# How do I teach Hendon to clean his bum?



## roshambo (Oct 8, 2013)

This is Hendon:










He's 5 months old and basically... he's not great at cleaning his bum. His poo is generally fine and he eats well, it's just he's not quite mastered cleaning up after himself, and it's resulted in my having to wipe him daily with wet wipes (which I warm up) just to get him clean.

Is there any way I can train him to lick himself clean? He does just fine when he urinates so i'm absolutely certain it's him not knowing rather than there being a problem.


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## MowMow (Nov 6, 2010)

Or it's gross and he'd rather you handle it with a wet wipe and put poo in his mouth.

Smart boy.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

Some cats are just cleaner than others....my boy is always clean, but my girl doesn't like to lick her bum either. I've found usually it the females that are more fastidious but not in this case. Most of the time she isn't messy that it actually needs to be wiped.


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## artiesmom (Jul 4, 2012)

Same with Artie. He does clean, but I still sometimes have to wash his bummy...especially if I do not want poop on my furniture, floor, carpet, clothes, etc! and stinky too. It seems that when his butt stinks, he refuses to clean it!! crazy cat


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## Cat Lover Lennie (Jan 7, 2013)

Welcome to my world! I've been cleaning Rambo's rear for 11 yrs! He is tailless and can't pinch to poo off like cats with tails! After he uses the box, he plants his head against the wall and hollers until I come in and perform my duties. I agree, if the only way I could clean my butt was by licking it clean......guess I wouldn't have many friends! Rambo gets cleaned with his very own washcloth wet with cold water. He doesn't seem to care
I don't think there is any way to train them to clean there. What has worked best for me is keeping his butt shaved. Great for cleaning and makes for easier access. I keep the babies butts shaved too......they are long-haired and if the consistency of the poo softens at all, they end up with a mess in the hair around their butt, on the bottom side of their tails and the backs of their legs. Ugh!
I really enjoy it when they start the butt scoot before I've found out that there was a problem. Skid marks EVERYWHERE!


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## Yuki'sMum (Dec 3, 2012)

Lol it amazes me that Yuki will spend hours a day grooming every hair and also happily walk around with a crusty bum!  she's always been that way. She does clean herself but not every time and not very well 


Sent from Petguide.com Free App


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

First I want to say, "AWWW!!" to the picture of Hendon
He just has this little fed up look that says, "..but I don't wanna have to lick my bum after I poo, it's yucky!" (chuckling)

Ok, I am pretty much in agreement with all the other replies. Some cats can be problematic in that area.

..but while I was reading this thread I had one of those 'odd' thoughts (as you do) creep through my mind. I guess it might be worth a try. I mean the worst that can happen is Hendon learns nothing.

Ok, confine you and Hendon to the bathroom for this experiment.

After Hendon has a poo, take him in the bathroom. With warm water, gently wet his bum area. (Yes, as in dripping wet, so Hendon will have to notice)
Place Hendon on a towel. He should start to try to dry himself off. In the drying off process he will be cleaning himself after his poo.

It might take a few times, or he may "get it" after one time... or sadly, not at all. BUT let's be positive, it might be worth a try!

Good luck


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## 10cats2dogs (Jun 16, 2013)

I want to know where you live...So I can come and Catnap Hendon!!! 
He is absolutely adorable! !


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## roshambo (Oct 8, 2013)

Thanks guys... yes, he's adorable but that doesn't help when he's got caked poop on his behind.

Have heard a school of thought that you gently spray him behind once he's been, forcing him to lick it dry and subsequently clean himself. He doesn't like it, and apparently learns to pre-empt the spray by doing the licking first. Thoughts?


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

see my earlier comment


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## NOLAKitties (May 30, 2013)

Angelo is very clean in general except when he has diarrhea or when got startled while in the litter box. I have to use wet wipe and wash his bum immediately and wash the rug around the litter box when this happens. He hates it but he looks so relieved after the wash. I'm tempted to shave his hair but it doesn't happen that often anymore..


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## howsefrau32 (Mar 6, 2013)

I remember the baby pics of Hendon, when you first got him. He is still adorable. He is adorable enough that even if I had to wipe his little bum forever I probably would  But hopefully he may learn to do it by himself one day. Good luck with it. He really is such a cute little boy.


