TIFU by leaving my wax burner on overnight, enabling my cat to get wax on his tail

Submitted by Popular-Entrance4049 t3_11c3456 in tifu

I feel like a terrible cat parent. I have two wax burners, one in my bedroom and the other in my bathroom. I had a friend spending the night with me, and knowing my cat, he would try to sleep on top of her. So, I left him in my bathroom to sleep. This isn’t uncommon even when I don’t have guests, as he loves to sleep in my bathroom sink for some reason.

The wax burner I keep on the bathroom counter I usually turn off every night, but I guess in all the excitement of preparing for my guest, I forgot to turn off the burner before bed.

At around 6am I heard him crying so I let him out of the bathroom, but I didn’t think much of it and went back to sleep. A few hours later my alarm woke me up and the cat came over to greet me. That’s when I noticed his tail looked wet. Upon closer inspection, I realized his tail was covered in a hard waxy substance, as well as a small spot on his back. I look in my bathroom to see spilled wax all over the sink and floor and genuinely start sobbing. I called the emergency vet line and they told me to shave the cat it would cost me over $200, which I simply cannot afford right now. So I asked how I could remove it without shaving him, and they advised using some sort of oil to break down the wax and using a small comb to pull it out.

So, I spent the next 3 hours using a warm washcloth, a lice comb, a mix of olive and coconut oil and scissors to remove the wax from his tail and back. Luckily he wasn’t burned, just oily and very angry because I had to remove some fur from his back and nearly all the fur from his tail.

Fast forward to now, I gave him and wet wipe bath to remove the oil and he’s sleeping in his bed. I feel like I traumatized him by removing the wax and now he won’t trust me anymore.
Any comforting words would be very appreciated.

TL;DR: I left a wax burner on overnight and my cat dipped his tail in it, so I had to spend most of my morning using oils and scissors to remove it from his fur.

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Comments

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TheArchivist1920 t1_ja1h8op wrote

One of ours stepped in one, poor little dude was white and the wax was green. We got it before it dried thankfully but he didn't hold a grudge for long. I'm sure your little dude won't either with some treats and love.

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faifai1337 t1_ja1k5j3 wrote

Oh poor baby! Cats are forgiving towards us foolish humans. And thankfully there's no lasting damage! Give him lots of treats, offer hands-off love, and let him come to you when he's ready. When cats are scared or stressed, most of them need space for a bit.

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11pme t1_ja2fw41 wrote

I wish there were people as nice to cats as to humans lol

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Thisisthatguy99 t1_ja1pn14 wrote

My ex had a cat that got an eye infection. To treat her, we had to burrito her in a towel and give her eye drops twice a day for two weeks. After the first day, the cat would hide from us and it was a chore to chase her around to catch her.. after it was done it took about 3 days before she was back to the lovey little fur ball she had been before

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rinkydinkmink t1_ja1gv6k wrote

the scented oils in things like wax/oil burners and air fresheners are not safe for cats

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SunChipMan t1_ja1hn91 wrote

He'll know you helped him.

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Unclebatman1138 t1_ja1cemn wrote

I know those kinds of situations as a pet owner are really upsetting. Don't blame yourself! It could have happened to anyone, and your car will forget it sooner than you would imagine. We just had a lot of issues with a recovery cone where she'd get her jaw stuck under it, or a claw caught, et al, leading to all kinds of chasing her/cornering her/holding her down etc, and I was always amazed how quickly she just bounced back.

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-holdmyhand t1_ja1g0s9 wrote

It will cost a $200 just to shave a car? That's insane. Well, your cat is okay now, that's what matters.

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blahbleh112233 t1_ja2pkyf wrote

I mean, it took OP 3 hours to shave a portion of her cat. Do you expect a vet to work for minimum wage or something?

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CaffeinatedHBIC t1_ja4bluz wrote

No, it would cost $200 to have it done during emergency hours I think. Sounds like she called outside of normal business hours, since it's a Sunday.

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fomoco94 t1_ja4vi3r wrote

I'm willing to bet that it involves sedation.

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KingCrandall t1_ja1g76a wrote

Shit happens. Despite the jokes on the internet, cats are full of unconditional love. He will love you again before you know it.

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GuiltyOfSin t1_ja1tv4n wrote

I would have doped him up on catnip, and grabbed a hair dryer. Cats enjoy warmth and the catnip would have mellowed him right out

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lagelthrow t1_ja1xjs3 wrote

Ohhh poor thing! And poor you!! But the fact that he was patient enough to allow your help means he's probably not going to hold it against you in the future. You live and you learn; you will both be ok!

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hornsandskis t1_ja4n33f wrote

Happened to two or three years ago, during the day though. Cat was fine but I was freaking out and worried it would never come off or would poison her when she cleans it off herself

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NebulaSignificant715 t1_ja61wdh wrote

My cat sat in a wax warmer once… I don’t think it bothered him at all, the only reason I noticed is he smelled nicer then usual. Trimming his ass fur was not a fun experience though. Give your little guy lots of treats and love and I’m sure he’ll bounce back!

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