Cat Dipped in Candle Wax.....WWYD?

[SugarRush]

One of my Ragdolls (it just had to be the mostly white one) has managed to jump up on the bathroom vanity this morning, dip her tail in melted, bright-red Yankee Candle wax, realize her terrible mistake, and use her tail to helicopter down off of the vanity (you can imagine what my bathroom looks like right now). Now not only is her tail covered in wax, but her flanks are too (from the helicoptering).
What is my best course of action, both for fur preservation and self-preservation?

In summary:
Cat tail in wax
Helicopter move made it way worse
How do I fix this with minimal loss of life

[talkofthetown]

Oil removes wax. It won’t be 100% easy and painless, but it will help significantly.

We used oil to remove “oops” wax when we were going eyebrows and placed wax where it shouldn’t have gone. :eek:

[BEARCAT]

A hair dryer to melt it off?

[Herbaceous]

I have no first hand experience with removing candle wax from a cat, but it might just be easiest to shave the affected areas.

She’ll look silly for a while, but that’s what she gets for dipping her tail in wax!

[Callista17]

Haha yeah, maybe hairdryer or really warm cloth if it’s the hair on the tail not touching the skin, and I’d use tissues to transfer it over/blot.

Or, add some green for a Christmas kitty!:’)

[JanM]

Paper towels and blow dryer (this might be a bad idea for kitty, if you don’t know how to apply a tourniquet to your hands after kitty objects):
https://www.reference.com/beauty-fashion/can-candle-wax-removed-hair-154573ac4cf03284

There are three methods on this one, but one is paper towels/hair dryer.
The conditioner, or baby oil might take the stuff off. Ice cubes on the hair might be OK:
http://www.wikihow.com/Get-Candle-Wax-out-of-Hair

[JanM]

Years ago, a friend had shellac all over him, and baby oil took it right off (he was right to the point of thinking about shaving everything when he tried the baby oil). That should work on the wax, but make sure you shampoo it out after.

[Lizrd]

I think I would go for the ice cube route - freeze the wax and let it peel/flake off.

[cnigh]

Peanut butter. It works most likely because it’s oily. But it also takes away any stickyness.

Groomers goop will help get the stains out of her fur.

[SmartAlex]

[QUOTE=Herbaceous;8906359]
I have no first hand experience with removing candle wax from a cat[/QUOTE]

:lol: it’s these little snippets that make reading CoTH so entertaining :lol:

[JanM]

Since peanut butter works because of the oil, then something like peanut oil might work even better.

[SugarRush]

Update: So far I have been using coconut oil to try to get the wax out, with moderate effect. I think by tomorrow it should be mostly gone! Might still have to trim her up though. Side note: cats love the taste of it.

Text from DH tonight when he got home (after I’d left for work):

“Why were you massaging the cat with coconut oil???”

[Rain]

[QUOTE=SugarRush;8907058]

“Why were you massaging the cat with coconut oil???” :D[/QUOTE]

Really, the question is why WOULDN’T you massage the cat with coconut oil??

[mvp]

I do love the Random C’Ac(t)cidents threads.

Look, if you put peanut butter or baby oil or ice cubes on your act, you’ll have to start another thread about a pissed off frozen cat or a greasy cat.

I’d think that once the wax was hard and dry, you could just crinkle the fur up in those little bits that had been dipped in wax, and the wax would crack and fall off. This is just like petting a cat, but with bad technique. I mean, if DH or the cops showed up and asked what you were doing, it’s easier to explain than coconut oil.

Good to know that a cat will do it’s own clean up job with coconut oil. At least you won’t have a second clean up job.

And while you are petting this cat badly, I don’t think it would be out of line to have a discussion with the cat about “her part in it.” I mean, if she says she doesn’t like it, well… she could have made a different decision. And don’t take any guff about not having lit candles in the bathroom, probably on the counter.

I hope she is restored soon.

[csaper58]

[QUOTE=SugarRush;8907058]
Update: So far I have been using coconut oil to try to get the wax out, with moderate effect. I think by tomorrow it should be mostly gone! Might still have to trim her up though. Side note: cats love the taste of it.

Text from DH tonight when he got home (after I’d left for work):

“Why were you massaging the cat with coconut oil???” :D[/QUOTE]

will there be any possible gastro-intestinal consequences from adding all this coconut oil to your cat’s diet?

[Coanteen]

Light catcandle!

[macmtn]

[QUOTE=csaper58;8907976]
will there be any possible gastro-intestinal consequences from adding all this coconut oil to your cat’s diet?[/QUOTE]

no constipation…

[SugarRush]

I did some thorough Google research before dousing her in it (and took it for what it was), looks like she won’t have another hairball for about ten years :lol:

Day 2: trimming to remove the leftover wax has begun. I will say, coconut oil is definitely on my recommended list from now on for this issue. Will remove whatever is stuck on coat that other oil would remove, but non-toxic (and according to hippie pet owners, very healthy).

[Hunter_Mom]

[QUOTE=Herbaceous;8906359]
I have no first hand experience with removing candle wax from a cat, [/QUOTE]

Who does?

Seriously, this thread is hysterical. Like Chicken in the Oven hysterical.

[AliCat518]

Oddly enough, I have had almost this exact situation happen with one of my cats.

Honestly…I just left the wax on the cat and it came off within a week or two. I guess between him rolling around outside, and grooming. Probably wasnt the best cat mom move, but worked out just fine.