Cat Grooming Help

[SiotehCat]

I recommend using a flexible slicker brush to do the majority of your brushing. When you are confident that you have brushed her thoroughly, go over her one more time with the comb to be sure.

For a lot of my clients that have big floofy cats, I shave the entire underside. From the armpits down to the sanitary area. Those are the areas that cats are usually touchy about. So it means that their parents dont have to worry about brushing those parts.

[JoW]

When you cut out mats try cutting through the mat instead of under it.  That way you are less likely to cut the cat's skin.  After the mat is cut into several pieces you can comb it out easier. 

[PastryGoddess]

I am trying to not get to this point again.  She had a pretty bad mat in her neck ruff a couple of months ago and that was a battle to get that out.  I did have to cut into it because it was so big and had gone down to the skin.  It was then I realized that she is not able to groom as well as I thought and now I have to keep on top of  it.  So now the mats are all gone but she tangles so easily. 

I'm going to start with the cornstarch idea for tangles and I may end up getting a rake or the furminator.  Will the furminator get through a double undercoat?

[Lorelei_Evil]

The large one should.  You'll be alarmed at how much fur you get with one.  You could knit another cat.

[m2kbug]

What is the special quality of the Furminator?  It doesn't look like it's much different than a comb or an undercoat rake.  They use a short-haired cat for the ad - let's see that bad-boy work some magic on a long-haired, matted cat...any links?

[leaf_eater]

I use a shedding comb (alternate length teeth) to try to keep the tangles from matting on my cranky old lady (16) Himalayan mix. I had her well trained to be groomed - anything for treat - but the older she gets the less tolerant of it she is and the worse she is at doing it herself. I also try to get the shedding brush between the mats and her skin to make sure I don't cut her when removing mats. She is so squirmy nowadays when I groom her I am a nervous wreck when using the scissors.

[FlyingBaconMouse]

Inky has both a slicker brush and his very own sold-for-human-use plastic comb. If I snag a tangle with the brush/comb and he attacks it, I let him chew on that one while I keep working with the other one, switching as needed.

He used to be pretty feisty about it, but these days if I hold the brush still on the floor, he'll rub his face on it and do his whiskers on his own. 

[atirial]

Another trick to avoid cutting the cat is to slide a long toothed fine metal comb under the matt to protect the cat's skin and then cut away the matt on top (I grew up with a Persian).

What is the special quality of the Furminator?  It doesn't look like it's much different than a comb or an undercoat rake.  They use a short-haired cat for the ad - let's see that bad-boy work some magic on a long-haired, matted cat...any links?

Judging from these you get a lot of fur off a Persian  or Maine Coon. There are a lot on youtube (look for long haired cat furminator), but it's designed more to prevent matts by removing all the loose fur than to cut through existing ones.

[amylouky]

I used to have a long haired cat.. maybe not quite THAT floofy, but she hated hated hated being brushed or combed.
The only thing she would tolerate was the gloves with the brush attachment glued to them, and as long as I brushed her pretty often they were actually good at getting off the excess hair. Note, NOT the ones with just the little nubs.. this one had longer plastic bristles, similar to this:
http://ibuy-shop.com/en/pet-accessory-supplies-dog-cat/493-pet-dog-cat-massage-hair-removal.html

[Midnight Kitty]

Remind me never to get a long haired cat.  I think that, in Hawaii, I would need that kitty shaved twice a year.

While not a cat, my mare Misty is like a 3 year old girl when I'm getting the tangles out of her mane.  I started when she was 18 months.  While she is better at 7 years old, she's still a little priss.  I found a concentrated silicone-based mane & tail tamer that seems to help.  I spray the (diluted appropriately) product on her mane, then alternately finger comb and use a wide-spaced rubber-tipped wire brush, starting at the bottom and working up.   Yes, it takes a while.  No, she is not patient.  She stopped trying to bite me while I'm detangling her mane, but only because I punch her in the nose when she bites me.  Now she just does these "nip the air" gestures to let me know that she does not like having her mane detangled and she wants to bite me.

Once I get it all detangled, she tosses her mane like a supermodel.  Why yes, she does think she's Diety's gift to the world.  Don't you?

My cat, Bootsie, is short haired and loves to be brushed.  There is no brush invented that she does not like and your arm will fall off before she gets enough.  At 19, she has a few problems cleaning the "sany" area.  I use wet wipes.  I can't get her to hold still so I can trim the fur around her butt.

Edited because I forgot one must never use silicone based products on cats. D'oh!

[bansidhe]

My big floofy guy loves to have his cheeks combed and brushed, but not the rest of him. And of course, he needs to be combed as he gets mats. What we've found is that his fur tends to mat in the spring and summer but is fine in the fall and winter, so we shave him down every year in late May or early June and that lasts him all season.

It's really hot where we live, so it helps him to stay cool, too. He prances around proudly, all full of himself, when he comes home from getting shaved.

[Lorelei_Evil]

So did my Abby.  She LOVED being shaved.  I'd put a sweater on her if we had a cold snap after her appointment.  Pink with rhinestone trim to match her collar.

[oceanus]

My cat is really sensitive about her back paws.  Okay to touch and play with the front ones, but touch her back paws and WOW, prepare for a swat/scratch! 

When vet tech or friend trim her claws, they position her in such a way as to maneuver and be able to do it.  But I can't deal with it myself.

[JoW]

Trimming cat claws is easy if you have a helper.   Have the helper hold the cat in a "begging dog" position, grab a paw and start cutting. 

Without a helper I hold the cat under one arm like a football and pull one front foot out and cut.   The back feet are harder.  I usually wait until the cat is half asleep on my bed.  I approach from behind, cover him with my body, with my upper arm over his face.  The pull out one back foot and trim.   I get the other back foot several hours later or the next day. 

[PastryGoddess]

Two of my cats will allow you to clip their nails.  Zoe on the other hand needs to be wrapped full burrito style and sat on before I can get her front nails.  I don't even bother with the back.