The stray we adopted is in scruffy shape. I’ve cut matted fur off of him here and there, but he has big patches of greasy matted fur.
Do you think a pro grooming would do the trick? As a big plus, he loves to be brushed, so we can probably keep his long coat mat-free afterwards.
My parents’ long hair goes to the groomer every 1-2 months to keep the mats at bay. They do a belly/butt shave and also give him a bath/full grooming. One time when the mats got out of control, he had to get a lion cut :lol: Needless to say, they don’t let him fall behind on grooming appointments anymore.
I think it sounds like a great idea to let the pros get this one started for you!
I was wondering about this last night as I gave both cats a bath… they got into a mess near the oil burner :mad: sooty and greasy and lying on MY pillow cleaning themselves…
How do cat groomers do it? Do they sedate them? Are cats even good for grooming/bathing in strange places? One of mine is good (as in just will stand there “yes human, bathe me”) and the other is satan with claws…
I have bathed cats of my own, at home, in the kitchen sink, wearing the heaviest and longest Playtex rubber gloves on the market. One would sit and suffer quietly, the other would fight and yell. Warm water, Johnson’s Baby Shampoo, then rinse, wrap cat in a big fluffy towel and hold in my lap to keep warm until dry (and keep claws out of my flesh!). They weren’t filthy oily matted messes, just unusually grubby kitties who had gotten gunk in their fur I didn’t want want getting into their digestive systems. Once, when I had an indoor-outdoor Persian, it was fleas.
I didn’t sedate them. Never occurred me to take them to a groomer. Traumatic as baths are to them, I would figure it’s less hard on them being in their own home tormented by their own person than among strangers in a strange place.
Cat articles I have read say fold a bath towel in the bottom of the sink to give them a non-slippery surface, and have a helper, someone with two free hands to hold the cat while you bathe it. Someone brave and quiet who won’t let go.
[QUOTE=beowulf;8551326]
I was wondering about this last night as I gave both cats a bath… they got into a mess near the oil burner :mad: sooty and greasy and lying on MY pillow cleaning themselves…
How do cat groomers do it? Do they sedate them? Are cats even good for grooming/bathing in strange places? One of mine is good (as in just will stand there “yes human, bathe me”) and the other is satan with claws…[/QUOTE]
I groom a few cats. No I don’t sedate them. It depends on the cat how good it is. Most of the cats I have groomed have been fairly well behaved. Often times the distractions of a shop are helpful. Most don’t act afraid of the sights and sounds, they just watch them which keeps them from paying too much attention to what you’re doing.
We had a long haired kitty that was pretty gross. BIG, grouchy and not to good with personal hygiene. We would get him groomed about three times a year. Sometimes he was sedated but sometimes he did fine without. The groomer would do a “lion clip” on him leaving a mane and a tuft on his tail. He looked pretty regal. And he smelled a whole lot better!
[QUOTE=ElisLove;8551442]
I groom a few cats. No I don’t sedate them. It depends on the cat how good it is. Most of the cats I have groomed have been fairly well behaved. Often times the distractions of a shop are helpful. Most don’t act afraid of the sights and sounds, they just watch them which keeps them from paying too much attention to what you’re doing.[/QUOTE]
you can clip them w/ clippers without massive retaliation? apparently according to my cat, being touched with clippers is on par with assaulting her very integrity and she gets very mad very fast…
[QUOTE=beowulf;8551491]
you can clip them w/ clippers without massive retaliation? apparently according to my cat, being touched with clippers is on par with assaulting her very integrity and she gets very mad very fast…[/QUOTE]
Yes. I have done older cats that have never been groomed before and got them shaved down fine. Obviously some cats are assholes, but I really haven’t had to deal with any cats that were bad enough that I couldn’t get them done.
Jet used to have to go periodically just for a big lion clip (he would get combed, but at the end of the day, he just matted and eventually needed a clip and a bath.) Marcus, who’s a medium-coat and the only non-short-hair now that Jet’s gone, went once. I came back and Jet was all trimmed and bathed, Marcus was just sitting in the cage waiting. They said they made an attempt to bathe him and he was…not cooperative. So they brushed him a little and weren’t going to charge me. He is not a bath fan. One time when he’d had an accident in the cat crate and needed a bath I found out first-hand.
Just FYI. Cutting matts out can be very dangerous. Generally if an animal has many matts, the kindest thing to do is to have them shaved. A bath can make an even bigger mess of matts. I’d take him to a groomer, have him shaved, and then brush him and see how it goes.
We need to take him in to the vet soon anyway, so maybe we’ll just go for the lion clip. He won’t like it, though.:no:
I just had the vet do a lion clip on my old cat who doesn’t groom herself any longer. Plus, she fights like she’s not old at all at any attempts to groom her. The vet did a good job, and, after some initial grumbling, I don’t think the old lady minds at all.
I worked at a vet clinic, and there was a cool, plastic half circle cage we could put the cats in to bathe them. But most were actually not too bad. But if mats are bad, that can be painful, so I’d allow sedation if needed.
We groom cats at my shop in Pt Pleasant NJ. Blooming Tails Dog Grooming. Check our website.
Hello, again, everyone! I know you were all waiting breathlessly for an update, so here it is:
After multiple daily brushings, which Jonesy luvs, his coat is now mat-free!
My husband resisted the idea of taking him to a groomer, and I have to admit he was right. This cat has been through a lot and has finally settled down and gotten comfortable with both of us.
Can a daily brushing keep him so sleek? We hope so. 
Mine goes every few months for a lion cut. He is so hairy and isn’t the best self-groomer so I take him to get clipped and nails cut. He’s pretty well behaved - he will make a noise or two but tolerates it well.
I used to bath the cats that came into the vet clinic occasionally. Most were pretty good, one left scratches up my arm and one I did not even get to bring him out of the crate! I called and declined bathing that one. Thankfully my big hairy monster keeps himself pretty spiffy, though he does love a good brushing.
[QUOTE=Bristol Bay;8617157]
Hello, again, everyone! I know you were all waiting breathlessly for an update, so here it is:
After multiple daily brushings, which Jonesy luvs, his coat is now mat-free!
My husband resisted the idea of taking him to a groomer, and I have to admit he was right. This cat has been through a lot and has finally settled down and gotten comfortable with both of us.
Can a daily brushing keep him so sleek? We hope so. :)[/QUOTE]
My mom has a medium coat cat (she’s fluffy, but not to the extent of a really long coat cat). She gets brushed regularly and bathed at home. Works very well for her. I’ve never seen a mat on her.
My two short hair boys groom each other. They think they do a spiffy job of it too! Then curl up under my nose smelling of cat spit. Maybe I just have a sensitive nose…Anyway, I rinse a washrag in shampoo and then just rub the boys down with the damp washrag. Not only cleans them without fuss but makes them smell nice too. Might be worth trying on a long hair cat that likes brushing but does not tolerate a water bath.
[QUOTE=beowulf;8551326]
How do cat groomers do it? Do they sedate them? Are cats even good for grooming/bathing in strange places? One of mine is good (as in just will stand there “yes human, bathe me”) and the other is satan with claws…[/QUOTE]
There is such as thing as Certified Cat Groomers. There is a national organization, curriculum, and competitions.
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