Hey guys my cat has a smelly bum. He is a long haired cat and he never licks his bum. All he grooms is his shoulders. What can i do to help him clean his bum?
A trip to the vet would be helpful to determine if the anal glands are full of horribly stinky goo that needs to be emptied. Normally the glands are expressed as the cat poops but some cats need a little help. Glands can get impacted and infected so it's a good idea to have the vet take a look.
You can use pet grooming wipes to clean up your cat's butt. A fur trim back there will help keep poop and litter from getting stuck. A pair of safety kids scissors and an extra pair of hands are all that's needed.
Is your cat "a little rounder" than he should be? If so, he may not be able to, or is not comfortable cleaning himself past his shoulders.
Also, how old is he? If some arthritis has set in, it may also pose an issue with being able to comfortably twist and bend to lick.
Feeby is overweight, and had a couple of bouts with clogging anal glands last year. The vet thinks it was due to lack of cleaning - probably because of her weight and some arthritis.
But, about two weeks ago, she came to bed to sleep with me at night as she often does, and man did she smell (she likes to put her butt near my face). I thought - OH NO - the anal gland issue is back!! But no, when I took a much closer look she had tiny piece of poop on her behind. I had to look for it, but when I found it, I knew for sure that was the 'culprit'. I cleaned her off, and no more smell.
Check thoroughly around back there to make sure you aren't missing what I missed until I really scrutinized her back end!!!