My overweight cat has matted fur & red, inflamed anus. What to do?

Hello! Yes, cats that are overweight often get an infected rash in this area. Cats have trouble grooming this area when they are overweight. If the area is sore and infected looking, it is much better to take Carmen in to see her vet to have the area checked. Your vet can likely prescribe a cream to use topically. At the clinic, they will likely be able to shave and clean the area fully, and this will help things to heal up normally.

If Mila has abnormal stool quality or if she is overweight then it could be a medical issue. Most cats are very clean and groom themselves frequently. However, not all cats are this way and it could be a behavioral thing. If she is overweight then she may not be able to reach to keep clean. There is a food company called Royal Canin that tends to make pets have good stool quality and you may try this diet. If she has a bad stool quality, take her to the vet to see if anything should be done. I hope this helps!

As long as they are cat friendly this is ok, but he may be less than impressed! I strongly recommend transitioning him to a high fiber metabolic/weight management diet which would be expected to improve stool consistency and prevent this happening as well as reducing his weight. Obesity is linked to many health complications in cats including diabetes, fatty liver disease and inflammatory diseases

This sounds suspicious that your cats anal glands may be full. The anal glands are located just inside the rectum at the 4 and 10 o'clock position and when they are full they can cause irritation resulting in the pet scooting across the carpet. So this is a common presentation. Typically the anal glands are expressed by pets when they go poop, but in obese or overweight pets this is difficult and can result in them not being expressed properly. So first thing is to get the anal glands checked by a veterinarian to avoid having them rupture because of over-filling. The second thing is to get your kitty on a low fat diet or weight loss routine, such as decreasing portions and limited extra calorie snacks. Here are my picks for weight loss foods if interested: 1) Hills Metabolic- by far the best product in my opinion for FAST (within 2 months approx. 79% of pets lose weight) weight loss and weight maintenance (prescription only) 2) Hill's W/D - effective and also can help regulate glucose to prevent diabetes (prescription only) 2) Hill's Low fat - over the counter, varying results

If Chubbs' fur coat is heavily matted, this can be quite painful and he may be pulling out the mats due to discomfort. Cats typically groom themselves well, but when cats do not do so, they can have underlying skin or endocrine conditions. Start by having Chubbs groomed to remove all mats, be sure to apply a high quality flea preventative (such as Advantage) once a month, and monitor his behavior and appetite for changes. Laxatone is an over the counter medication that can be helpful if Chubbs develops a problem with hairballs.

It is likely this will not heal until all the matting is removed and it is kept open to the air and bathed daily - manuka honey can help with such slow healing wounds. It is possible she may require sedation for a full groom if she is very uncomfortable and a blood test to rule ot any additional complicating factors also

Your cat likely has arthritis or is not feeling well. Cats who do not clean themselves usually are either too lethargic to clean themselves or are in pain and cannot move well enough to properly clean themselves His teeth should also be checked. If he has a lot of tartar on his teeth, or red inflamed gums, grooming will also hurt. You should take him to your vet for an exam, and if the mats are very bad, a shave under anesthesia.