Mucky cat

One of my cats came home having paddled in some creosote. For removing oil etc from paws in an emergency use butter (or margarine) and sugar worked together in your hands. Then wash off with a little washing up liquid or baby shampoo. The cat will not mind too much and licking it will not do any harm. Takes me back to when my father used to mend his bike. Works very well.

Kitspurr (with a name like that you must be a cat person)yes, Mia is home, but she took one look at me with the pack of baby wipes in my hand and shot off upstairs! but there`s always tomorrow.......

Pet wipes work and smell nice too!

One of my cats is long haired and I used to brush him, but for two years he has come home perfectly groomed, even his botty bits. It's a mystery to me .

Is she home yet, number please?

I wish I had put sunscreen on the white cat we had in Cornwall. He would go on expeditions that lasted a couple of weeks and eventually had to have both ears removed because of skin cancer.

I have never im my life thought of putting sun cream on a cat !!!

craftycat what a sad story!

Well, I`ve bought the baby wipes, all I have to do now is wait for her to come in, haven`t seen her since 8.30am.

Think a white cat's bad news. Try a white (grey) horse! Stuff of nightmares.

My dog's white with a bit of black. People often ask if she's had a bath, but she never has! I just brush her and she stays clean. Mind you, that's easier with dogs!

I asked the very same thing about my pure white puss, and was told to comb her regularly. She doesn't go out very much, but when she does, it's only for a few minutes, and I go with her. So, really, she doesn't get that dirty, apart from her rear end, which she can't reach, as she's a little rotund around the middle, so yours truly has to take care of that!

Oh and aloe Vera animal wipes are great as are baby wipes.

My longhaired year old had a case of poorly tummy after a change of food . Twice I have put warm water with drop of shampoo in an old bowl. I talk reassuringly to him while lowering his rear end into the water. My DH is in charge of tail end. Holding it high while I wash away with a washing up sponge. After I wrap him in warm towel and snuggle him on my lap. He then nods off. I'm seriously considering a hygiene trim.

I have 3 'special needs' cats-2 are just a bit stupid but one is a long haired ginger & white & he never washed himself so got really grubby. He was found in a gutter on a country road beside the body of his mother at about 5 weeks old so I assume she never got the chance to show him how to look after himself. We think he may have had a glancing blow from the car that hit his mum.After another of our cats who used to wash him died I had to take over & wash him- especially his bottom! Lovely job as he is long haired. He hated it but it had to be done. I got a special cat shampoo & we managed very well for about 5 years when all of a sudden he got the message that he was actually a CAT & started washing himself. He is rubbish at it but he does show willing & I trim his fur round his nether regions to help him keep clean. I still have to brush him every day as he can't get the knots out of his fur but he is much easier to look after now. I used to wash him in the sink in cloakroom so I could contain him easily. I've had him from the day he was found when CPL brought him to me (I was fostering kittens for them anyway) & he is a very special member of our clan.I love him to pieces.

Right, that settles it, I`m buying baby wipes tomorrow!

My white and grey cat often comes in with big black patches when he's been rolling in the dust. I've found that baby wipes are quite good for getting the worst of it off.

We had a white cat named "snowy toes" by my daughter. DS painted him once. I used to put big pieces of cardboard up in the conservatory and supply powder paint and brush - cat was asleep and too tempting I think!

Try baby wipes, they get pretty much everything off a cat.

We have a white cat which is always mucky and does go out in the sun in Spain. Having said that, he doesnt really sit in the sun much, tends to find a shady spot - he's no fool! Luckily, he doesnt go for getting oily. My chihuahua (cream colour, long hair) on the other hand, delights in hiding under Dear Mother's car and comes out with an oily rear end. He spends a lot of time having baths!!!

Thanks for all the hints ladies!

A bit like that Daphne , hence the waiting until she was asleep! The place we were renting at the time had an open plan living/kitchen area, so only a couple of steps from the sofa to the sink.

Plus she was always a cat that took her time to properly wake up!

number, as you know, our Daisy is also a pure white, longhaired moggie! She came in the other day absolutely filthy. I think she'd been rootling about under the shed or somewhere like that. She did wash it all off, eventually..... though a lot of it probably ended up on the carpets (or my chair, which she seems to favour just now)!
Pollengran, it's not necessary to keep white cats inside. Tips of ears and nose should have a pet sunscreen applied. Daisy tends to stay inside on warm days, though.

First catch your cat, Phoenix?

Our late Lily was also pure white, and would occasionally come home looking like she'd done a days work experience as an apprentice mechanic!

But her worst thing was having dark (for that read dirty) roots to her fluffy tail.

We would wait until she was fast asleep, clear the draining board, put some warm water in the sink, and have the John Frieda "Born Blonde" shampoo at the ready.

MrP would grab her, and before she knew what was going on, she was flat out on the draining board with her tail dangling in the sink!

Quick wash, quick rinse, quick rub with a towel then, voilà! She was free to hurtle off and sulk under the table!