Washing/cleaning a very old cat?

Lamborghini is now very old, arthritic, a whole host of problems, basically just very old. We are at the point of just keeping him comfortable so he can sleep in his sunny window and favorite cushion on the couch.
He has stopped cleaning most of himself, we think it's probably the arthritis. It makes me sad to see my beautiful old boy looking so greasy and clumpy, he tolerates little brushing (suspect it doesn't feel good, he's so thin) and we just cut out any clumps when they get big enough.

We think actually bathing him would be way too stressful on him, and are afraid we might hurt him holding him firmly in the sink or tub.

Is there a dry shampoo for pets, or wipes, or something that might help make him a little cleaner, less greasy looking, just overall better? Is there some other trick to cleaning a very old cat--can we spot clean him with a washcloth and a touch of shampoo, so we could just do a little at a time?

He was my son's special cat (we've always had more than one) until son went away to college, and then married a girl who is allergic to cats so he wasn't able to take him back from us, my son is coming to visit next week, and I'd love to have his special buddy looking nicer than he does now, as he may never see him again (we don't think he has long to live.)
Anyone have tips or techniques or advice for us?

 

I know there are cat wipes you can buy which are safe to use on cats. Otherwise I don’t have any other ideas. I’ll tag @Suzanne & Darcy as she may have some ideas.

 

I would check with your vet about this to see if they have any suggestions. I most definitely would not give him a water bath as that could be very stressful with very bad results potentially. You could just try using a warm damp (not too wet) washcloth to gently rub his fur. Be sure to not get him too wet and to make sure he doesn’t get chilled. I would try this or cat wipes over the course of a few days and not try to do too much all at one time.

 

I'm in the same boat with a cranky 21 yr. old former feral who doesn't like to have anything done to him. Burt's Bees has a waterless cat shampoo (no rinsing needed) that works well. To avoid upsetting him with wet spots, I don't spray it directly on the cat but on a washcloth instead and then sort of massage and wipe him down. Chewy has a bundle deal that includes a package of wipes.
https://www.chewy.com/burts-bees-dander-reducing-wipes/dp/941558

There a many other choices for wipes and shampoos but some have a strong fragrance that cats object to.

 

This is a good recommendation because it truly is fragrance free!