Help with a long-haired cat please

[LynneSin]

How do you deal with the fur around their, um, butt region. Evita's is getting nasty and she's so difficult to handle just to hold and/or pet her (she was ferral for 3 years) so I'm going to take her to the groomers to have her tidied & trimmed. But geez, I can't be doing that all the time - the cost will drive me bonkers. Who has suggestions on keeping your long-haired cats dingleberry free.

BTW, she's probably more medium length but Abbott is short-haired and doesn't have this problem at all!

[Lorien]

1. My long haired cats haven't had that problem, but I have

shaved one of them (Oberon-after the 2004 hurricanes which left us without electricity for week in Florida-in August). It took many months for the fur to grow back-in fact, his tail plume has never fully recovered. So even if you have to keep taking her to the groomers it probably won't be a frequent trip.

[japple]

2. My persian, Peeper, had that problem, and it got worse as

she aged. Towards the end of her 20 yr. life, esp. in the summer, I took her to the vet and they gave her a "puppy cut." It's a good thing you're taking her to a groomer, then she won't hate you!! LOL They can probably clip her pretty close around her bottom and maybe you won't have to get it done very often. Peeper was always happy to have such free access to her butt!

[madinmaryland]

3. We've had that problem with our cats.

Basically it takes two of us. Use a bucket of water with baby shampoo to clean and remove as many dingleberrys as possible. You might need to do it a couple of times. With our mainecoon, we had to sometimes trim the mats (not matcom) and the dingleberries out.

Does you cat enjoy being brushed. If so, then do that frequently (daily if possible). If not, then still do it frequently.

It may also have to do with the diet of the cat. Some foods caused diarhea, which then caused even more messes. Short hairs don't have this problem, just the long hairs.

Good Luck!