# My cat and my pants are covered in ink! Help! **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 31, 2005, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646 "2005-10-31T00:09:34Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 16\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [October 31, 2005, 11:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/21 "2005-10-31T23:36:28Z")
Cat successfully bathed yesterday evening. It hasn’t made a substantial difference, except that I’m officially _persona non grata_ in her little furry world. Still, it had to be tried. I don’t think I will shave her, the stained area is quite large and all on the one side of her body, I think it might be best for her comfort to just leave it be at this stage. After all, she doesn’t care, she still thinks she’s the world’s best looking creature. Hopefully she will regenerate the coat quickly, we’re on the verge of summer here, so the Great Shedding will soon commence. I’m hoping I can win her back with the excessive brushing with The Brush of Happiness™ that I will be using to aid the shedding. > [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Jeep’s Phoenix** > (after taking pictures, of course). My camera is unfortunately on loan to a vacationing colleague, otherwise there would indeed be many a picture. Since I do realise by providing no pictures I am violating the pet-thread rules, I will post a link to picture of what she looks like un-inked, this afternoon after I’ve been back home on lunch break to retrieve photographs. Now, how to pick just one cute photo… > [@](#): > > Originally Posted by **vetbridge** > _ding_ > > I had a sweet lil’ old lady come in with her badly stained cat in a carrier. She told the receptionist, “I’m afraid I need to get my pussy shaved.”. 😃 Thanks everyone, I realise I was probably just over-reacting. Cheers! ---
**Author:** ![ryobserver](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/b2d939/32.png) [@ryobserver](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ryobserver)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/22 "2005-11-01T00:28:09Z")
Poor kitty. Now to spare a little thought for the pants… Inkjet ink is usually water-soluble; lots of soaking might accomplish something. Is there any advice available from the manufacturer? The Martha Stewart stain guide I have here recommends glycerin for ink stains (ball-point or felt-tip; inkjet is not mentioned). Rub glycerin into stain, let stand 15-20 minutes, wash with dishwashing detergent. For felt-tip ink, follow with denatured alcohol. The guide’s advice for gum stains works, so it might be worth a try. If you haven’t already, do NOT put the pants in the dryer until you’ve got the stain out or given up on it. Dryers are death to stain removal; they bake the stain to the fabric, and then you’re stuck with it. Good luck. I lost a favorite pair of pants to a chemical spill once, so I can sympathize. ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/23 "2005-11-01T00:45:23Z")
You can buy glycerin at the pharmacy. ---
**Author:** ![Valgard](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/7feea3/32.png) [@Valgard](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Valgard)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/24 "2005-11-01T00:53:07Z")
[http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323716&referrerid=30675](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323716&referrerid=30675) ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 1:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/25 "2005-11-01T01:49:10Z")
> [@](#): > > Originally posted by **Valgard** > Flashback! > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...eferrerid=30675](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb...eferrerid=30675) Tee hee, wow, I can’t believe I’ve managed to not spill red wine on my cat, what with the amount that I consume and the curious nature of the beast… Still, my situation, thankfully, is not as much of an emergency as **Dooku** and Tuna’s. > [@](#): > > Originally posted by **ryobserver** > Poor kitty. Now to spare a little thought for the pants… > > Inkjet ink is usually water-soluble; lots of soaking might accomplish something. Is there any advice available from the manufacturer? > > The Martha Stewart stain guide I have here recommends glycerin for ink stains (ball-point or felt-tip; inkjet is not mentioned). Rub glycerin into stain, let stand 15-20 minutes, wash with dishwashing detergent. For felt-tip ink, follow with denatured alcohol. The guide’s advice for gum stains works, so it might be worth a try. > > If you haven’t already, do NOT put the pants in the dryer until you’ve got the stain out or given up on it. Dryers are death to stain removal; they bake the stain to the fabric, and then you’re stuck with it. > > Good luck. I lost a favorite pair of pants to a chemical spill once, so I can sympathize Thanks **ryobserver** , for some reason I actually happen to have glycerin in my cupboard, so I’ll certainly give this one a try. I definfitely won’t be putting the stained pants into anything warm, and thankfully have no dryer being unable to afford one. (Part of the reason I’m so annoyed that I was dumb enough to wear the best pants I own whilst playing with messy stuff, I can barely buy second hand clothes at the moment. I’m saving money up just to service my car! I don’t want to buy more pants! I suck…) But yeah, they’ve only been under cold water so far, the one thing I’ve learnt about stains is that heat will set them and you’ll never see the light of clean pants again! ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/26 "2005-11-01T02:01:16Z")
