Midnight's Embarrassing Problem

aries

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Midnight has an embarrassing problem that he doesn't want me to deal with, but I feel is important to take care as soon as possible. He is a manx-ish cat with no tail and long fur. His poo keeps getting caught in his fur, building up and blocking his bodily functions. Midnight is a very dignified sort of cat and doesn't even like being picked up for a cuddle most of the time. And he really objects to me trimming the fur on his backside and/or removing blockages.

I know that I can't allow blockages of this sort to build up, but what do I do? Has anyone else dealt with this sort of thing? Are there any good solutions besides having the cat shaved? If not, how does one shave a cat? I'm really at a loss. Help, please!
 

sharky

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Have is anel glands been checked???
 
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aries

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No, his anal glands haven't been checked. Can that cause poo to get stuck in his fur?
 

sharky

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Well it can with my yorkie yes a dog but a dock tail one...
 

meowsersmom

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My roommate's pomeranian had the same problem. Poo would get stuck in the long hair on her backside EVERY time she went #2. I finally forced my roomie to take her to the groomers. They trimmed her backside down so it didn't happen anymore. I wouldn't suggest trimming your cat with scissors, if he tries to get away, you could inflict a nasty cut. I would use some clippers, or better yet, just take him to the groomers and have a professional do it.
 

kbak

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Aries,
You might want to have his anal glands checked. I had a cat once that had blocked anal glands, and it was a huge mess. We had to have his anal glands expressed on a regular basis. The vet never did give me a reason he had such problem's since it really is more of a dog problem. One thing he would do when they would get blocked up is scoot his but along the floor. having long fur would certainly make it a messy affair.
 

miss mew

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My mom's cat Honey (RIP) used to have the same problem..she did have alot of bowel problems and had to go to the vet for regular anal gland expressions..other than that though she was not a very clean cat and so my mom got some special shampoo from the vet and washed her bum everynight
it was kind of gross but strangely enough Honey seemed to enjoy it
 

white cat lover

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Our Lab has to have her anal glands expressed regularly. I believe a vet can show you how to do it at home, but I prefer to let him do it.
Now giving a cat a haicut, don't ask me how to do it. I had to clip some gum(don't ask) out of Twitch's fur once, & boy did she look stupid until it grew out!
 

muttigreemom

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Mayhem, my Maine Coon, was quite a big boy. Putting aside for a moment that maine coons are large to begin with, he also had a heart murmur that made it hard for him to move... so no matter what food you put him on, he'd gain weight because he had such a hard time walking.

Because of this, he couldn't reach all the way down his back to clean himself and ended up getting mats on his lower back and around his butt... and inevitably, poop would get caught in it.

He was not an easy cat to groom by any stretch of the imagination (I still, quite literally, have scars on my back from the one and only time I tried to give him a bath), and after many attempts at home remedies found the only cureall was to get him professionally shaved twice a year.



As you can see, it looked pretty good on him... and he was much happier with all those clumps removed. I highly recommend a professional grooming. Should help a lot if Mayhem's saga is any indication
 

kitytize

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Cala my obese cat also has this problem but it is because she cant reach back there to clean. I have been monitoring her food and giving her baths. She has lost 4 lbs but still cant reach her back end well enough.
 
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aries

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Thank you, everyone, for your suggestions and ideas.

Midnight is an outdoors kitty and he is a big cat (not really fat, but heavy since he moved to our farm). He wandered up to our house back during the summer and liked the food so well, he stayed.
He was quite thin when he first came and for a big boned cat like him he looked starved (poor baby). I am a sucker for hard luck cases.

Anyway... We groom him but since he likes to get out and hunt in the yard (squirrels) and in the garden (mice and moles), he gets a few burrs and what have you that I have to trim out but nothing as bad as the poo problem.


I am a fair groomer but he is just not impressed. I was hoping that there might be a less traumatic way to treat the problem. But shaving his hiny sounds like the most viable option.


BTW - You can see Midnight at http://www.catster.com/?218892.
 

semiferal

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He may actually have problems with nerve function in his backside that would cause him to have poor anal tone and problems pushing poo out of his bum. My friend's cat has this problem because of a spinal cord injury at the base of his tail (he does get shaved every 2 months or so - it's especially problematic for him because he is a longhair and semi-feral). The problem can also occur in any cat who is tailless from birth, because the spinal cord runs through the tail so a lack of a tail sometimes causes problems such as this. He should see the vet to be evaluated.
 

mothernature67

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I have a 5 year old female tabby, she is over weight, and for the last few months off and on she has a problem back there. Upon, inspection of the area, I feel taht the problem is with the bottom and not her front area. Her anal glands seem to leak. She scoots her bum along the floor usually on the area rug yuck. Her poop is normal, I have not brought her to the vet cause it does not seem to get any worse. There is never any poop on her fur. BUt i feel for her cause she seems to be itchy. Any advice?
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by mothernature67

I have a 5 year old female tabby, she is over weight, and for the last few months off and on she has a problem back there. Upon, inspection of the area, I feel taht the problem is with the bottom and not her front area. Her anal glands seem to leak. She scoots her bum along the floor usually on the area rug yuck. Her poop is normal, I have not brought her to the vet cause it does not seem to get any worse. There is never any poop on her fur. BUt i feel for her cause she seems to be itchy. Any advice?
Yes - my advice is take her to a vet to have her glands expressed and perhaps the vet will show you how to do it at home. This must be very uncomfortable for your kitty so help her out please.
 
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