Old cat grooming tips?

[zoes]

Hi folks! My ancient kitty is starting to get a little smelly; it’s clear her grooming has declined in her advanced age, though she’s still doing some and keeps her bum clean - she just smells like “old cat.”
I’m hoping for some good tips on cleaning her efficiently, as she hates being touched anywhere but her face/head and spine and will get quite overstimulated and attack if you touch her elsewhere (she doesn’t break the skin or anything, but she clearly finds it distressing.)
Based on internet research, I used a moist cloth with water and a wee bit of vinegar and mild dish soap, then just regular water to “rinse” but by the end she was quite moist and I had to use the vacuum to try to dry her even after trying to towel dry her (I don’t have a hair dryer and am not sure she would tolerate one anyway.)

I do shave her down regularly and brush her as much as I can. She still gets little mats on occasional but it’s under control.
Not sure what kind of advice I’m looking for - maybe washing products, diy cat wipe recipesbrushing products, drying products etc that will help me make quick work of this without buying a bunch of stuff to experiment and trial/error.
I’d like to avoid water bathing her if I can, though I could if I had to.
Thanks for sharing the wisdom of your experience!
Here’s the old girl (outside under supervision only!)

 

[IndyJones]

1 mow that lawn lol (but seriously ticks and fleas love long lawns)

2 a groomers glove like they use for horses might help. Just go slowly and untangle any mats or clip if they are close to the surface dont clip close to the skin.

Like people, a cats skin gets delicate as they age, Kabuto (16) sometimes bleeds if i brush him too hard.

Keep an eye out for unusual lumps or growths, nasty agressive skin cancers can be sneaky.

I personaly wouldn't use vinegar on a cat because it stinks and actualy stings my nose a bit. Must smell much worse to an animal with a nose like a bloodhound.

There are wipes and leave in shampoos that might work, probably on amazon.

 

[zoes]

1 mow that lawn lol (but seriously ticks and fleas love long lawns)

2 a groomers glove like they use for horses might help. Just go slowly and untangle any mats or clip if they are close to the surface dont clip close to the skin.

Like people, a cats skin gets delicate as they age, Kabuto (16) sometimes bleeds if i brush him too hard.

Keep an eye out for unusual lumps or growths, nasty agressive skin cancers can be sneaky.

I personaly wouldn't use vinegar on a cat because it stinks and actualy stings my nose a bit. Must smell much worse to an animal with a nose like a bloodhound.

There are wipes and leave in shampoos that might work, probably on amazon.

Yeah I found the vinegar recommendation to be odd, so I used so little that I could not smell it.
Leave-in shampoos is interesting! I’ll take a look at those. I’m sure wipes are miraculous but I’m hoping for a DIY solution to avoid the waste - still, I may cave and get some for an occasional proper cleaning.
Good call on the brush. I’ve only used those wire slicker brushes that she loves rubbing her face on enthusiastically (I don’t understand how it doesn’t hurt her) but for body I’ll look for something softer.
Can’t do anything about the lawn unfortunately she doesn’t go out much anymore, but she wanted to that day and she gets anything she wants! Thankfully no bugs came back in with her.

 

[IndyJones]

Wire bruahes can sometimes make Kabuto bleed a bit especialy along his spine. I have to be super careful if I use one on him. His spine sticks up a bit and if Im too rough he can bleed a bit. I also stopped using the furminator on him even though he loves it. A natural bristle baby brush works better for fragile skin.

 

[IndyJones]

Amazon.ca

A kit like this would probably be perfect for your old girl, a comb for mats, a soft brush for every day brushing and a normal but gental brush for dirt/massage.

Kabuto loves my old baby brush.

He also says, don't forget the treats afterwords!

 

[susanm9006]

Just a wipe down with a slightly damp cloth with no cleaners on it works pretty well and doesn’t stress them out too much. If you need to wipe her bum then be sure you have used warm water on the cloth and wrung it out so it is nearly dry. Regardless of how lightly you wipe or how dry your cloth be sure to wipe her again with a dry towel so she is pretty much dry when you are done.

You also want to pay very close attention to her nails as well. As gets get older they may have difficulty shedding and wearing down their claws so that the claw ends up curling over and growing into their skin. If they are too long you can trim yourself or have it done.

 

[Alldara]

I definitely shaved the problem areas for Nobel and kept his belly and bum short it meant I had to handle him less which was great to him!

Usually I just used a silicone glove brush and a damp paper towel. Burt's Bees makes some good pet wipes that don't cause hairballs though.

 

[maggie101]

Yeah I found the vinegar recommendation to be odd, so I used so little that I could not smell it.
Leave-in shampoos is interesting! I’ll take a look at those. I’m sure wipes are miraculous but I’m hoping for a DIY solution to avoid the waste - still, I may cave and get some for an occasional proper cleaning.
Good call on the brush. I’ve only used those wire slicker brushes that she loves rubbing her face on enthusiastically (I don’t understand how it doesn’t hurt her) but for body I’ll look for something softer.
Can’t do anything about the lawn unfortunately she doesn’t go out much anymore, but she wanted to that day and she gets anything she wants! Thankfully no bugs came back in with her.

My mom used to use a tad of vinegar when using the washing machine for towels. They stunk so bad! If nothing else works,brush her teeth. There is also paste instead of brushing to use on her gums