I think I accidentally trained my kitty to not clean her bumhole... help?

[naayy]

My 5 month old kitten got spayed about a week ago, and she is very light so the smallest e-collar we got from the vet was too heavy and she was stumbling all over the place. So I decided to take it off and monitor her and pull her away from her abdomen whenever she started to lick and nip there. She likes to please me so, after a few consistent pulling her away (I did say 'no' also because I never expected it would stick with her) she stopped grooming there altogether. I see her reach over to groom herself in her lower body and then stop and groom elsewhere. I just got her, and I really did not mean to train her to do this.

She's medium hair, and poop has been sticking near her rear which I've been cleaning up with a paper towel. Can I train her back to start cleaning there? If I leave her to her own devices will she do it? Help. .-.

 

[Willowy]

I don't think it's necessarily that you accidentally trained her not to lick there, I think it's more likely that her abdomen hurts when she tries to fold herself to reach. She should start grooming again as she heals.

If, a full month after the surgery, she still isn't grooming, wet her back end a little, that will usually make them clean the water off. But don't do it before then because you don't have any way of knowing how tender her abdomen is.

 

[naayy]

I don't think it's necessarily that you accidentally trained her not to lick there, I think it's more likely that her abdomen hurts when she tries to fold herself to reach. She should start grooming again as she heals.

If, a full month after the surgery, she still isn't grooming, wet her back end a little, that will usually make them clean the water off. But don't do it before then because you don't have any way of knowing how tender her abdomen is.

Thanks!! Sounds like a good solution to me. I will give it a few more weeks. She would probably feel pretty tender, you're right.