Grooming an unwilling cat - any tips?
Discussion
My old Buddy is a 14 year old long haired ginger tabby (neutered) Tom. A really handsome cat in his day, but he is starting to look a bit scruffy now.
He is getting stiff and has back pain, which the vet has prescribed Metacam for. He just can't seem to cope with keeping all that fur in order, not that he ever was all that meticulous anyway.
The trouble is that he can't stand being brushed. He will tolerate a little attention around his head and neck, but as soon as you move along his sides or down his chest, it's all teeth and claws. He won't have it at all.
The situation is not going to get better as he ages, and he is starting to develop 'dread locks' in a few places. We are trying to get him used to the brush little by little, just a minute or two everyday, and hoping that he will eventually see the light. However, I am not over optimistic, although I am surprised at how he has learned to accept my son's dog lately. I really don't want to upset him - like me, he is an old boy enjoying a quiet and sleepy retirement and I feel mean grabbing him by the scruff and virtually sitting on him to get a few brush strokes in.
Has anybody got any tips as how to make this less traumatic and confrontational for both of us?
He is getting stiff and has back pain, which the vet has prescribed Metacam for. He just can't seem to cope with keeping all that fur in order, not that he ever was all that meticulous anyway.
The trouble is that he can't stand being brushed. He will tolerate a little attention around his head and neck, but as soon as you move along his sides or down his chest, it's all teeth and claws. He won't have it at all.
The situation is not going to get better as he ages, and he is starting to develop 'dread locks' in a few places. We are trying to get him used to the brush little by little, just a minute or two everyday, and hoping that he will eventually see the light. However, I am not over optimistic, although I am surprised at how he has learned to accept my son's dog lately. I really don't want to upset him - like me, he is an old boy enjoying a quiet and sleepy retirement and I feel mean grabbing him by the scruff and virtually sitting on him to get a few brush strokes in.
Has anybody got any tips as how to make this less traumatic and confrontational for both of us?
I wouldn't use it they aren't a great grooming brush.
There are lots of better tools for the job but you are limited if he is not tolerating it from you. (furminator being one such tool!)
I have a lot of experience of grooming grumpy cats, sometimes we have to resort to sedation which is doable even in an older cat and often the only option for safety and reduce stress all round!
I couldn't see if he was short hair if he is then this may be worth a try.
ShineCozy Pet Grooming Massage Glove - Pet Dog Cat Gentle Deshedding Brush Glove - Pet Hair Remover Mitt - Massage Tool with Enhanced Five Finger Design(2pcs for Right Hands) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0747JM9JR/ref=cm_sw_r...
I used to groom an older cat for a client and no one else could,the thing is she learned from me that her growling, hisssing and clawing at me didn't stop me grooming her. She was short haired but arthritic and sl overweight so couldn't reach her back/hips. I was always gentle with her but I persevered, she eventually got used to our meetings, I guess she trusted me in the end. I nearly always use short toothed combs even flea combs and gently tease but to do that you have to combine from the base of the coat not the top of the coat.
Eta-I just seen he is long hair, bit more tricky, the glove may still be worth a go as it will remove dead hair but I suspect you may need to consider asking your vets to sedate and groom (I don't think cats should be shaved and rarely do but it may depend just how bad he is)
Extra thought- You could try some pet remedy spray. Spray it around where you are going to groom him and spray it on your hands. You could also use a product called Kalmaid. Natural remedy (so use the triple dose) that you can put in his food about half-one hour before you plan to groom him.
There are lots of better tools for the job but you are limited if he is not tolerating it from you. (furminator being one such tool!)
I have a lot of experience of grooming grumpy cats, sometimes we have to resort to sedation which is doable even in an older cat and often the only option for safety and reduce stress all round!
I couldn't see if he was short hair if he is then this may be worth a try.
ShineCozy Pet Grooming Massage Glove - Pet Dog Cat Gentle Deshedding Brush Glove - Pet Hair Remover Mitt - Massage Tool with Enhanced Five Finger Design(2pcs for Right Hands) https://www.amazon.co.uk/dp/B0747JM9JR/ref=cm_sw_r...
I used to groom an older cat for a client and no one else could,the thing is she learned from me that her growling, hisssing and clawing at me didn't stop me grooming her. She was short haired but arthritic and sl overweight so couldn't reach her back/hips. I was always gentle with her but I persevered, she eventually got used to our meetings, I guess she trusted me in the end. I nearly always use short toothed combs even flea combs and gently tease but to do that you have to combine from the base of the coat not the top of the coat.
Eta-I just seen he is long hair, bit more tricky, the glove may still be worth a go as it will remove dead hair but I suspect you may need to consider asking your vets to sedate and groom (I don't think cats should be shaved and rarely do but it may depend just how bad he is)
Extra thought- You could try some pet remedy spray. Spray it around where you are going to groom him and spray it on your hands. You could also use a product called Kalmaid. Natural remedy (so use the triple dose) that you can put in his food about half-one hour before you plan to groom him.
