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polly
Well-Known Member
Can anyone offer advice on grooming a long haired cat who absolutely hates it?? She swipes and screams and runs away.
Wicket has settled in a lot but still has a way to go before she'll fully trust us. She can be quite affectionate but prefers her own company outdoors most of the time. She's obviously had a rough time in the past, so I am really reluctant to just force the issue because I think she'd take it badly (there was an episode where I tried to show her that she wasn't too fat for the cat flap and our relationship took weeks to recover). But now she's got a couple of matts
I've ordered a special matt cutter but obviously I would like to just be able to groom her regularly so we don't get to this point.
Pic for tax, big fluffy twat
Wicket has settled in a lot but still has a way to go before she'll fully trust us. She can be quite affectionate but prefers her own company outdoors most of the time. She's obviously had a rough time in the past, so I am really reluctant to just force the issue because I think she'd take it badly (there was an episode where I tried to show her that she wasn't too fat for the cat flap and our relationship took weeks to recover). But now she's got a couple of matts
I've ordered a special matt cutter but obviously I would like to just be able to groom her regularly so we don't get to this point. Pic for tax, big fluffy twat
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Use a comb not a brush, a brush won't get out any tangles in a medium to long haired cat. Check whether something like a "Furminator" is suitable for your cat's fur type, it isn't suitable for all coats.
Mats can lead to sores and infection, if you have trouble doing the grooming yourself (some cats are just difficult about it, especially older ones who are not used to it and set in their ways, so do not see it as a failure if you can't do it yourself) ask at your vet surgery whether they offer services like grooming and clipping (for any matted bits) or if they can recommend someone.
EDIT: I used to take my Sonic to the vet to get his claws done because he was an utter nightmare, it wasn't charged the same as a vet consultation thank fuck, £6 a pop with the vet nurse job done. A full groom would cost a bit more than that, but if she is particularly difficult/stressed and mats are forming then it might be a worthwhile option - honestly nothing wrong with handing them over to a professional for some things.
Mats can lead to sores and infection, if you have trouble doing the grooming yourself (some cats are just difficult about it, especially older ones who are not used to it and set in their ways, so do not see it as a failure if you can't do it yourself) ask at your vet surgery whether they offer services like grooming and clipping (for any matted bits) or if they can recommend someone.
EDIT: I used to take my Sonic to the vet to get his claws done because he was an utter nightmare, it wasn't charged the same as a vet consultation thank fuck, £6 a pop with the vet nurse job done. A full groom would cost a bit more than that, but if she is particularly difficult/stressed and mats are forming then it might be a worthwhile option - honestly nothing wrong with handing them over to a professional for some things.
polly
Well-Known Member
Good call. Were you playing hide and seek
Dystopiary
putting up a hook to hang my hopes upon
Cat grooming glove maybe? Epona knows more than me, but I wondered if all else fails, with a cat grooming glove you could "fool" her into thinking she's just getting nice strokes. It won't get the matts out but could help prevent them if done regularly.Can anyone offer advice on grooming a long haired cat who absolutely hates it?? She swipes and screams and runs away.
Wicket has settled in a lot but still has a way to go before she'll fully trust us. She can be quite affectionate but prefers her own company outdoors most of the time. She's obviously had a rough time in the past, so I am really reluctant to just force the issue because I think she'd take it badly (there was an episode where I tried to show her that she wasn't too fat for the cat flap and our relationship took weeks to recover). But now she's got a couple of matts
Pic for tax, big fluffy twat
View attachment 318008
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
i've never had a lot to do with deep-pile kitties, either
have seen these things for sale
source
anyone got any experience with them? i suspect there's a chance that kitty will probably ignore it completely, but may be worth a try.
If kitty ignores it, I guess you could use it as a wellie cleaner, so it might not be a total waste of money
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
Having discovered I'm shit at using a jigsaw I take the day off to put the widow I helped reglaze back on the sash. I also double down and order more tools.