I think that you should try soaking the pants in **more** inkjet ink, it’d be easier to dye the pants than remove the stain. Watch out for the cat, though. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/27 "2005-11-01T02:15:28Z")
Y’know, **Apricot** , I laughed at first, but now I’m intrigued by this suggestion… Yeah, more black pants. And a black kitty. And then my pants and my cat would be exactly the same shade! She could go incognito on my lap, we could fool everyone! And rule the world! And then… Seriously though, I’m totally not against dyeing my pants black now… Oh, and I forgot to say before, **ryobserver** , the jury is still out on the manufacturer’s advice, it’s a canon printer, but I was using a generic brand of ink cartridge that fits my model. It took me while to find anything about the cheap brand online, but I’ve finally found some stuff which is an enormous PDF file which my work computer (no internet at home) is taking it’s sweet time downloading ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/28 "2005-11-01T04:28:22Z")
Pants dyed black with printer cartridge ink is worth every $50 bill you’ll spend on it I’m sure. ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 6:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/29 "2005-11-01T06:02:34Z")
Yeah, I wasn’t thinking about doing in with inkjet ink, but anyway… :rolleyes: C’mon, I’m dumb, but I’m not that dumb! 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/30 "2005-11-01T12:54:13Z")
For all the forgotten smilies. 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Buckler\_of\_Swashing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buckler_of_Swashing)\ **Post date:** [November 1, 2005, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/31 "2005-11-01T23:54:26Z")
**Harmonious Discord** - 😃 Well, I promised photographs and I have indeed returned with photographs. As mentioned, I have no camera at the moment to take pictures of her as an inked-up cat. But these are what she looks like sans printer juice. [Tenzing 1](http://www.flickr.com/photos/therese_mccormick/58726197/) [Tenzing 2](http://www.flickr.com/photos/therese_mccormick/58730507/) ---
**Author:** ![Harmonious\_Discord](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/74df32/32.png) [@Harmonious\_Discord](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harmonious_Discord)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/32 "2005-11-02T12:23:27Z")
She looks like a normal cat there. Good thing it wasn’t blue. ---
**Author:** ![The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/the_chao_goes_mu/32/3191_2.png) [@The\_Chao\_Goes\_Mu](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Chao_Goes_Mu)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/33 "2005-11-02T12:54:09Z")
> [@Buckler of Swashing](#): > > **Harmonious Discord** - 😃 > > Well, I promised photographs and I have indeed returned with photographs. As mentioned, I have no camera at the moment to take pictures of her as an inked-up cat. But these are what she looks like sans printer juice. > > [Tenzing 1](http://www.flickr.com/photos/therese_mccormick/58726197/) > > [Tenzing 2](http://www.flickr.com/photos/therese_mccormick/58730507/) Squeeeeeee! She’s adorable!!! ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 1:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/34 "2005-11-02T13:43:14Z")
> [@The Chao Goes Mu](#): > > Squeeeeeee! She’s adorable!!! I agree. By far, the most adorable cat I’ve seen so far today (just got to work). 😃 ---
**Author:** ![WolfpackJeep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wolfpackjeep/32/2921_2.png) [@WolfpackJeep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WolfpackJeep)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/35 "2005-11-02T15:49:46Z")
Sweet kitty! ---
**Author:** ![Rhythmdvl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/85f322/32.png) [@Rhythmdvl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rhythmdvl)\ **Post date:** [November 2, 2005, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646/36 "2005-11-02T16:19:05Z")
> [@Valgard](#): > > [http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323716&referrerid=30675](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=323716&referrerid=30675) Another flashback—with a different bent. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/my-cat-and-my-pants-are-covered-in-ink-help/328646.md?page=1)