Hello Dr. Richer,
Hello everyone else,

My cat Chloe has red sores around her anus. He weighs 17 lbs and lacks the ability to properly clean herself. My wife and I try to give her a regular wash, but as most cats do, she panics. She has a very soft undercoat that obsorbs water and causes her to become uncomfortably warm. We shave her backside to help us clean her, but this does not help very much.
She and our other 2 cats are all 100% indoor cats and I do not see any fleas, ticks or other parasitic craters roaming her nether-regions. Is there a cat-safe topical ointment we can apply to the lessions? I do not want to put human products on her unless I know it is safe.
Thank you so much for any advice and/or insight you may be able to offer.
Thank you,
Eric, Karolina and Chloe

If the sores are due to soiling the area and her not being able to clean it then vaseline or nappy rash cream like sudocreme or zinc and castor oil cream should be safe as long as it is not caked on. Try and diet the cat and just wipe the area daily rather than wash the cat; keep the area clipped. If the area is really inflamed then 1% hydrocortisone cream applied twice daily for 3-5 days may help. If the problem persists then see your vet

Thank you so much Dr. Richer. The service you are providing with this forum is true altruism, which deserves praise.
Thank you so much for this advice,
Eric, Karolina & Chloe