Cats are generally very clean animals, and they clean themselves regularly enough that you won’t have to worry. You likely see your cat grooming itself all the time, and this is why you might be alarmed if you see feces stuck to your cat’s fur.
It isn’t typical for poop to get stuck to a cat’s fur, but it can happen if cats have diarrhea or other digestion issues. Also, long-haired cat breeds might be more susceptible to getting poop stuck to their fur.
Of course, you don’t want to just let the cat poop stay on your cat’s fur. You want to help it out so that it can be clean again, and your cat is definitely going to need your help to get this done.
Read on to learn how to get cat poop out of cat fur so that you can help your feline companion. Once you’ve read all of the information below, it’ll be a lot easier to understand how to approach a situation like this.
Consider Trimming Your Cat’s Hair
One thing to think about right away is whether or not you should trim your cat’s hair. This might not be necessary if you have a short-haired cat or if you take your cat to a groomer already.
Basically, if a cat has hair that is way too long near its butt, then it’s more likely that poop will get stuck on the fur. Sometimes this can happen even when cats aren’t experiencing diarrhea, and it can be problematic.
If you want to help your cat out, then you could simply take a pair of scissors and trim the cat’s fur a bit. Take off as much fur as you think is appropriate, but remember that getting the hair to be short near the butt area is ideal. Just be careful to keep the scissors away from the skin.
You don’t want the cat to continue to get poop stuck to its fur, and the trimming can prevent this from being an issue. You might want to clean your cat’s fur before you move forward with giving it a trim, but some people do think it’s easy enough to just cut the fur away when it is caked with cat poop.
Be sure to wear gloves when you’re doing this so that you don’t have to touch the cat poop. Many people wear disposable gloves when trimming a cat’s fur, and it definitely makes the experience more pleasant.
Remember to sterilize the scissors that you use for this process after you finish the job. It’s always advisable to do this even if you’re just giving your cat a trim like normal.
Regular Grooming
It’s also worth mentioning that you could sign up to have your cat groomed semi-regularly. This might be a good idea if you aren’t confident about your cat letting you cut its fur without being fussy.
Professional groomers are really good at getting cats to stay calm so that they can do what they need to do. If you go this route, then your cat won’t have overly long fur, and it’ll be less likely to have issues with poop getting stuck to its fur.
The downside to doing this is that you’re going to have to pay good money to get it done. Pet grooming isn’t exorbitantly priced or anything like that, but not everyone wants to spend money on pet grooming either.
This might not be a necessity, but it can make your life a bit more convenient. Consider if you’d like to trim your cat’s fur yourself or if hiring a groomer would be a better option.
Wash the Cat’s Fur
Of course, the biggest thing that you should be thinking about doing is washing the cat’s fur. Generally, a simple washing should help the cat to get things back to normal, and you don’t necessarily have to give the cat a full bath.
Many cats don’t like water, and this means that they might be rather skittish about getting in a tub for you. You might have better results if you just use the amount of water that you need to use.
One good idea is to dilute some cat shampoo using warm water so that you can use it on your cat. Just pour some of the shampoo into a cup and then add warm water to the cup.
You don’t actually need all that much shampoo to get the job done. You can use a one part shampoo to five parts warm water mixture and you’ll be good to go.
With this done, you’re going to be able to wash the cat’s fur easily enough. The trick is really just getting your cat to cooperate without scratching you or trying to run away.
Wear Gloves and Long Sleeves
For your own safety, it’s going to be wise to wear protective gloves and a long-sleeved T-shirt. Some cats get very finicky about water, and there is a possibility that your cat will try to scratch you or bite you.
If you have a very gentle cat, then this might not happen, but you should still take precautions. Besides, you’ll want to wear gloves anyway to avoid touching cat poop.
Many people choose to wear long-sleeved shirts that they don’t care about any longer. If you wear clothes that are old and worn, then it won’t be a big loss if they get really dirty or if they get torn up by cat scratches.
Be Careful When Washing the Cat’s Fur
Position your cat in a tub or a wash basin where you can start cleaning its fur. Some experts say that things like this might be easier when your cat is a bit sleepy, but evidence for how well this works is anecdotal at best.
You’re just going to have to try to be calm and keep your cat calm during this process. Pour the warm water and shampoo mixture over the cat’s backside so that you can start washing its fur.
You should be able to use a rag to wipe away the fecal matter that is stuck to your cat’s fur. Sometimes this will be hard if the hair is matted or caked with cat poop, but you can still remove as much of it as you can.
If necessary, you can grab a fine-tooth comb to help get rid of more fecal matter. You can gently brush the fur near the cat’s backside to try to remove as much of the poop as you can.
