Cat's fur smells like urine

[pbaumgar]

Hello all,

My cat is obese and she has a hard time cleaning herself in her private area. I've started using petwipes to help clean her up after she goes to the bathroom. However, the fur around her private area has begun to smell like urine and the cat wipes do not seem to do much for the smell. Also, the fur looks like it's starting to turn a bit yellow(she's white). I've tried shampooing her and this isn't helping much either. So what should I do? Is there some sort of baking soda formula or other chemical concoction that I can buy? Should I just shave her fur down there - but then it will just come back unitl she loses weight.

Thank you for any advice.

 

[coaster]

Many people with this problem have their cats shaved in that area. The fur grows very slowly, so it doesn't have to be redone very often. It helps quite a bit. A groomer should be able to do that for you.

 

[momofmany]

My friend with overweight white cat has the same issue right now. She shaved his rump, has him on a diet and since he loves catnip, she periodically sprays his rump with catnip spray. She was surprised to see that if given the motivation, he CAN reach back and clean himself. The combination of tactics is helping him a lot. If it gets out of hand, she gives him a bath in the sink. Nope, he doesn't like it, but there isn't a lot of choice.

 

[pbaumgar]

Thank you both for the advice with this problem. Shaving is probably the best way to go as she is losing weight. Any advice on shaving her down there? I have some clippers that are for cutting human hair (the kind from the salon)- are they okay to use? Any tips on shaving a cat? Or should I take her to the vet to have her shaved?

I'll try the catnip idea on her bum.. Though catnip for some reason doesn't get her too excited. She usually just eats it.

 

[coaster]

Originally Posted by pbaumgar

Any tips on shaving a cat?

Pay up your life and health insurance and buy a suit of steel armor!!

 

[gilly]

My neighbour just had her cat shaved because he is very, very fluffy and had quite a few hair knots around his genital area. No matter how much she grooms him etc, he still manages to get knots which in return make it very difficult for him to clean himself.

Because it is in that area he had to go to the vets to be shaved - they put him to sleep so as not to stress him out and also so that they could do the job properly. It might be an idea to take your cat to the vet and see what they suggest?

Hope it works out and keep us updated

 

[mzjazz2u]

Originally Posted by pbaumgar

Thank you both for the advice with this problem. Shaving is probably the best way to go as she is losing weight. Any advice on shaving her down there? I have some clippers that are for cutting human hair (the kind from the salon)- are they okay to use? Any tips on shaving a cat? Or should I take her to the vet to have her shaved?

I'll try the catnip idea on her bum.. Though catnip for some reason doesn't get her too excited. She usually just eats it.

Please take your cat to a professional groomer to have her private areas trimmed/shaved. It's just too dangerous to do it yourself. Just tell them you want a "sanitary". They should be able to do it without putting her under anesthetic too. I've had many a cat have a sanitary without having a vet put them to sleep.