Is Vaseline safe for cleaning dried poop from my cat's rear fur?

Once the stool is dried and stuck to the skin, it can be difficult and painful to remove. Clipping or shaving it is not recommended as your cat could react negatively and you may accidentally cause injury. If your cat will allow, apply a warm compress to the area for 10-15 minutes. Once the stool has softened, you should be able to safely remove it. If not, consider a visit to your veterinarian for additional assistance. There could be an underlying medical condition for [soft stool](https://www.petcoach.co/article/the-real-scoop-what-is-your-cat-s-poop-telling-you/), if present, or [lack of grooming](https://www.petcoach.co/article/why-has-my-cat-stopped-grooming) which may be contributing to the issue.

It is hard to tell for sure whether this is poop or a growth; however, at this age dried poop is more probable. You can try some KY jelly or Vaseline massages on it for a few days to see if it softens up and falls off. You may also need to do a mild soap and water rinse on the area, if tolerated. This is seen a lot with cats. The poop gets stuck to the mucosa as it exits the rectum and then just sits there for a period of time. As long as the skin itself is not red or irritated looking, or excessive licking ensues, then its fine to try to resolve this on your own. I must also mention though, there is a good chance this will repeat itself, so weekly or bi-weekly maintenance may be needed to help remove the feces and prevent further infections to develop on the skin. I hope this helps and best wishes with your pet Smoak moving forward! Take care.

The best thing to do is have the area around the anus and down the back legs shaved every 6-8 weeks. A groomer should be able to do it for you or if your cat is good, you can try to do it yourself. It's called a sanitary clip. If you put a cream/ointment on it she will likely just lick it off and all kinds of dirt and hair will stick to it. ( https://www.google.com/search?q=sanitary+clip+cat&oq=sanitary+clip+cat&aqs=chrome..69i57j33.4928j1j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8#kpvalbx=_pIU9XtiXO8aE5wKjzauACg44 ) You can use Vaseline if you really want to as it's OK if she licks it but it will be messy.

You can try to ease it out. Use some vaseline and gently massage the outside of the rectum to stimulate her. If this doesn't work, then visit your vet to have some help here; however, unless it is stuck to hair it should come out on its own. You can also try a warm saline only enema to see if that can loosen things up. Best of luck to you and I hope that you get Fluffy comfortable soon! Take care.

Often you can remove the dried feces with a comb or soft brush. Try to get under any fur if there is any and loosen it with the comb or do some circular brushing to loosen it. Also scrubbing the area will a soft brush during a bath and using a lot of warm water usually will take care of it as well. Once Koga is clean if you put a thin film of Vaseline on his fur below and around the anus and on the underneath of the tail it will keep the diarrhea from sticking to his skin or fur. I hope he is recovering after his veterinary treatment. Thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach to help you care for Koga.

A little added fiber or a daily pet probiotic can help firm up loose stools, however bringing a stool sample into the vet to rule out anything such as parasites or an underlying illness causing it is a good idea. In some cases, even normal stools can sometimes get stuck on long-haired cats. Gently trimming the area to make it less easy for stool to stick, or using a pet wipe after Pockey gets out of the litter box before the stool can dry may help make it easier to clean.

This is common in Persians and other long haired cats. You will need to keep her in a sanitary clip to prevent the stool from sticking to her hair. A groomer or vet can do the clip for your or you can learn to do it yourself. A sanitary clip is where you shave the hair around the anus and down both the back legs. I don't think she has an underlying medical issue with her balance but if you are worried you should have your vet check her.