Detarring the cat

[TheAxeman]

I was having my driveway redone yesterday with oil and bluestone and my moronic cat decided to prance across the newly laid oil so he now has tar embedded between his pads on all four paws and the hair on his belly is covered with it. Barring any jokes associated with shaving the cat, anybody have any advice on how to get this crap from between his pads? I can't get ahold of my vet to ask him so I figured I would go to the next best source for little used information. If it was on me I would use kerosene but I don't want to hurt him.

 

[wfooshee]

I'm thinking solvents are a bad idea. They lick a lot. Of course, licking the tar is no good, but I'd to see that stuff get ingested. Maybe one of those cones over his head until it's taken care of. . .

Can't think of anything else, sorry.

 

[airboss]

Go ahead and shave the cat.

Daughter had a Himalayan, that cat's fur was so long and thick that it had to be shaved to get the matting out. Seeing that cat come back from the groomers freshly shaved was the only thing that made it worth having. :rofl:

 

[Scab]

Are you worried the cat's gonna eat this stuff or what? Let him grow some new skin and shed the stuff off.

 

[kaitsdad]

Axe,

Use Johnson and Johnson Baby oil.

Use a cotton ball, then gently soak/rub the tar - it should release.

Obviously one of the things to consider with a cat is ingestion of what ever you use - perhaps a neck 'satellite dish' collar would be a good idea until it's cleaned up.

Good luck -

Oh yeah - trimmed it's claws recently?

 

[garauld]

My wife STRONGLY advised wrapping the poor thing up in a towel and taking it to the vet since cats are sensitive to solvents and ...tar...

 

[exskibum]

I agree about getting the cat to a vet. They are very sensitive to solvents and petroleum based products. Almost as bad is the fact that one of the most sensitive areas are their paw pads and the area between them. I suspect that the vet may shave the hair from his belly, but I'm not sure how the area between his paw pads would be handled. On the plus side, they're so smart that he's unlikely to do that again -- UNLESS he is after something on the other side that triggers that almost autistic sensory response to food or hunting instincts that they get (and the smart side of their brains shut off).

 

[OrangevaleFJR]

The answer is in your name

I'd just let it walk in dirt to cover the tar so it wouldn't get all over the place, then let it wear off.

 

[Randy]

This could have solved the problem

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[TheAxeman]

He seems to be acting perfectly normal. Eating every 5 minutes as usual, meowing constantly, giving his brother the black lab an eat-a-bag-of-**** look every time he walks by, etc.....The only thing he is doing out of the ordinary is stopping every 2 or 3 feet to shake a leg. Kind of looks like he is in a conga line. I spent about an hour picking most of the big chunks from between his pads and gave him a little haircut around his stomach. All that pampering and he still looks at me like I'm the *******.... <_<

I'm going to try the baby oil route as KD suggested when I'm done with work and see if I can clean it up the rest of the way. Thanks for the input guys. I may have to adopt a black cat next time.

 

[dcarver]

hmmm. The morning after Halloween and your cat has been tarred? Axe, what really happened?

 

[twowheelnut]

Just for ***** and giggles, use one of the universal solvents: White vinegar. If it can take encrusted minerals off of faucetry and cookware, it might act on the tar, too.

 

[Scab]

Just for ***** and giggles,

That's how the tar got there in the first place.

 

[El Gordo]

Taking your beloved feline to the vet is the obvious 1st choice.

But if you are not willing to do that, I would try some Goof-Off.

Do small areas and wash off with soapy water then rinse right away.

 

[Silver Penguin]

hmmm. The morning after Halloween and your cat has been tarred? Axe, what really happened?

Tarred, without feathers? Hmmmmm!

You could use the kerosene and a match - you know - the old joke about making your cat sound like a dog. He'll go 'woof' when you apply the match.

Seriously though, it sounds as though you've got some pretty good advice already. The Elizabethan Collar might be a good idea if you're using anything he might ingest. Even baby oil, while not toxic may interfere with his digestion.

Hope he's feeling better soon. If brother dog is daring to laugh at cat, he will pay for it later on. Believe me, the cat WILL have the last word.

Jill

 

[mdisher]

I do like cats...

That being said, mineral spirits and a bic lighter would solve your problem.

 

[NYPete]

Q. How can I remove tar and paint from my pet's hair?

A. Small deposits of tar can be removed by letting them harden and then carefully cutting them off. For larger deposits, soak the areas with vegetable oil for 24 hours. This will soften the tar, which then can be removed by shampooing. You may need to bandage the oil-soaked area or put a T-shirt on your pet to prevent your pet from licking or chewing off the tar. Never use gasoline, kerosene, turpentine, or organic solvents on your pet. These products can severely burn your pet's skin and cause toxicities.

For those of us who live among many pine trees, note that vegetable oil or butter can also be used to remove pine pitch.

#2-Hot pavement, sticky tar or gravel may cause footpad problems. To remove tar from footpads, rub them with petroleum jelly and then gently wash with mild soap and water and rinse thoroughly. Never use kerosene or turpentine to remove tar. These chemicals irritate the skin and can be toxic to your pet.

 

[Grumpy]

My wife STRONGLY advised wrapping the poor thing up in a towel and taking it to the vet since cats are sensitive to solvents and ...tar...

Woof!

 

[NightShine]

My wife STRONGLY advised wrapping the poor thing up in a towel and taking it to the vet since cats are sensitive to solvents and ...tar...

Woof!

Grumpy,

Just to be clear this, do you mean "woof" as in Gunny? Or "woof" as in this?

You could use the kerosene and a match - you know - the old joke about making your cat sound like a dog. He'll go 'woof' when you apply the match.