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## roshambo (Oct 8, 2013)

Aww thanks guys - yep, they're both still gorgeous 

Stockwell's turning into a very handsome guy:










And luckily they're still the very best of friends, especially around naptime


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## Aerona (Aug 9, 2013)

You could try leaving a damp towel by his box and see if he is inclined to use it. Isa has started wiping her feet and other parts after using the box as long as I leave a towel next to it for her. I discovered her penchant for towels by accident (I had absolutely nothing to do with it...I think she saw me using a towel and wanted her own) but I am all for obliging...means very little litter tracking!


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## cat face (Apr 4, 2013)

Cats are fantastic emulators! I wouldn't put it past her noticing you using a towel!

That just brought back an old OLD memory of B.B. when she was teeny. She use to go in a litter box in those days before she discovered outside. lol
The litter box has and still is in the utility room and it sits near a toilet in there. Every morning when I got up and would use the toilet, she would come in and watch, as cats are inclined to do. After about a week of that, she decided it was the thing that was done, so she would.. eh hem, join me? (laughing) SHe would, every morning. I swear if she could have, she would have had a newspaper too! LOL


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## twobrothers (Aug 27, 2011)

One of my cats did a really poor job of cleaning himself when he was a kitten. When I took him home from the shelter at around 15 weeks, he smelled horrific. I literally needed to given him 3-4 baths just to get the initial stench off him. Thankfully, once he was introduced to his big brother, the older cat would clean him frequently. Eventually he got better at cleaning himself, and now he generally keeps himself pretty clean.


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## Marcia (Dec 26, 2010)

I really don't think there is any "teaching" them to do that. I have to periodically take Maddie to the groomer to get her sanitrim done or it sticks to the fur and she will not lick it off once it dries. Most groomers will do this for a very nominal fee. Mine only charges $5.


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

This is so weird to me - I've had a lot of cats over the years but never one that wouldn't clean its own bum. I didn't have many long-haired cats though, so I guess that could be the difference.


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## NebraskaCat (Jan 15, 2013)

I know this won't help the OP, but just to agree with the person who said another cat can teach them. At the shelter, kittens and young cats who have lost out on some basic cat hygiene or other basic habits, can be put in with a caregiver cat (often a former mama cat but more frequently the helpful "uncle" cats) and they will clean them and help them become better at taking care of themselves. It really is a little picture of animal society that I love to see.


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

I guess I'm lucky, one of my 6 is the official cleaner .. she makes her rounds so she can be sure everyone's heinie is **** & span. Weirdo, lol


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

LOL, that's too funny!


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## Cat Lover Lennie (Jan 7, 2013)

BigLittleSmall said:


> I guess I'm lucky, one of my 6 is the official cleaner .. she makes her rounds so she can be sure everyone's heinie is **** & span. Weirdo, lol


LOL! And do you have her gargle with Listerine when she is done? I will admit that Rambo spends an inordinate amount of time with his nose up everybody else's butt ........ just sniffing, not cleaning ....... he won't even clean his own butt! :lol:


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## Heather72754 (Nov 1, 2013)

Hahaha, this thread is cracking me up. Maybe Rambo just wants to reassure himself that nobody smells like a rose in that area lol - he doesn't want to be the only one. :lol:


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## BigLittleSmall (Dec 9, 2013)

Cat Lover Lennie said:


> LOL! And do you have her gargle with Listerine when she is done?


lol, if only!

We have to make SUPER careful that she doesn't lick anything in our plates (if we turn away, she is a horrid food thief) 
.. if she does .. :dis .. nope .... yours ...:catmilk
She got my husbands freshly sliced $10 wedge of cheese .. I told him not to leave it, so of course I was obligated to laugh lol.


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## MyBabiesDaddy (Jan 1, 2013)

BigLittleSmall said:


> I guess I'm lucky, one of my 6 is the official cleaner .. she makes her rounds so she can be sure everyone's heinie is **** & span. Weirdo, lol


Lol. There's a cat at my shelter who grooms ME every time I handle here. She will literally hold my hand down with her claws (ouch) while she licks my fingers and hands . Then she will rub her head on me. I thought she was licking off traces of treats, but then she licks my nose for 15 seconds while I was kissing her up  I think she must've been a mommy at some point and is used to cleaning up her kittens. Maybe you can adopt a cat like her to help your boy out  

I see lots of cat butts thanks to the shelter work I do, and some are just cleaner then others. Not much you can do except try and use a wet cloth on yours if needed.


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## roshambo (Oct 8, 2013)

Ha! Thanks guys 

Hendon seems to be doing a little better fortunately!


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