Pet Lovers

[hyacinth003]

My approx. 10 year old kitty, Iris, has a grooming "issue"

Iris has had some tough times over the last year.  She had to have an eye removed due to a severe infection and she was diagnosed with diabetes.

We got Iris as a stray.  She has calmed down a lot, but she can be nervous at times.  She is an over-groomer, and has licked areas raw at times.  Vet recommended we give her amitriptyline for an OCD, and we do. 

But this problem is reversed!  She is doing less of the destructive licking, but grooms normally, except............She is NOT grooming her backside.  My husband and I have taken to doing this, and no one likes it!  We use a Furminator to get as much, um, solid pieces in her fur, then I take baby wipes to her, um, delicate area, and blot off and wipe as best I can.  We have to be careful as she will only tolerate so much, and my husband would be the one getting bitten. 

Anyone have experience or ideas?

Hyacinth

[candys mine]

Poor Iris.  Hang in there girlie.  I suggest getting some real grooming clippers. not the little bitty spot trimmers they won't do the job (trust me)  A true standard size grooming clipper will cut right through her pantalloons and give her a sanitary shave quicker than combing and wiping will.  As for her sitting still well you can see where she's coming from with that.  Do you put her on a table where you have plenty of space to hold her and reach the area to be cleaned?  Try burittoing her in a towel with just her butt sticking out and all the pointy bits wrapped up.  There's also Elizabethan collars, those satalite dish things you could use so she can't bite while you groom her. 

Glad Iris has her anxiety under control now.  She's a trooper losing an eye and dealing with diabetes.  Go TEAM IRIS!

[violann]

Moving into this “delicate” area with a few possibly related thoughts-

we have also had this issue, with two very large, obese males, one of which was also diabetic, and a somewhat related problem with a very svelte female.

SO- If Iris is obese, she may find it difficult or to much effort to access her “delicate” area.

“Buddie” (so named for his Christmas arrival several years ago and his UNCANNY resemblance to Will Farrell) is an athlete, gymnast, and fitness guru, so he is happily capable in spite of his inappropriate girth, to groom himself when the need arises. He is also a fearful, anxious, timid male in spite of his ridiculous size, and a cat who is VERY difficult to persuade.

Weeble, Buddies’predecessor, was somewhat less limber, given to frightening feline bladder problems, and was an insulin dependent diabetic.

Both those guys had heavy thick Domestic Shorthair fur, and both needed to be vigorously groomed AT LEAST every other day, or “self care” would slip disastrously.

Poly (named for her profusion of fingers and toes), although petite and dainty currently into her late teen years, is prone to constipation.

All 3 have needed dietary adjustments over time, trials of various hairball/laxative medicines, and ramped up brushing.

Buddie and Weeble both had serious issues with matting, from approximately the areas of their waists to the base of their tails, and although Buddie is a TERRIBLE cat to groom, he does better when his grooming is kept up.

Is Iris on special diabetic cat food? Weeble was, with insulin administered twice a day. Could her problem be related to her diet?  

Might she need an adjustment in either of her medications?

Hairballs? SIGNIFICANTLY DECREASED since we’ve instituted the heavy grooming regime.

Have you tried an occasional professional grooming? We’re tending in that direction with Buddie. Our repeated attempts with mani-pedis have not been productive, and our only reservation about looking for a Pro is making sure we choose someone with REALLY GOOD health insurance (on themselves).

[NickNack]

I took Henry to the Vet for a potty patch.  I had them shave his area all the way down his legs.  It worked!

[geezerette]

I have a long haired kitten (white, yet!) that isn’t the best at grooming himself in that spot either.  He also gets diarrhea if he manages to get into food that isn’t his, which he then tracks all over the house!  Eww.

Since he totally freaked when I tried the clippers, I just take scissors and trim the area that needs done.  Short.  So far, it’s worked fine. He doesn’t even notice, and it took only minutes to do.

[hyacinth003]

I feel better at least knowing others have had this issue.  And Iris is all white except for a little gray on the top of her head.  My husband said it looked like an iris, hence her name.

She is bigger than she should be (on expensive weight management food), but I think she COULD groom there.  And even after we clean her, she still doesn't tend to herself there.  I would love to soap & water clean her, but I'd like to keep my life.

She grooms too much, except there.  She has been a real challenge from the day my daughter found her around my dad's house.

Our cleaning  technique is more or less working out, but was hoping it could be solved.  When she is not clean, wherever she wants to hang out (like on kitchen chair, ledges) aren't clean either.

Thanks for all the suggestions.

Hyacinth

[hyacinth003]

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@NickNack wrote:

I took Henry to the Vet for a potty patch.  I had them shave his area all the way down his legs.  It worked!

@NickNack

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We are having our 23 pound, part Maine Coon,long haired boy, to the vet to be partially shaved.  He will not let us groom him.  I think it may be a side effect of the phenobarbital he takes for a seizure disorder.  He is more cranky than before.

We also had them shave back there so he could reach better for grooming.  He's half black, half white, and so are his boy parts!!!

He would bite if we continued to try to groom him.  Then he gets matted, especially toward the back.

It looks different, but it works!

Hyacinth