fat cat problem?

Question

This may be a weird question, but here goes... i have a very fat cat, and due to his weight he is unable to clean himself properly... in other words... his rear end is unreachable. I have no idea what to do to help keep him clean. anyone else ever have this problem and if so, what did you do?

I have spoken with my vet about my cats weight already... considering he is now well over 20 lbs... about 23 now. However, he is a breed of a cat that is meant to be husky. i guess they're hunter cats. Also for a fun fact sake, he has thumbs (very cute lol). She just said to watch how much he urinates as peeing alot apparently is a sign of diabetees. I know i should put him on a diet, but i have another fat cat too (she can reach her butt though lol) and she's kinda mean and greedy, so i'm afraid if i only give them a small amount of food she'll eat it all and the other will starve.

Answer 1

You can find pet wipes at the pet store. I used to have to do that for Poppy. I would also give her a full on butt bath once per week. I bought pet shampoo, put a little in a bucket of warm water and washed her up with that.

EDIT: Get a kitty brazilian! I did this for Poppy as well - had her bloomers shaved. She's long-haired and I can't tell you what a mess her back end could become. But then I started getting her shaved - by a professional groomer - and that helped quite a bit.

I'm surprised, though, that your vet is accepting your fat cats! it's super duper unhealthy and no fun for them either (how would you like it if you couldn't wash your butt? lol)

I understand your concerns, but there's an easy solution!

I assume you're feeding both of them dry food. If you convert them to good canned food, they can both get enough to eat and will still lose weight. This is because dry food is full of carbs which are not good for carnivores. Cats need meat!

You could let both cats eat a can per day and they'll still lose weight. If that doesn't seem to be enough for them, too bad! There comes a point when you just have to say no.

But if you need to be tricky about it, you could feed them in small portions throughout the day. Give 1/4 or 1/3 of the can in the morning, and a little later give them a bit more. Do that twice per day.

That way if you have a nibbler, there won't be food left in the bowl for the one who steals food. When you go to put down the rest of the portion, make sure the nibbler is there to eat it.

Answer 2

Oh I love dem Fat Cats!

I have one too-- I take a Non-Alcohol Baby Wipe and gently wipe my Biggius Kittiuss's Buttius with it. If she protests, I GENTLY hold her in place by putting my hand on the scruff of her neck (gently, and I do not pick her up-- I just hold her in place) and I wipe wipe wipe her butt. It sometimes takes a couple of wipe sessions before I get all off-- but I also noticed that by wiping her butt it makes HER want to lick her butt too. So it's a win win situation.

PS-- My big bad one is on a diet now-- Her Vet recommended that I feed her 1/3 a can of cat food from a 5 oz can, twice a day. no free feeding. i rejoice becuz NOW my cat can REACH HER BUTT!!!!

Answer 3

you will need to keep her clean. do you realize with a cat that is that overweight is losing years of it's life. by being that fat the heart has to work so much harder and the heart won't last very long.
Yo really need to put the cat on a diet, dry food only and only small amounts. If yo wnat your cat around like he/she should.

Answer 4

i to have chubby kitty but from little upto nowage of four "cat-bag" my cat has been taught that water and the bath tub isn't the enmy but friend. when her tail endings is dirty she getts a bath.oh she gives a problem getting in at first like a baby but once in don't want to get out . she likes the water and the soothing feeling use baby shampoo that helps the dry skin kittys get.from liking themselves.pat, dry let the air finish the drying.

Answer 5

hah I actually do have this problem my cat monkey is fat and old and she cant clean her butt so she drags it on the carpet like dogs do I am constantly spot cleaning the carpet. I have a friend whos dog wont clean her bottom so she will clean it with a baby wipe every so often when she can tell doggie is getting antsy. also a problem with monkey i have encountered is that since she cant clean her bottom she also cant clean the fur on her backside by her tail and it will get matted so make sure you brush your kitties fur there so he doesn't get painful matts there. hope this helps

Answer 6

I have a long hair female fat cat, same problem, there are many products, but I found that a foaming mousse shampoo(which I found in petsmart) works great, dries very fast, smells nice and doesn't leave them wet all the time.

its called: Foaming Waterless Cat Shampoo by MiracleCorp of Australia (cost 8.99, but it will last)

Answer 7

If you would stop feeding dry foods (making an assumption)
and went to a quality canned without gravy, weight would be lost and the risk of diabetes would be minimalized.

Answer 8

Change his diet.
If you do not know how to properly .. call your local vet and they will tell you over the phone what kind of diet to get him/her on.

DO NOT feed your cat a lot of wet food. A lot of people think it's good for them, its not .. and its very bad for their teeth.

The best way to fix the dirty rear is to clean it yourself =)
Or get someone else in your house to.
If your cat doesnt mind, give him/her a bath .. i give my cats baths every few months and they love it.

good luck and if you need any other advice let me know.

Answer 9

I too have this problem, exacerbated by the fact that mine has also broken her leg previously. I have not had luck in solving this problem and would love to hear what ended up working for you. Mine is too strong (physically and mentally) to let us do something that she feels abusive.

