I adopted an adult cat some months back, and he is the first cat whose care has been my responsibility. I’m a dog man.
My question is about how (or whether) to clean a small region along his back that I don’t think he can reach. He came to the shelter I got him from after being hit by a car, and had a broken pelvis they nursed him through. I don’t think he’s as flexible as he used to be, and a patch of fur straddling his lower spine is persistently yellower than his mostly white fur. I’ve given him a wipe or two with a damp cloth, and combed the region with a damp comb, but neither method can compete with the factory-installed cat auto-cleaner.
Is there a half measure between this and an assault therapy cat bath?
If it isn’t bothering the cat then it needn’t worry you. But if you see it is galling the cat, then you can take a wash cloth soaked in warm water and wipe the area down for him.
Cats do (very rarely) need to be bathed, but not often at all…maybe twice a year, maybe even less.
If you try to bathe the cat, please do yourself and the cat both a favor and get someone experienced in working with cats to help you. It’s really not a one-person job anyway.
That said, chances are the yellow fur is a natural variation and won’t wash off.
Do make sure to have someone on hand to man the video recorder.
Oh, and be sure the first-aid kit is well stocked, the local rescue team is on speed dial, and that you are in good standing with your general care physician and the vet.
It’s dinge. It wasn’t there when I brought him home, and he acquired it while basking in the lovely warmth under and behind my cast-iron bathtub, with me in it. Mostly behind (so sue me, but what I can’t see, I don’t often clean) - he emerged with his new brown patch a couple of months back. He and I have combined to wash the tub down now, but the stain is still on his fur a few months later. Which I why I’m asking.
Seriously, a slightly damp washcloth will do the trick, used a couple of times a day, as part of a good rubdown/petting. He likely won’t mind, because it’s just damp, not wet, and it doesn’t need to have any soap on it. It sounds like maybe a bit of rust from the tub. It should diminish, provided he doesn’t make a habit of renewing it often.
Glad you have him to come home to. That empty room stuff sucks. Bless your dear departed’s canid soul.
Swaddle the cat in a thick towel gently but firmly for restraint before cleaning begins. This may spare
you, the washer a pair of shredded forearms produced by a panicky, squirming-with-all-claws-out washee.
Pay attention if cat emits guttural
growls and whines. This indicates a stress-induced reduction of your friendly pal’s psyche into a limbic state in
which normal behavior is unlikely. You’ll have no trouble recognizing this state.
Use warm but not hot water. Cats hate chilly water. An old favorite
would test bathwater by paw and step in up to his chin and pad around buoyantly if the temperature was comfortable.
He liked showers too but not to the same degree.
I bathed a cat once. Perhaps I could suggest a nice pair of cat-washing gloves –
Jomac® Terrycloth Gloves: Kevlar, Gauntlet Cuff, Pair, X-Large
Sharp edges will roll over the high loops of these cut- and abrasion-resistant Terrycloth Gloves. Terrycloth is soft and flexible, it provides very good heat resistance, and it outwears leather 2-to-1. Heavyweight Kevlar Gloves provide heat protection up to 700º
And one of these –
And this –
And while you’re stocking up on cat-washing protective gear –
Better yet – just put him in a cat carrier and take him to the car wash. If you strap it to the top of the car and drive through, he probably won’t be able to hurt you too badly.
A cloth with a bit of warm water is a good idea, but I’d also suggest a bit of room temperature vinegar on the cloth. Vinegar is always a good thing.
As you are new to cats, please pay attention to the warnings on this thread about bathing a cat, as the potential consequences of bathing a cat are literally not an exaggeration!
BTW, if the underside of your iron tub isn’t enameled, ahem, then perhaps the brown spot could result from a bit of hedonistic back scratching, against the tub?
It’s enameled, and the bottom and near side were repsprayed three years ago when I moved in. I raised the floor under the tub by the width of a 2x4 to make space for running a laundry drainpipe across the floor and through a wall. I really dislike landramats. The bathtub was in an alcove, so this worked and I didn’t need to raise the floor of the whole bathroom, or cut the joists below. It was just three years of dust accumulation.
But yes, he likes getting under the warm tub and warming his back agtainst it.
It’s the hedonistic backrub. I’m sure of it.
We have two black cats and one white. The white regularly appears with discolouration on the end of their back.
Honestly, I wouldn’t bother with it, Simon. Deal with it to the extent that it doesn’t come off on your hand. After that, leave it.
You might like to try a dab of swarfega, or whatever equivalent they use in the US these days. Our cats regularly bide under gardening equipment, parked cars, weightlifting equipment and anything else that will provide cover. That black stuff on their backs is often machine oil.
A cat’s temperature is slightly higher than a human’s: between 101 and 102 degrees as an average. Keep that in mind when choosing your water temperature.
Personally I would try one of those soft-bristled brushes, soaking the bristles in warm water first, to give him a nice thorough backscratching and hopefully loosen the dirt a bit. Then follow it up with the washcloth method others have described. If his back is itchy he’ll probably quite enjoy the attention.
I groom our cats several times aweek with a flea comb. They don’t actually have fleas, it is just a way to habituate them to being handled in that fashion, makes it easier to do vet visits for one thing. I’d vote for a brush/comb, damp clothe combination and then continue to use a brush or comb on a weekly basis. All I have to do is show our guys the comb and they go as limp as a rag doll, you would never have guessed they were once feral and capable of climbing wall papered walls.
You might try spot-cleaning with a bit of alcohol on a washcloth or cotton ball. Kitty skin is very delicate–about the same as your eyelids–so don’t soak the fur.
You’d think someone would have invented spot-remover for pets by now.
