# Close encounter with a fly paper



## miriamO (Jul 2, 2005)

We have very recently adopted a little stray kitten which was found crying under our car one day having been surviving by eating beetles up to that point. Spain is not generally known for it's kindness to animals and I suspect this one came from a local chicken shed where cats are not fed but expected to live on any rats they catch.

It was flea and worm infested and very grubby but is now very sleek and white with bright blue (slightly-crossed) eyes. It is also definitely not deaf and plays really happily, eats well, cleans itself etc. I estimate it to be about 12 weeks old.

Unfortunately it has just discovered a discarded sticky fly paper and is now very matted up with very gummy glue. I have bathed him but this does not loosen the glue at all. Does anyone have any suggestions?


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

Could you cut it out or get the cat shaved in the area?
Fly paper is awful, I doubt anything short of cutting it out will work.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

There's probably a solvent for that glue, but I'm afraid it would be very hard on the kitten's skin, and possibly toxic. Zalensia's probably right.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

I'm not familiar with the composition of fly paper glue, but a couple things you might try that are known to cut some sticky materials, and more important, are non-toxic to cats, are white petroleum jelly and mineral oil.

Sounds from your description like you have a wonderful kitty, lucky to have adopted you. Please post some pics after you've finished dealing with the fly paper mess!!


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## miriamO (Jul 2, 2005)

Thanks for the suggestions so far. 

At the moment I've tried vinegar (found on another general website), baby oil and petroleum jelly- all with no success. I would prefer not to clip the fur but will consider that one as a last resort. 

Any other ideas would be gratefully received - he doesn't seemed over-concerned about it himself and from what I can see there are no poisons in modern fly papers but he is VERY sticky!

I have added a photo - his name so far is Ooof, a very common Spanish expression of surprise or amazement - seemed to fit him quite well.

My next job is to investigate the rules regarding taking him back to the UK. He managed to arrive here when we are just about to sell up and "go home". From my investigations so far I think he needs a microchip, rabies shots and blood tests as a starter so does anyone have any info on the earliest ages for microchips and rabies shots? All this is aside from all the other kitten shots he will need... 

I suspect I will then be looking for a babysitter for a few months as he will not be able to enter the UK until six months after the rabies shots - they DO make life complicated over there, if we were going anywhere else in Europe we would just pop him in a cat carrier and get on the plane.

Thanks for all the input!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

Ooof is really a very cute name....I like that!! Purrrrrfect for a cat!!


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

OK - here's something else to try (found on the internet - used by somebody to get pine sap out of cat hair): cooking lard, or what we call "shortening", e.g. Crisco here in the US, don't know what's sold there. Seems to me pine sap would have about the same properties as fly paper glue. Worth a try, anyway, and let us know how it works.


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## miriamO (Jul 2, 2005)

Well I seem to have 95% solved things with a combination of methods.

First I clipped out the really thick stuff (mainly in his tail and lying on the top of the fur rather than down to the roots). His tail looks a bit flea-bitten but not too bad!

Then I massaged into the fur on his back and leg something they eat here on bread which is the drippings from roast pork. Not a pleasant job for me but he liked it and was trying to beat me to the next stage by licking it off. Then I finger massaged some cat shampoo (neat) into the whole thing. It reminded me of being a kid making magic potions with every revolting thing I could lay my hands on! Then he had yet another bath and spent an hour being rubbed dry in a towel.

Other than a few sticky bits on his back and foot he is now spotless, fluffy, smells lovely and is rolling around in the laundry pile (all created by him since his adventure, 8 towels and two complete changes of clothing for me). Obviously one happy cat!

Thanks for the help and I hope someone else will benefit from this advice sometime. No dount I will be back when he has his next adventure.


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## coaster (Dec 1, 2004)

miriamO said:


> drippings from roast pork.


Ah ha!! The source for one kind of lard. Well, maybe it would have worked. :lol: Good to hear your kitty is "unstuck" :lol: 



miriamO said:


> No dount I will be back when he has his next adventure.


Oh, so that will be tomorrow, then. :roll: :lol:


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I'm glad you have solved the problem! You'll miss him while he's at the babysitter's.


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