My white cat Lily won't stay lily white.

January 28, 2013 9:46 AM

Lily is prone to darting out the door and coming back hours later any one of fifty shades of gray. We don't know what she's been joyously rolling in, so we try to wipe her off or bathe her, meaning one very unhappy kitty. Last night's dark stains still haven't fully come out, even with some powerful detergent. What's your best method or product for keeping a white cat clean?

Obligatory adorable picture here, from back when she was so white she practically glowed in the dark.

posted by Soliloquy to Pets & Animals (5 answers total)

My white cat is getting on in his years and can't clean up as well as he once did. We use unscented baby wipes on him to help him tidy up.

Best bet though is a thorough brushing with a very fine brush or better yet, a flea comb. Most of what she's picking up is probably dust and a brushing will remove that.
posted by 26.2 at 10:01 AM on January 28, 2013

I had a white cat for almost twenty years. I never bathed him once he always seemed to manage to get himself clean again no matter what he'd rolled in. He did tend to have a pinkish shade in summer when we lived in the country from rolling in the red dirt though. We did brush him two or three times a week though so that might have helped.

Off topic, but something I wish I'd known about white cats that go outside use sunblock on their ears and nose or colour it in with a sharpie, he had to have the end of his nose and ears cautaurised off in later life due to skin cancers.
posted by wwax at 10:04 AM on January 28, 2013 [8 favorites]

Numerous vets have recommended Dawn for the tough messes my various cats have gotten into over the years.
posted by cocoagirl at 10:13 AM on January 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Consider getting a Furminator as well as a normal cat brush. The normal cat brush removes loose fur on the topcoat. The Furminator goes a bit deeper to the undercoat. It's a good brush and used regularly with a normal brush will remove a lot of crap. The same company also makes cat shampoos in case you're interested.
posted by MuffinMan at 10:39 AM on January 28, 2013 [1 favorite]

Try a whitening pet shampoo. They don't have bleach or anything - usually oxidizers and probably a blue tint (like "blueing" your white laundry).
posted by radioamy at 4:59 PM on January 28, 2013