I NEED HELP!!

Good grooming practices are essential for maintaining health and happiness for you and your cat. This is a forum to exchange tips and advice for proper care of your cat's hygiene needs.

Skyrocket

291927

Purred: Sun Apr 2, '06 10:18am PST


	my very very dear cat is getting old, i think perhaps shes had a stroke or something along those lines last summer. She has very long thick hair, which makes it very hard to groom herself. she has horrible matts(i hope thats what theyre called) all along her fur and ive tried almost everything to get them out but i cant do it. Im afraid of having them cut off because i think it might get too cold for her outside, and she doesnt know how to handle herself inside . what should i do??

my posts | my page | msg me | gift me | become friends

[notify]

Azurine- Ambrosia

I DID NOT DO IT

Purred: Sun Apr 2, '06 11:57am PST


	You really need to have your vet shave her mats off, they can cause pain and irritation if they are bad. sometimes causing abcesses and deep sores underneath them, also can prevent them from going to the potty if they cover they bum..... she will not get to cold... you can keep her inside and give her a little blanky for a few days.. mommsie always keeps the mats away from me..... goodl luck hope your mommsie fix you soon Bluie

[notify]

uni- (ooo-knee)

bengal beauty

Purred: Mon Apr 3, '06 9:48pm PST


	good advice. get those mats cut immediatly. they can cause major sores that you would never know were there. if you bring her to a groomer, they will know exactly what to do and i would try to find a groomer at a vets because if they are really bad she might have to be tranquilized.

[notify]

Amber- (1997-2011)

186654

Purred: Mon Apr 3, '06 10:40pm PST


	Aww,poor girl.Please see your vet soon. Like said before,those matts could be hiding something worse. Also,try giving her some little kitty clothes to wear if she's not sore.And also try some nice,fluffy blankets for her to lay under.Most likely,she won't get cold,though.

[notify]

Cosmo

I'd do it for a- Cosmo Snack

Purred: Tue Apr 4, '06 6:15am PST


	Hi Skyrocket! You are 11? That's not so old, there's many older veterans around Catster still going strong! My 'grandma' has a long haired kitty of about 19 and she's still grooming pretty efficiently. So it sounds like a vet visit might be a really good idea at this point, there could be some treatment to improve your health. Good luck! Edited by author Tue Apr 4, '06 6:18am PST

[notify]

Cosmo

I'd do it for a- Cosmo Snack

Purred: Tue Apr 4, '06 6:16am PST


	woops somehow i posted twice and can't remove this - sorry! Edited by author Tue Apr 4, '06 6:19am PST

[notify]

Gizelle

Any more kittens- show up and I'm- leaving

Purred: Tue Apr 4, '06 10:19am PST


	I have the same problem sometimes because I refuse to be brushed. But I am very skittish and impossible for a groomer to handle so mom has to take me to the vet and they totally sedate me for shaving. Mine get so bad that I have to have a full lion cut.

[notify]

Jack the- GiantCat- HumphreyRIP

"I am the Giant- Cat!"

Purred: Sun Apr 9, '06 11:51pm PST


	We have short hair but our cousin kitty Blackie has beautiful long hair and it mats, too. His Auntie Tee is training him to stand being brushed (NEVER with a pinbrush--those are too sharp for cat skin, which is very delicate) but first he had to be shaved at the vet's--it's called a Lion Cut and they look rather alarming and Auntie Roo thinks that Blackie was embarrassed until his fur grew out. BUT he didn't have mats and he wasn't in pain from the mats pulling on his skin. DO NOT try to cut them out because it is almost impossible to do without cutting skin as well! And the skin of elderly cats is even more delicate than that of young cats. Take your darling to the vet, as everyone has said, and NOT a groomer. Groomers are not equipped for mats: it's true that at te vets, if kitty is a scaredy cat he'll be given medicine to 1. calm him down if he's a mild scaredy, or 2. if he's a major scaredy! A thought: If your old kitty needs a teeth cleaning the vet can do that (under local anesthetic) and as kitty wakes up and is still groggy, can do the lion cut without too much alarm on kitty's part. Love and kisses, Jack 'n' the Wildlife

[notify]

Bacardi

I am Mistah,- Hear me ROAR!

Purred: Sun May 7, '06 9:17pm PST


	And why would you say that groomers are not equipped to deal with matted cats, for indeed thats what we do is GROOM. I would suggest finding a gentle groomer close to you who will allow you to stay with your feline friend, while he/she is being groomed. I have been shaving cats for 8 yrs, so I find it kind of offensive you saying that a groomer would not be equipped...And as anyone knows, everytime a cat is put under sedation you risk the chance of losing them. So taking an older cat to the vet to be sedated and shaved is not the best idea imo. If your cat is very nervous, groomers have soothings techniques to deal with it, certain sounds, touches and smells can really calm a cat down. There are certain groomers out there that shave cats very roughly, holding them in positions uncomfortable for them, thus the reason to stay with your cat...if they refuse to let you witness the process then I would suggest going elsewhere. Out of the hundreds of cats that I have shaved, I have never cut one yet, nor have I needed anyone to physically restrain the poor animal. And out of 8 yrs, there have only been a dozen cats that I have sent home undone, only to take them back a week or two later with an oral sedative to help me out a bit. An oral sedative does not knock the cat out, they can still move about, but it just grogs them up a bit, sorta like being tipsy. I also shave my own cat Bacardi every 4 months. I find he looks great! Dont you

[notify]

Chloe (2002 - 2007)

Miss southern- belle

Purred: Mon May 8, '06 11:44pm PST


	Hope you get some relief from those awful mats soon. They can be so irritating! I know. Luckily I dont mind being brushed so we rarely have to clip any off of me. Keep us posted!

[notify]

Catster

I NEED HELP!!

Love Cats?

Want a Cat?

Have A Cat?

Be in the Know!

Catster

Forums Home » Grooming

I NEED HELP!!

Love Cats?

Want a Cat?

Have A Cat?

Be in the Know!

Prefer Dogs?