Cookie

Hi Thank you so much for your help, it definalty isnt a bite, i have checked her thoroughly and there is nothing wrong with the skin, thee are no mattes of fur as i brush her every day and she does like being brushed. She has been to the vets about this but they could find nothing wrong. We think Cookie is about 5 or 6, she is a rescue and found as a stray. She eats hills science plan light, i get her playing around eveery day and she does seem to be a bit thinner than when she turned up but it seems to be very slow progress! I think i´ll take he back to the vet to talk about diet food, maybe the science plan light still has too many calories?!?!? any way thank you again for your help
Jo x

Hi Joanna,

If the soreness around her backend is a new thing then she may have been injured or bitten, as this is a common area for cat bites to occur. If that is the case then you should take her to your vets as cat bites can cause nasty infections which always need anti-biotics to clear them. If it has been present for some time, then she may simply be grumpy or, if she is an older cat, she may be arthritic in her hips. Cats are not good at displaying the pain of arthritic conditions but one of the symptoms can be a reduced flexibility and cats have to bend themselves quite considerably in order to groom their hindquaters.

If she is a younger cat then it may simply be her weight that is preventing her from being able to groom herself properly. Cats fur will quickly become matted if they do not groom and these matts can be painful if you try to brush them out. If matts are present then the best thing to do would be to take her to your vet. They will have special animal hair clippers which will be able to remove the matts without cutting the skin. I would never advise trimming matts with scissors at home as it is very easy to cut through a cats skin as it is very thin.

The real solution to this problem, if we can rule out the issues above, is to get the weight off her. Being over-weight is very damaging to a cats health and will shorten their life expectancy. They are more at risk from arthritis, diabetes, heart conditions and cancer. Again, the best people to speak to about how to put her on a diet is your vets. Many now run free-of-charge weight clinics with the veterinary nurses who will be able to weigh and measure her, determine her ideal weight and put her on a suitable diet. This is not a quick fix, but will be the most beneficial thing in the long run.

Cat

how old is cookie? when my cat stopped grooming that area it was the first sign i had that she was suffering with arthritis, but she is at least 16 now so to be expected i guess. you could try getting some weight off of her by providing a special diet and trying to encourage her to exercise and play, this might help. you could also try to encourage her to accept grooming more by treating her when she is good while you are brushing her (due to her weight problems you will have to ensure that the treats are counter-balanced out of her daily food ration though)