipation is the cause, then, again - maybe the kind of food you're providing should be considered.

With our Phoebe - she has a problem -usually- when she's been fed two many treats (I use dry food as a treat, otherwise everyone gets a high quality canned food) and sometimes I break down and give her more treats than I should. ugh
Reply
post #14 of 15
3/29/11 at 9:27pm
I'm glad all is good with Midnight!
My first cat was a black/white DLH and she had that problem. We combed her out and made her suffer through baths before it occurred to me to just cut the hair a bit shorter to help her keep sanitary. (Poor Socks had to go through all those traumatic baths, which she absolutely despised.) Keeping her trimmed worked very well after that.
Reply
post #15 of 15
3/30/11 at 2:01pm
YAY! What an outing Midnight had yesterday! He will be happy with his new doo. Never heard of the waterless spray wash but I bet you can find it at a Petsmart or Petco? I will look as well, interested in seeing how that works.
Reply
New Posts  All Forums:Forum Nav:
  Return Home
  Back to Forum: Care & Grooming
TheCatSite.com › Forums › Our Feline Companions › Care & Grooming › Help poops getting stuck in Midnight's fur