Answer 10

1. Shave kitty if necessary. If the problem is severe, it will be much easier for you to shave your cat's rear. It makes the cleaning process much faster and easier both of you.
2. Use blunt tipped scissors if your cat is hard to handle. He might not like the noise produced by the clippers, so you may have to resort to using scissors, which are slower and more risky to use- SO BE VERY CAREFUL.
3. Bathe the rear end. Briefly submerge your cat's rear end in lukewarm water. If your cat won't tolerate this, try using a wet wash cloth. Lather his rear end with kitty shampoo, gently rub, and then rince by submerging kitty's rear or using the wet wash cloth. After cleaning you will be able to see if kitty's skin is red, oozing, or otherwise irritated. If such is the case, take him to the vet for medication to reduce inflammation.
4. Keep trimming regularly.
5. Clean your cat with baby wipes as needed.
6. Regular combing or brushing will also help.


For the sake of your kitty's health and quality of life, change his diet to help him lose weight. These are the recommendations that I posted in response to another "fat cat" question:


Some cats will eat as long as they have food, which isn't healthy. So you need to stop leaving food out constantly if that's what you're doing.

However, it could be that kitty is constantly hungry. Most commercial cat food is full of carbohydrates, which will do the same thing in a cat as in a human... Within a very short time after excessive carb intake glucose levels rise rapidly because carbs are digested very quickly. When glucose levels are back down to normal, insulin levels are still near maximum and continually storing glucose in fat cells. As a result, glucose levels fall below normal, and hunger occurs again soon.

But you really should take kitty to the vet to rule out the possibility that kitty doesn't have a condition that causes excessive hunger, such as feline diabeties.

Most commercial pet food (regardless of whether it's generic, grocery, or premium) is full of corn, which is of no nutritional value to cats and loaded with carbohydrates. (A veterinarian may tell you differently in an effort to persuade you to purchase food.) Overloading a cat on carbs will fatten him/her up just as it will a human. And some experts agree that too many carbohydrates can lead to a UTI.

This is what I recommend:

25-50% of your kitty's diet should consist of meat. The bigger your kitty, the more meat he should eat. I suggest boiling boneless chicken until it's cooked medium (pink). Serve the broth to kitty as well. Many cats do well on raw meats, but don't switch kitty to raw immediately. If you do it, it should be done gradually. (Don't feed kitty tuna or liver. Tuna can cause steatitis (yellow fat disease), and liver can cause vitamin A toxicosis. And large amounts of fat can cause pancreatitis, so go easy on the fat.)

Commercial foods should consist of no more than 25% of kitty's diet. A superior diet doesn't include ANY commercial food, but we all know that sometimes we're in a pinch for time and sometimes need something quick to toss in kitty's bowl.
This is okay as long as commercial foods are kept to a minimum. When buying commercial foods, check the ingredients. Don't buy anything that lists corn as the first ingredient. This always means that corn is the primary ingredient. Look for foods that list meat or poultry as the first ingredient.

Leave grains out if at all possible, with the exception of white rice. White rice can help with digestive problems, but use it sparingly. Veggies should be routinely added to kitty's diet. Of the veggies, include broccoli, carrots, leafy greens, and peas. But be sure to shred/chop and cook.
It's not necessary to feed all of the above veggies every day. You can feed one or two one day, one or two the next, and so on.

I usually tell people to avoid dairy products since cats are lactose intollerant, but occasionally feeding yogurt and cottage cheese (very sparingly) won't hurt and can sometimes help with an upset tummy.

And, while it's best to avoid feeding too many carbohydrates, cooked and mashed sweet potato occasionally fed in small portions is okay if your kitty likes it.

Eggs are a great source of protein and can be fed cooked or raw, but try not to feed eggs more than twice per week (especially if fed raw).

But remember, sudden changes in diet can cause any number of problems. So "ween" kitty onto his new diet by mixing the ''new'' food with the food he is accustomed to and gradually increasing the amount of ''new'' food, and decreasing the amount of ''old'' food, with time as you notice positive changes.

Some people will say that bones are necessary for calcium and will add that cats have always eaten them. Firstly, broccoli and green leafy veggies, for example, are good calcium sources. Secondly, no one can state with authority that no cat is ever harmed by a bone splinter. It can, and does, happen. I realize that cats eat bones in the wild, but it's better to be safe than sorry in my opinion.

Others will say that a cat should be fed a diet consisting completely of meat. However, too much fish and meat (animal protein) causes excessive acidity. (And too much plant protein causes the urine to be too alkaline.) It's important to consider this when choosing kitty's diet because the most common cause of cat UTI is urolithiasis (which is the formation of stones in the urinary tract.) Struvite is the most common stone and is made up of minerals such as magnesium, ammonium, and phosphate. The acidic and alkaline properties of these minerals upset the pH level in the urine, which is also influenced by the proteins present in kitty's diet.