Help my cat went out white came in black !!

[laura1959]

Need some advice please ,my cat went out white last night and came in black I have no idea what she has rolled in it doesn't smell not sticky but wont come off I used a flannel and warm water but it wont budge ,any ideas please?? I don't live near a pets at home and I don't drive,so an old fashion remedy would be ideal please.

[Lilith]

Omg!

Never heard of anything like that before! Is she completely covered in it?

If it won't come off with plain water or a gentle soap, then I'd be tempted to try sponging with cooking oil. I keep snakes and in the past there has been misguided advice to tape heat mats etc down with duct tape, resulting in the poor snake getting stuck. This has never happened to any of my snakes, thank goodness, and I don't use tape in their enclosures, but on the forums the advice was to use olive or cooking oil to loosen the sticky. I know this black stuff isn't sticky but the oil might just shift it. You could try a tiny patch for nothing. Obviously if you had to do the whole cat you'd need to bath her and get the oil off before she licked it. Poor cat!

If she shows any sign of distress, vomiting, off her food, anything out of the ordinary though, I'd get her straight to the vet. Meanwhile it might be a good idea to ring your vet for advice - most vets, or their nurses, or even the reception staff who are usually very knowledgeable, are willing to advise over the phone.

Good luck, and I hope you manage to restore her to her normal Persil whiteness without too much trauma!

[laura1959]

Omg!

Never heard of anything like that before! Is she completely covered in it?

If it won't come off with plain water or a gentle soap, then I'd be tempted to try sponging with cooking oil. I keep snakes and in the past there has been misguided advice to tape heat mats etc down with duct tape, resulting in the poor snake getting stuck. This has never happened to any of my snakes, thank goodness, and I don't use tape in their enclosures, but on the forums the advice was to use olive or cooking oil to loosen the sticky. I know this black stuff isn't sticky but the oil might just shift it. You could try a tiny patch for nothing. Obviously if you had to do the whole cat you'd need to bath her and get the oil off before she licked it. Poor cat!

If she shows any sign of distress, vomiting, off her food, anything out of the ordinary though, I'd get her straight to the vet. Meanwhile it might be a good idea to ring your vet for advice - most vets, or their nurses, or even the reception staff who are usually very knowledgeable, are willing to advise over the phone.

Good luck, and I hope you manage to restore her to her normal Persil whiteness without too much trauma!

no she isn't covered in its just mainly on her back and a bit on her sides she doesn't seem distressed .

[Kay]

could it be coal dust? have you been able to part her fur to see if her skin is discoloured too? and what about inside her mouth?

the main worry is that she will ingest whatever it is by grooming herself - personally I'd go on rubbing her down quite briskly every hour or so with a damp flannel to remove any traces on the surface

[Marla]

Hi Laura, please call your vet asap for advice. Some things such as creosote can be toxic.

[nannymcfee]

Have you tried neat washing up liquid, (apply to small area and see if it works) make sure you rinse it off really well with tepid water, it works on car oil, had a little straying cat that looked like someone had covered him in it, he let me bathe him then shower it off, took a few attempts, then blow dried and towel, kitchen roll may soak it up too....they use it on birds caught in oil slicks...

Baby wipes may work too,& johnsons baby oil??? or baby talcum powder if its something that is dry? make sure all these are rinsed really well off little cat ...

Other than that is it your cat???? is a neighbour saying 'well it went out white with black splodges, and has come back pure white':lol:

[nannymcfee]

Hi Laura, please call your vet asap for advice. Some things such as creosote can be toxic.

Marla , laura says it has no smell creosote, has strong smell, neighbours dog went in a vat filled with it at a chemical plant ! he made a good recovery as they got him to a vet really fast.

[laura1959]

could it be coal dust? have you been able to part her fur to see if her skin is discoloured too? and what about inside her mouth?

the main worry is that she will ingest whatever it is by grooming herself - personally I'd go on rubbing her down quite briskly every hour or so with a damp flannel to remove any traces on the surface

I Could see the skin it looked fine,i did try and rub the fur but it wouldn't budge .

[Lilith]

Other than that is it your cat???? is a neighbour saying 'well it went out white with black splodges, and has come back pure white':lol:

LOL!

Hi again Laura - is the stuff jet black or is it sort of greyish? When ferals started moving in with me they used to wear a permanent mucky dark grey stain on their shoulders from roosting under cars and probably marking under them by rubbing...if it is car dirt then I'd definitely recommend detergent as Nanny McFee says - as gentle as possible of course, and well rinsed off. Good luck

[laura1959]

Have you tried neat washing up liquid, (apply to small area and see if it works) make sure you rinse it off really well with tepid water, it works on car oil, had a little straying cat that looked like someone had covered him in it, he let me bathe him then shower it off, took a few attempts, then blow dried and towel, kitchen roll may soak it up too....they use it on birds caught in oil slicks...

Baby wipes may work too,& johnsons baby oil??? or baby talcum powder if its something that is dry? make sure all these are rinsed really well off little cat ...

Other than that is it your cat???? is a neighbour saying 'well it went out white with black splodges, and has come back pure white':lol:

thanks I try neat fairy if I can get near her she didn't even like the warm flannel haha, I think she's been under the bins in the garden.

[laura1959]

Other than that is it your cat???? is a neighbour saying 'well it went out white with black splodges, and has come back pure white':lol:

LOL!

