My dads cat has extremely long hair which i believe comes in the way of her personal hygiene. What can I do?

Question

I am looking after my dads cat - 1.5 yrs. She is a beautiful long haired cat. I however noticed that she is having difficulty cleaning herself after going to the loo. I looked up her bum and noticed it was dirty. Besides her long hair,she is extremely overweight too. What can I do? She sleeps on my bed and I would appreciate she was spotless clean when she comes into bed.

Answer 1

You need to trim her hair short about an inch wide round her anus and perhaps 2 inches below it.
You can either take her to a groomer or DiY with a friend to hold her if needed.
If possible she should be groomed daily (a good way to bond with her).
she needs diet (if she is overweight for her breed) and exercise! Give her smaller amounts of food and don't give her treats at all! Feed her once a day and pick up any food she doesn't eat at one sitting. If possible get her to play strenuous games with you. A torch beam being shone on the floor or wall seems irresistible to most cats and at her age especially. Any game that brings out the hunting instinct works. She'll be slower and the game will end quickly at first (She'll let you know when she's had enough) it's the only way I know of to make a cat exercise. The tips should also be given to your Dad when you return her.
Good luck!

Answer 2

The idea that Pagans do not bathe is utterly stupid. We were bathing long before the Christians came on the scene. Ever heard of the Roman bath houses. Yeah when Christianity first became the major religion they were lucky if they bathed once a year. Most people think that all Pagans are non shaving bath once a month hippies. I for one am a Preppy Pagan who has been known to shower twice in one day. If I go more than 2 days it's because I'm sick in bed and can't get up.

Answer 3

i would say get the area clipped first of all, you can have it done so that its not very noticable.
Then the cat must go on a diet, being over weight is bad in soooo many ways, let alone stopping her from grooming herself. We all know how much cats love to be clean, so it is unfair to her as well as you.
You may well have to 'wipe her bottom' for her for a while, just to make it nicer for her and you.

If she is having trouble going to the toilet it may be an idea to take her to the vet to check that she is not unwell. being unwell may contribute to the messiness as well.

Answer 4

Take her to a groomer. As a groomer myself I have shaved many cats giving them the lion cut. It is actually a pretty clip but it is kinds stark when you pick her up afterwards. See if the groomer will allow you to stay with her while she is getting groomed.

If nothing else you can sicissor the hair shot around her bottom.

Answer 5

Groom her and put her on a diet: A cat that's too fat to clean herself is not healthy. Also, you may want to get the fur around her rear cut short, at least until she is her proper weight.

Good luck!

Answer 6

I used to have a Persian. I used to take her to the groomer every few months. They bathe as well as cut cats fur. I'm sure yor dads cat would look a lot better after a session with one.

Answer 7

you need to brush her alot, i have 2 long hairs and sometimes i cut the hair around the bum ,and if real dirty just wash the area.also try a diet that will help her cleaning process

Answer 8

trim up the fur round her backend then when she has been to the loo if she is still struggling to clean her up yourself and also try and take some weight off her

Answer 9

my cat also have long hair and i give him a good brushing every couple of days it helps with his moulting as well try it i think you will find he will look nice and clean also.

Answer 10

JUST HELP HER CLEAN HERSELF WITH A WARM WASH CLOTH, WE TOO, HAVE A CHOCOLATE POINT HIMALAYAN AND SHE HAS GROOMING TROUBLE TOO ! SHE IS 7 YEARS OLD SO SHE IS SOMEWHAT BETTER AT IT, SHE WILL GET BETTER IN TIME.IN THE MEANTIME JUST HELP HER OUT!