Keeping elderly cat clean

Maz

Hello everybody,

Can anyone help with this please or make any suggestions (all comments welcome!)

My senior cat is 21 coming up to 22 and is not as supple as he used to be, can't get into all the convoluted positions etc to keep himself clean. Anyway, he's starting to niff a bit. I've tried using pet wipes but they don't seem to be very effective (plus he protests quite loudly) Think he's too old and rickety to bath.

Any ideas?

sandy2_2

I have to groom my old cat. I use a comb and brush to get rid of all the loose fur as he can't make a good job of it himself. he still manages to clean his rear end at the moment, but I wash his face and around his eyes with a damp sponge and give him a final wipe with a dry bit of paper kitchen towel.

Another cat I had who needed a 'proper' wash had the damp sponge with very mild baby soap, then the paper towel to make sure she was dry.

Could it be that his breath and therefore saliva smells a bit and this small is being transferred to his fur when he does try to groom himself

Have you had a word with your vet, they might have something to suggest, perhaps a fine water mist spray before giving him a wipe over or even painkillers or a joint supplement if he's not so flexible any more because of aches and pains.

We're now clipping the old boys claws as he can't keep them short anymore and I don't want them to grow and curl into his pads

Unless the cats have been brought up to have their mouths examined regularly, have their teeth cleaned, their paws played about with and even groomed frequently I don't think any of them take kindly to it in later life, but you just have to be firm but gentle with them and give them treats when you've finished....or get a pair of welder's thick leather gloves!!!!

Maz

The damp sponge is a great idea! He's quite a tolerant cat so think he'd be OK with this. I already trim his claws etc and his breath is a lot sweeter than the junior cat, so I don't think that's a problem.

He does get a bit constipated so I give him a drop of milk in the morning, just to keep the pipes oiled, found it works better for him that the stuff you get from the vet! Unfortunately, this also means he gets a bit crusty at the back end, hence the smell!

Some very good ideas there though, thank you.

sandy2_2

I live in Spain and I know we can get stuff over the counter in Pharmacies that you can't in UK. When our cat had a bout of severe constipation the vet told me to get a bottle of Duphalac from the pharmacy and give 1cl upto 3 times a day until he 'went' It's quite a sweet syrup and he gave me a disposible syringeto use. It was effective and didn't give him a messy bottom. Strangely enough our old boy has just taken to drinking a saucer of milk occasionally, something he never used to touch