Poopy bum!

I posted about the homeless cat I have taken in. He seems healthy and everything but now and then he gets poop on his bum and it smells pretty unpleasant.

My friend says I should use a wide tooth comb and brush it out but I am too nervous to do this. The cat is pretty huge (not fat just a big cat). He is about 20 pounds and has been homeless his whole life (about 6 years) so he's not used to being groomed or handled.

How do I clean this poo from his bum? He is a shorthaired cat. I am pretty nervous about it.

Thanks!

I would watch him in the litterbox to make sure he doesn't have diarrhea- a good consistency stool is far less likely to get caught in the coat than a loose stool. Maybe since becoming a house cat his diet has changed and his system hasn't fully adjusted yet.

Can you pick him up and handle him at all?

Thanks for the reply. What could I do if this were the case? I will have to check to make sure. I just found some poop on the carpet (how do you clean that?). I think you may be right about the diahrea. What can I do?
Thanks.

To clean up poop you'll need an enzyme cleaner like Nature's Miracle or Nok Out- something that removes any imperceptible odors.

What is he eating now? How long has he been eating it? has he had diarrhea the whole time, or is this a new development?
A change of food might be in order.

Has he been checked for internal parasites?

He has not been checked for internal parasites (this is stool testing you are talking about right?). He has been eating the same food the whole time - dry and wet food and sometimes chicken. He also drinks water of course.

I forgot to say - no I cannot pick him up and handle him.