As a sign of blessing the cat comes and hangs out with me and gives me love bites.
As a sign of blessing the cat comes and hangs out with me and gives me love bites.
Shippou-Sensei
4:1:2.5
Tried to upload a video of peaches doing that but it didn't work.
High Voltage
In the top 97% of Urban's most interesting posters
Welcome to my world
polly
Well-Known Member
Got one! She hates it. She doesn't massively enjoy being stroked either and she figured that one out immediately
Thank you though i've never had a lot to do with deep-pile kitties, either
have seen these things for sale
source
anyone got any experience with them? i suspect there's a chance that kitty will probably ignore it completely, but may be worth a try.
at deep pile. Thank you for the suggestion. I'm not sure she would be thorough enough. She's very fluffy. I think it might have to be a regular double teaming from me and my husband, wrap her in a towel and just get it done. She's going to hate it.
hegley
never odd or even
On the double teaming, Felix can get quite matted (not a long-hair but does have quite dense fur); the only thing we've found that works is my partner feeding him a lickystix and me gently brushing him with the furminator - he clearly hates it but will tolerate it for a couple of minutes while he has his treat. So we just do a bit at a time over a few days.
polly
Well-Known Member
I was definitely going to involve treats because she's very 'food-driven', as they euphemistically said at the Cats' Protection League, but was going to give a treat afterwards. Your way might be better, thanks.
philosophical
Well-Known Member
Forgive the experimental picture ‘text’
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Jakey vet visit this morning (saw a locum who was really lovely) about his weight loss - he's lost another 500g since his last visit - that's 10% of his normal weight in the space of 2 months which is bad 
Heart rate elevated again, also mentioned that he's been vomming more frequently than usual (you know how cats have a sort of normal vomming level) and excess salivation (to the extent of making his chest wet where he's dribbled all down it) over the last 2 weeks.
So there's clearly something not right, so I was happy to agree to what they call geriatric panel blood tests and urinalysis to try to get to the bottom of it.
Vet suspects hyperthyroid which would account for a lot of those symptoms including the elevated heart rate and the sudden weight loss. This would be a welcome outcome as it would explain everything and is very treatable, so is certainly the preferred option out of the various alternatives (or inconclusive tests, which are a right unhelpful cunt of a thing when you know something is wrong, but that does sometimes happen with cats blood tests, every time Sonic ever had bloods it was "inconclusive" which was of no help to him).
So we're just waiting for results at the moment, should hear later this week.
Heart rate elevated again, also mentioned that he's been vomming more frequently than usual (you know how cats have a sort of normal vomming level) and excess salivation (to the extent of making his chest wet where he's dribbled all down it) over the last 2 weeks.
So there's clearly something not right, so I was happy to agree to what they call geriatric panel blood tests and urinalysis to try to get to the bottom of it.
Vet suspects hyperthyroid which would account for a lot of those symptoms including the elevated heart rate and the sudden weight loss. This would be a welcome outcome as it would explain everything and is very treatable, so is certainly the preferred option out of the various alternatives (or inconclusive tests, which are a right unhelpful cunt of a thing when you know something is wrong, but that does sometimes happen with cats blood tests, every time Sonic ever had bloods it was "inconclusive" which was of no help to him).
So we're just waiting for results at the moment, should hear later this week.
LeytonCatLady
Well-Known Member
Fingers crossed for you both that it's easily treatable.Jakey vet visit this morning (saw a locum who was really lovely) about his weight loss - he's lost another 500g since his last visit - that's 10% of his normal weight in the space of 2 months which is bad
Heart rate elevated again, also mentioned that he's been vomming more frequently than usual (you know how cats have a sort of normal vomming level) and excess salivation (to the extent of making his chest wet where he's dribbled all down it) over the last 2 weeks.
So there's clearly something not right, so I was happy to agree to what they call geriatric panel blood tests and urinalysis to try to get to the bottom of it.
