Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

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Tuco
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Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by Tuco »

The last few weeks I have been fostering two small kittens, I got them at around eight weeks. One of them is solid black (Domestic Shorthair) and because of this, I didn’t notice at first that she had dried wet food stuck on her face. I would wipe her face off after meals but the stuck stuff was already on and it seemed for good.

I have tried working through olive oil, spot-wiping with a warm cloth and warm water, working at it with a fine comb or fingernail (gently). I have even tried a little bit of coconut oil and special kitten shampoo. It barely budges, it looks terrible.

I googled around on how to clean it off and I cannot find much out there. A person suggesting clipping off the food from the face which I find to be a terrible idea as any

Whenever I touch her face she cries and cries and I mean bloody murder. It must hurt her, because when a chunk of this stuff comes out it has a chunk of face fur with it. It breaks my heart, and I’ve made little headway on reclaiming her face from this stuff. She’s scared of me now and hides from me when at once she wouldn’t let my lap be empty. How can I get this stuff off her face?

Thank you for considering this post,

All the Best,

Robin
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Kay
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Re: Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by Kay »

One for a good vet nurse, I think
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Ruth B
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Re: Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by Ruth B »

If possible get it wet. not just spot wiping but gentle soaking, use some small pieces of cotton wool well soaked and hold them against the dried on cat food, make sure you don't block the nose and mouth, but a little water running into her mouth won't hurt her. Once soaked it will start to soften and come off. She is not going to enjoy it, but at least it wont' be pulling her fur out. If it does stress you and her out too much then I would suggest a trip to the vets and let them do it.

If you have ever had a cat bowl with dried food on it to wash, you will know what a difference a few minutes soaking can make, the food re hydrates.
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fjm
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Re: Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by fjm »

I agree - soak it off. And resist the urge to pick at it, which will hurt. Soggy cotton wool or kitchen towel or old face flannel, a bowl of warm water, and some really good treats, repeated every hour or so until it is all gone - just get it wet and leave it. Eventually it will just wipe away with no effort. Don't force her, and perhaps wait a day or two to rebuild her confidence before attempting it. If it has been there a while another few days is not going to make a difference.

Once you have her clean gentle wiping twice a day until she is old enough to wash her own face properly may help keep her that way.
booktigger
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Re: Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by booktigger »

I would be speaking to a vet about this - I've fostered a lot of kittens and never had a kitten not be able to keep their face clean after eating by 8 weeks - what are you feeding them?
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lilynmitz
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Re: Wet Food Cemented on Kittens Face, HELP!

Post by lilynmitz »

I agree, if you can't get anywhere with soaking it off as others have suggested, it might be best to get a vet nurse to deal with it. They may have to sedate her slightly to make it less stressful.

But it does seem odd that she hasn't cleaned this off herself, so have a word with the vet to see if there's a reason for this.
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