You want to do this without hurting the cat, but sometimes that can be hard if the cat’s hair is knotted up. It might cause the cat to jump or get upset, but just try to speak to the cat using a soothing voice so that this process can go as easily as it can.
Be sure to massage the shampoo into the fur so that you can loosen the poop as much as possible. If you do it right, then you should be able to completely wash the fur so that the cat will be clean.
Washing away the soap residue will be easier if you have a spray bottle nearby. Simply fill the spray bottle with warm water and spray the cat’s backside when it’s necessary.
Once you have sufficiently washed the cat’s fur, it’s going to be time to dry the cat off. Grab a clean towel and attempt to gently wipe the cat down so that it can dry off properly.
Disinfect the Tub and Dispose of Fecal Matter
After you’re done washing your cat’s fur, it’s going to be wise to do a little bit of cleaning. You absolutely need to disinfect the tub, and you’re also going to need to dispose of any fecal matter that is present.
Cat fecal matter has the potential to infect people with various types of bacteria, and this is why you need to ensure that it’s disposed of. Don’t let it sit around, and make sure that you get rid of it as soon as you can.
Disinfecting your tub shouldn’t take too much time, but it’s important to do it. You might wish to clean the bathtub (or basin, depending on if you decided to wash the cat there) with antibacterial cleaning products.
You can wipe the tub down with antibacterial sprays and everything will be fine. Many people also choose to use bleach because it’s a powerful cleaner that can eliminate bacteria.
Wash Your Clothes or Dispose of Them
The state of your clothes cannot be ignored either because you were touching cat poop and probably got wet with water that had cat poop in it. If you don’t clean your clothes, then you could wind up getting sick, and that’s not going to be helpful in any way.
Take off your clothes that you were wearing while washing your cat’s fur. You should be able to clean them in your washing machine or you can use hot soapy water to clean them by hand.
If you don’t mind getting rid of the clothes, then you could also choose to discard them. Just don’t leave the dirty clothes sitting in a hamper or anything like that.
You don’t want to spread bacteria to other clothing items or surfaces because it could make people sick. Washing the clothes won’t be hard, but it’s up to you to decide whether you want to try to save them or not.
What If Your Cat Won’t Cooperate?
Sadly, there is a possibility that you might have a tough time getting your cat to cooperate. Some cats really don’t like baths, and they also don’t like being handled in certain ways.
Many cats can also be temperamental, and this can make it very annoying to try to wash a cat’s fur without getting attacked. Even if your cat seems to love you, it’s not impossible for a cat to scratch or bite its owner during situations like this.
If you don’t feel like you can bathe your cat safely, then you could try to ask for help. Some veterinarians might be willing to help you out if your cat is having serious problems, but you’re more likely to get help from a pet groomer.
As mentioned above, it can be very beneficial to just hire a pet groomer because they can do a good job of bathing cats. You won’t have to risk getting clawed, and your cat can come out squeaky clean.
Why Diarrhea Is Worrying in Cats
Diarrhea is worrying in cats because it’s likely a sign that something is wrong. When cats are pooping so much that their poop gets stuck to their fur, it’s usually not going to be a good sign.
In fact, your cat could have a serious gastrointestinal issue that will need to be addressed. Many cats will experience diarrhea when they’re having gastrointestinal problems, and you might need to talk to your veterinarian to see what’s wrong.
It’s also possible that your pet could have a parasitic infection of some sort. There are quite a few things that can cause cats to get diarrhea, and the majority of them are not good.
Thankfully, you can take care of your pet and try to get things back to normal by just contacting your veterinarian. Your veterinarian will be able to examine the cat so that they can determine what is going on.
You should be taking your cat to see the veterinarian on a semi-regular basis already. Just call your veterinarian’s office if you have any concerns about your cat so that you can get to the bottom of the situation.
Final Thoughts
It isn’t necessarily easy to get poop off of a cat’s fur, but it is something that you can do. You might need to trim your cat’s fur if you’re caring for a long-haired cat, but cats can have issues with this when they have diarrhea as well.
Be sure to go to your veterinarian to address any health concerns that you might have about your cat. If you just need to clean your cat’s fur to get it back to normal, then you’ll want to do so carefully.
Under normal circumstances, cats don’t need to be bathed, but you’ll need to give your cat a bit of a bath to get rid of the poop that is stuck to its fur. As long as you follow the advice above, you should be able to enjoy the best results possible.
I have a bachelor’s degree in Film/Video/Media Studies, as well as an associates degree in Communications. I began producing videos and musical recordings nearly 15 years ago. I am a guitarist and bassist in Southwest MI and have been in a few different bands since 2009, and in 2012 I began building custom guitars and basses in my home workshop as well. When I’m home, I love spending time with my three pets (a dog, cat, and snake) and gardening in my backyard. I also like photographing wild birds, especially birds of prey.