Vet suspects hyperthyroid which would account for a lot of those symptoms including the elevated heart rate and the sudden weight loss. This would be a welcome outcome as it would explain everything and is very treatable, so is certainly the preferred option out of the various alternatives (or inconclusive tests, which are a right unhelpful cunt of a thing when you know something is wrong, but that does sometimes happen with cats blood tests, every time Sonic ever had bloods it was "inconclusive" which was of no help to him).
So we're just waiting for results at the moment, should hear later this week.
High Voltage
In the top 97% of Urban's most interesting posters
A bit of "closure" on the FiFi front - we had a further "phone chat" with the vet (they really are brilliant for this)
FiFi "was" eating one brand of diabetes biscuits and eating 60g / day (30g morning and 30g night time) and as long as she ate that she was fine for a full dose of insulin - but if she started to eat less I had a ridiculously involved sliding scale of how much to give her, it was unnecessarily complicated but I understood it and it worked fine
Except now, she's not really liking those biscuits, preferring instead Hills AD wet cat food - with a feeding guide of 2.25 tins for a 10kg cat / dog. So .225 of a tin for a 1kg cat / dog, so 1.04 tins OR 1 tin for a 4.65kg cat per day, which is now what she's on. But we are all unsure of the calorific value of this food and from that how much insulin to give her. She's currently on 2.5 units / day down from 6 units - but she seems OK
We've decided to let her carry on 'til the end of the month and then we need to do a glucose curve(?) thing
However, there's a new doo dah on the market and that's a stick on pad-thing that sends readings to an app on your smart phone and gives loads of really great data BUT the vet's never used one so we, or rather FiFi would be the GuineaCat
To make sure it sticks she'll have another area shaved AND, the icing on the cake, she'll have to wear a vest top to stop her worrying it off - and given that these doo dahs are £112 EACH and could stay on for 3 weeks or so but could just as easily fall off after a couple of days ( and I already know which one FiFi will opt for), I'm not so sure
Which leaves, leaving her at the vet for them to do the curve - "But stress may alter the readings" - Fucking didn't the last two or three times she's had them and she's still alive
OR
We could take readings from her pee
OR
We could stick her ear every 2 hours from 6 - 12
So, all in all, she's getting her Catitude back, yeowling like a good 'un at 3am wanting "something" but not sure what
FiFi "was" eating one brand of diabetes biscuits and eating 60g / day (30g morning and 30g night time) and as long as she ate that she was fine for a full dose of insulin - but if she started to eat less I had a ridiculously involved sliding scale of how much to give her, it was unnecessarily complicated but I understood it and it worked fine
Except now, she's not really liking those biscuits, preferring instead Hills AD wet cat food - with a feeding guide of 2.25 tins for a 10kg cat / dog. So .225 of a tin for a 1kg cat / dog, so 1.04 tins OR 1 tin for a 4.65kg cat per day, which is now what she's on. But we are all unsure of the calorific value of this food and from that how much insulin to give her. She's currently on 2.5 units / day down from 6 units - but she seems OK
We've decided to let her carry on 'til the end of the month and then we need to do a glucose curve(?) thing
However, there's a new doo dah on the market and that's a stick on pad-thing that sends readings to an app on your smart phone and gives loads of really great data BUT the vet's never used one so we, or rather FiFi would be the GuineaCat
To make sure it sticks she'll have another area shaved AND, the icing on the cake, she'll have to wear a vest top to stop her worrying it off - and given that these doo dahs are £112 EACH and could stay on for 3 weeks or so but could just as easily fall off after a couple of days ( and I already know which one FiFi will opt for), I'm not so sure
Which leaves, leaving her at the vet for them to do the curve - "But stress may alter the readings" - Fucking didn't the last two or three times she's had them and she's still alive
OR
We could take readings from her pee
OR
We could stick her ear every 2 hours from 6 - 12
So, all in all, she's getting her Catitude back, yeowling like a good 'un at 3am wanting "something" but not sure what
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Thank you!