Hi again Laura - is the stuff jet black or is it sort of greyish? When ferals started moving in with me they used to wear a permanent mucky dark grey stain on their shoulders from roosting under cars and probably marking under them by rubbing...if it is car dirt then I'd definitely recommend detergent - as gentle as possible of course, and well rinsed off. Good luck

yes it is black I think its maybe from the bin/skips in the garden.

[bobbys girl]

Just a thought. We live in peat bog country. I had to bath Gracie a few times as a kitten before she stopped 'falling' into the shuck (ditch) around our garden. The bog would leave her black but it doesn't smell (well - earthy if you get close enough) and it is not sticky. Water shifts most of it but leaves white fur grey.

Lately Bobby has come in with a grey powder on him. He has been in the sheds next door where there are the remains of a turf stack (peat is still cut and dried for fuel around here)

It does sound like peat or compost. Believe me you would know if it was creosote!

I hope you find out what it is.

[Marla]

I was just using creosote as an example of something that could be toxic.

When it doubt, call your vet!

[Lilith]

Hi Laura, have you got the grubby one sorted out?

Hope all's ok

[laura1959]

Hi Laura, have you got the grubby one sorted out?

Hope all's ok

tried baby wipes ,talcum powder ,also some diluted baby bath and warm water and it wont budge,i am finding it hard to get near her she is not liking me wet her so is running away but she looks awful the black marks are mainly on her back .

[nannymcfee]

Laura did you try a very small amount of washing up liquid?

Is her skin underneath her fur red yet? does it look inflamed? or is it normal?

Where the black is, Is it making her fur hard? or is it still soft? might help us to eliminate things,

can you post a photograph? at all.

[laura1959]

Laura did you try a very small amount of washing up liquid?

Is her skin underneath her fur red yet? does it look inflamed? or is it normal?

Where the black is, Is it making her fur hard? or is it still soft? might help us to eliminate things,

can you post a photograph? at all.

her skin is fine ,sorry cant post a photo really,i tried baby bath on her brush but it just wont budge,skin and mouth fine ,not inflamed her back and sides are affected ,hard to keep her still .

[Janey]

Hi, I would just give your vet a call and see what they say, they should be able to advise. They may have some suggestions on what it may be/how to remove or ask you to take her in to get it off.

[laura1959]

Hi, I would just give your vet a call and see what they say, they should be able to advise. They may have some suggestions on what it may be/how to remove or ask you to take her in to get it off.

I have emailed two ,just got a reply from one to shave her,not a good idea as she is a rescue cat and still quite nervous .

[Janey]

Hi, I would just give your vet a call and see what they say, they should be able to advise. They may have some suggestions on what it may be/how to remove or ask you to take her in to get it off.

I have emailed two ,just got a reply from one to shave her,not a good idea as she is a rescue cat and still quite nervous .

If that's what they suggest, if it were my cat I would take her in then and let them do it.

I wonder where she's been though? I often see one of my 'whiter' ferals with black marks, nothing sticky more like dirty, coal dust and it sometimes takes ages to fade, I don't know where he gets to!

[Lilith]

We-ell...unless it became an emergency, I'd be inclined just to let her fade as long as she continues ok. No disrespect meant to Janey, but personally, especially at this time of year, I wouldn't want a cat to have to do a Jessie J.

Looks like you're stuck with a dirty little stopout lol

[nannymcfee]

I would be inclined to let the fur grow out naturally if nothing is removing it, especially when Laura does not have a car, and stressing the little rescue cat cat further trying to get her to vets..

Laura have you any neighbours who have been in their garden recently potting up seeds or anything with wellies on ..or even has she rubbed against someones wet suede black shoes ?

[laura1959]

I would be inclined to let the fur grow out naturally if nothing is removing it, especially when Laura does not have a car, and stressing the little rescue cat cat further trying to get her to vets..

Laura have you any neighbours who have been in their garden recently potting up seeds or anything with wellies on ..or even has she rubbed against someones wet suede black shoes ?

my garden is a communal garden with a large lawn of grass a few hedges and a tree ,under the fence that goes round the garden there is a house where a builder leaves his building materials ,in the garden.

[nannymcfee]

Maybe the builder has left some tarpaulin, or roofing felt,and your little cat has sheltered under it , that would cause fur to go black...on her back and sides if she rubbed against it.

[laura1959]

Maybe the builder has left some tarpaulin, or roofing felt,and your little cat has sheltered under it , that would cause fur to go black...on her back and sides if she rubbed against it.

any other ideas how I can get her cleaner she is very wary of me now as I have tried baby wipes flannel and towel and brush??

[nannymcfee]

Just looked on another site, some with white cats use apple vinegar,on a soft cloth ,then rinsed ( i use apple cider vinegar for making some of my chutneys) don't suppose you have any of that? ...not any malt kind though...

[laura1959]

Just looked on another site, some with white cats use apple vinegar,on a soft cloth ,then rinsed ( i use apple cider vinegar for making some of my chutneys) don't suppose you have any of that? ...not any malt kind though...

ok thanks will try .

[Camdengirl]

I agree with Janey, if you're not going to take the cat to be checked over by a vet, at least follow the vet's advice! As Marla says, there are a lot of things out there that can be toxic to cats. Not wanting to 'stress the cat' and not having a car are not good reasons for not being responsible for a cat's health.