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[DJ]

My cat was gone for a week or two (chasing lady cats, most likely), and has returned today all messy. Namely, he managed to find tar or something, and the fur on his legs and his belly is all covered in the stuff. I tried removing some tar with just my hands, but it's not coming out. Now, as I see it I have two options:
- use rubbing alcohol, but I'm not sure if it will work
- just have him sit it out, he'll shed the messed up fur and replace it with a clean coat

I'm leaning towards the second option, because I suspect he won't appreciate the smell of alcohol, and I value my hands too much.

Do you know any alternative cat-cleaning methods?

[Cthulhu]

You could just cut it out with shears.  The fur will grow back.

This is assuming he's a long-hair.  A short hair, I don't know how you'll get that out.

[Hippoman]

I got a method for never having to clean your kitty cat again.
Stop letting him run away like that!

[Il Palazzo]

You're silly Hippoman, you can't stop a cat.

[DJ]

He's a common domestic cat, so his fur isn't very long.

And he's an outdoors cat, so I don't get any say in where he goes.

[E. Albright]

Even if it's a shorthair, you could still cut it off, though it'd be a lot more delicate. I've never had to deal with tar, but I've had (shorthair) cats who stopped grooming due to poor health, and they needed to have matted fur cut off. It's not necessarily going to come out on its own, so you may need to take matters into your own hands. Is it cold where you're at? That'd be the main concern I'd have with shaving the encrusted hair off of an outside cat, though one wonders how well it'd be insulating ATM...

[Strife26]

I'd go with the cutting method. It'll look funny, but it will grow back eventually. However, the cold would be an issue (up here in Fargo, not even my super furry cats will stay outside for more than a few minutes)

[ChairmanPoo]

castration tends to make cats less prone to run away, or so I heard.

Then again, I think I read this in a novel, so dont put too much stock in this.

[DJ]

Yeah, it's quite cold now. I think I'll just leave it.

Anyway, he's not really a housecat, it's more like how people have cats on farms. He hangs around the house, we feed him, pet him sometimes, and let him in to warm up in winter (he sleeps in the wood shed, though).

[cowofdoom78963]

Just leave him.

It will come out on its own.

[Cthulhu]

Flamethrower would work, or molten metal.  You won't get the cat back unless you're really careful, but the tar will be gone.  It's like destroying a magic item to get the gems you socketed out, except you don't get the item or the gems.

[Hortun]

The problem isn't there tar in his fur. I think... this cat may have adopted you. It's okay though, we have a facility built for this kind of thing. Your new bed is in the room with the iron bars in the floor. When you go to sleep, we'll lock the door for you so that- er so your cat won't get out anymore. Ever.

[Vester]

Ignoring the standard Bay12 cat jokes, did you check if he's wounded or anything? Some of that matted fur might be blood or some such thing.

Also, does he mouse?

[DJ]

Nah, I didn't see any wounds when I was trying to pluck out the tar, and he doesn't limp or show any other signs of injury.

And yeah, I get regular mouse carcass deliveries.

[Cthulhu]

Ignoring the standard Bay12 cat jokes, did you check if he's wounded or anything? Some of that matted fur might be blood or some such thing.

Also, does he mouse?

LOL!!!!  2CAT!!1

On topic, I hate when cats do that.  A few years ago we woke up to find our cat Furball (Huge, lazy, orange, the only cat I've ever really liked) had gotten into a whole mess of baby rabbits and massacred them.  He left half of one on my dad's foot, the rest scattered around on the porch and maybe one or two in the house, one was still alive and died from the saliva a few days later, making my sister cry.  What a crazy night.