Really hoping (if one hopes for such a thing) for a hyperthyroid diagnosis, that is common in elderly cats, treatment has well established protocols, it is something where we can get him started on treatment right away and has a good prognosis as a manageable long-term condition with options for treatment to cure it, he's always been easy to pill as he'll eat anything so the pill putty that you smush around a pill works really well with him and he thinks he's having a great day when he has some of that
so I am not too worried about the prospect of him having oral meds for a while.So that would be the best diagnosis by a long long way, given the alternatives.
pogofish
Testicle Hairstyle
i've never had a lot to do with deep-pile kitties, either
have seen these things for sale
source
anyone got any experience with them? i suspect there's a chance that kitty will probably ignore it completely, but may be worth a try.
I have one and both cats did use it occasionally and madam still does. They ignored it studiously for the first few months but eventually took to it when I started putting a little catnip on the rug base and dropping a little so it got caught-up amongst the bristles but overall, I'd say it probably wasn't worth the money.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
I do think that the stress of losing Sonic might have triggered something to go wrong with him, do you think that is possible?
He is eating normal amounts but clearly something is wrong with his health.
I remember commenting to the vet when I had Sonic put down "thank god that my other one, Jakey, is plump and healthy" - if I were superstitious I'd feel like I'd fucking jinxed the poor lad by saying that.
The vet today said "try not to worry, this sort of thing happens with old cats" - yeah and then they die, in my experience. Jakey is now older than Sonic got.
He is eating normal amounts but clearly something is wrong with his health.
I remember commenting to the vet when I had Sonic put down "thank god that my other one, Jakey, is plump and healthy" - if I were superstitious I'd feel like I'd fucking jinxed the poor lad by saying that.
The vet today said "try not to worry, this sort of thing happens with old cats" - yeah and then they die, in my experience. Jakey is now older than Sonic got.
Epona
Sonic: 1 Nov 2006 - 8 Jan 2022
Also I know that Siams/OSH tend to have a slightly shorter average lifespan than other cats, this isn't due to inbreeding or anything, it is just a feature of the naturally occurring breed of far eastern "temple cats" from which they originate, and their genetics. My boys were not inbred at all and their parents dna tested for a range of genetic conditions, just old age comes on them a bit sooner than for moggies or even other pedigree breeds of cat.
So I am kind of bracing myself to lose him in the not too distant future, he is 15 which is at the high end of lifespan for an OSH.
So I am kind of bracing myself to lose him in the not too distant future, he is 15 which is at the high end of lifespan for an OSH.
donkyboy
Crazy Cat/Fox man
So last night I was outside with the girls just after 11pm. While supervising them (I never leave them out on their own as they primarily indoor girls), I heard loud cat noises. I look up and Akiro was stuck on the roof of the block of flats and couldn't get down . I'm like what the hell!
He was making loud noises as he realised he was stuck up there
I knocked on his owners door and said: "Akiro is stuck on the roof". She was shocked They had opened the skylight then closed it. But somehow he got on the roof. No one realised he was up there
Anyway, he is now having a nap in my flat. I LOVE this boy. Really do
. I'm like what the hell!He was making loud noises as he realised he was stuck up there
I knocked on his owners door and said: "Akiro is stuck on the roof". She was shocked They had opened the skylight then closed it. But somehow he got on the roof. No one realised he was up there
Anyway, he is now having a nap in my flat. I LOVE this boy. Really do
Puddy_Tat
naturally fluffy
cats can do time travel, that's how they end up on the other side of a locked door / window sometimes.
Dystopiary
putting up a hook to hang my hopes upon
Your Bloom posts are so joyful!
philosophical
Well-Known Member
Your Bloom posts are so joyful!
That is a generous thing to say.
I don’t have my own cat, so frankly it is an honour for Bloom to deign to visit us, then again it could be because he has full control over Mrs P, like this morning
