My cat can't reach his bottom to clean it, so now it is dirty and has a mat of fur with poop. Help?

 My cat is about 9 years old, but he is overweight.  When he bends over to lick his bottom, his belly pours over it, so even though I can tell he is desperately trying to lick his butt, he is only licking his belly.  I have started to notice that (naturally) now his butt is quite dirty, and he has a large glob of poop caked to his fur directly below his anus.  I have inspected it to see if I can cut off the matted poo-hair blob, but it is too close to the skin!  What should I do to clean my cat's butt?  I can tell it is irritating him greatly, and I just want him to be comfortable and happy again.  I assume that I have to soften it somehow, but do you guys have any tips or techniques that can help me get his butt pristine again?My kitty is about 9 years old, and his belly is too large, so when he bends over

You can give him a bath for now, and take him to a groomer for a sanitary trim (they shave a strip in the proper area). Or let the groomer do the bathing, too. But a bath is the most important thing, and you'll probably have to let his butt soak for a while to get the poop-matts off. If you have a handheld shower head (or sprayer in the sink), it'll be a lot easier.

My RB Cat Gracie Had the same problem due to arthritis and old age..... Her fur was so fine and matted like crazy....
If you have a PetSmart close by, get one of these: TopPaw Dematting Rake - get the one in the dog session - it is exactly the same as the cat, the only thing is that it is a couple of dollars cheaper :nod:
All you do, is you pretty much comb the matt/poop off, by placing the blades in between the matt and the skin and gently pulling it - the whole matt comes out easily..... I used to do that all the time with Gracie.... I not only on that area, but all over her body.... Of course I disinfected it after using for removing poop :nod:
It is a GREAT tool, as the tips are completely round and blunt, they will not cut or hurt the kitty at all, yet, sharp on the matt.
Hope this helps you - it has helped me

Yes, take him to a groomer or have one call but the most important thing of all is to address his weight, so the problem goes away.  He must be massively overweight to not be able to clean his behind.

I would take him to your groomer or vet(depending on his personality) and request a sanitary cut(basically this is groomers terms for shaving the hair around his anus so poop wont stick). It does not matter if he has long or short hair they will do this for you, You should do it about once a month if it is an ongoing problem with him.

My baby, Jak, also has this problem.  He's never really been a huge one to clean his bottom, even before he's gained a little bit of weight.  The solution I've found tfo be effective, is to clean his bottom with a very warm washcloth, essentially softening the poop & allowing it to come free from the hair.  Yes, he loses a little clump of hair with each cleaning & he hates lying on his back & the actual cleaning, but it's effective, free & does not seem to harm him.

Hope this helps some & good luck.  :-)

Our girl Claire had this same problem except, she never got anything stuck so I never had to clean it. We changed her food, took up the free fed kibble, went to timed wet feedings and added a dedicated play time each night. It has worked! Just last night I watched her sit on the floor and clean her bottom. I could have cried.

So, in the short term, the most cost efficient way to solve the problem is to use a warm washcloth or papertowl to try to remove it. This may take a couple of sessions. Or, go to the groomer if that is an option for you financially.

Then, start him on a diet so this isn't an issue anymore.

taraz579 said:

My baby, Jak, also has this problem.  He's never really been a huge one to clean his bottom, even before he's gained a little bit of weight.  The solution I've found tfo be effective, is to clean his bottom with a very warm washcloth, essentially softening the poop & allowing it to come free from the hair.  Yes, he loses a little clump of hair with each cleaning & he hates lying on his back & the actual cleaning, but it's effective, free & does not seem to harm him.

Hope this helps some & good luck.  :-)

Click to expand...

My baby used to have the problem, she was running around with...y'know what---from her butt.

I too cleaned her with warm wet paper towel, also, did "brazillian"...

She resists a lot on wiping but seemed OK with brazillian...

I say again:  if your cat is too fat to clean his or her own bottom then your cat is much, much too fat and you should address that.