Edited by bexVN on Wednesday 17th January 22:18
Edited by bexVN on Wednesday 17th January 23:49
Edited by bexVN on Wednesday 17th January 23:49
I used to have a rubberised brush which was basically the same as the glove-brush linked. My cats are only short haired (but a bit bushy for it) and those brushes didn't seem to work.For a long time now like the OP I've used a flea brush which is basically like a normal human hairbush with metal pins with the endscovered in a plastic blob.
Thick gardening gloves for the one holding the cat tucked into a long sleeved top/coat, whilst someone else brushes.
What we have to do as our grey Persian can't stand being brushed, quite often have to get the clippers on him to remove mats. Doesn't help that his fur is like candy floss
Did try the vets a few times with sedation, but he either needed a "lion" cut (hilarious to look at for us, he wasn't impressed), or a light strim was just too light and didn't really get his knots/mats out.
Now just resigned to it being a quarterly battle to get as much out of him before he gets too stressed out by it.
What we have to do as our grey Persian can't stand being brushed, quite often have to get the clippers on him to remove mats. Doesn't help that his fur is like candy floss
Did try the vets a few times with sedation, but he either needed a "lion" cut (hilarious to look at for us, he wasn't impressed), or a light strim was just too light and didn't really get his knots/mats out.
Now just resigned to it being a quarterly battle to get as much out of him before he gets too stressed out by it.
Disco lights.
No really - one of our long haired cats got some of his belly hair in clumps, we couldn't get him to let us properly get at them with any of our armory of brushes and combs so we took him to a local groomer. Absolutely cat bonkers lady, her "salon" (I s
t thee not) was decked out with all sorts of things to keep dogs and cats amused during grooming. She switched on this disco light thing, about the size of a football with coloured lights all round, that rotated and projected patches of coloured light all over the walls. Cat was mesmerised.
She did of course keep feeding him handfuls of Dreamies, which may have helped. Other than that, he was probably as scared as I was...
No really - one of our long haired cats got some of his belly hair in clumps, we couldn't get him to let us properly get at them with any of our armory of brushes and combs so we took him to a local groomer. Absolutely cat bonkers lady, her "salon" (I s
t thee not) was decked out with all sorts of things to keep dogs and cats amused during grooming. She switched on this disco light thing, about the size of a football with coloured lights all round, that rotated and projected patches of coloured light all over the walls. Cat was mesmerised.She did of course keep feeding him handfuls of Dreamies, which may have helped. Other than that, he was probably as scared as I was...
I'm trying a new tactic - just keeping the stress out of the situation for him.
He has never minded the brush on his head and neck, it is just when you go down his flanks or his chest he fights back. So I am just giving him a gentle brush around the head every day, and making sure not to hold him. If he's had enough he can walk away.
Bit by bit I will venture a but further into the 'forbidden' areas and see how we get on. I think grabbing him by the scruff just makes him angry in the first place and isn't helping. So far he looks like he is enjoying the attention, and I even got a tangle out last time.
He has never minded the brush on his head and neck, it is just when you go down his flanks or his chest he fights back. So I am just giving him a gentle brush around the head every day, and making sure not to hold him. If he's had enough he can walk away.
Bit by bit I will venture a but further into the 'forbidden' areas and see how we get on. I think grabbing him by the scruff just makes him angry in the first place and isn't helping. So far he looks like he is enjoying the attention, and I even got a tangle out last time.
Roofless Toothless said:
I'm trying a new tactic - just keeping the stress out of the situation for him.
He has never minded the brush on his head and neck, it is just when you go down his flanks or his chest he fights back. So I am just giving him a gentle brush around the head every day, and making sure not to hold him. If he's had enough he can walk away.
Bit by bit I will venture a but further into the 'forbidden' areas and see how we get on. I think grabbing him by the scruff just makes him angry in the first place and isn't helping. So far he looks like he is enjoying the attention, and I even got a tangle out last time.
I would agree about the scuffing. Grabbing the scruff should be avoided at all times. I deal with cats of all natures from. The completely chilled to almost feral on a regular basis and yet I rarely ever need to scruff a cat. He has never minded the brush on his head and neck, it is just when you go down his flanks or his chest he fights back. So I am just giving him a gentle brush around the head every day, and making sure not to hold him. If he's had enough he can walk away.
Bit by bit I will venture a but further into the 'forbidden' areas and see how we get on. I think grabbing him by the scruff just makes him angry in the first place and isn't helping. So far he looks like he is enjoying the attention, and I even got a tangle out last time.
It is generally frowned upon as part of handling techniques for cats and if a practice wants to be seen as cat friendly it shouldn't occur.
dro said:
said: My Gran used to put a sock over her moggies head, and put on a pair of heavy duty leather gloves and just go for it, lots of hissing and unhappy noises but a few wee treats after it and he was right as rain.
Sounds funny but makes sense, sensible Granny 
. There are cat masks that are supposed to calm an angry cat. They can work but I personally don't like them much. Gassing Station | All Creatures Great & Small | Top of Page | What's New | My Stuff