WWYD? - Cat grooming

[fiwen30]

9 year old long-haired moggy, Missy, adopted from rescue 1 year ago. Very fearful/nervous natured with zero confidence. We're finally at the point where she'll relax in 1 room of the house, and she's happy to accept strokes most of the time, on her terms.

In the past couple of days, she's started to develop matts on her sides, behind her front legs, and little on her tummy. She'll let me groom her neck, chest, back, and bum while she's distracted by food, but her sides & belly are a no-go.

She just breaks my heart, because she's not aggressive in the slightest - she doesn't get angry, she just gets terrified. She's a very vocal cat, and will grumble and hiss as much as she meows, but if she feels pressured she'll yowl and scream like she's being murdered, even though she won't ever bite or lash out.

These matts she has aren't tight to the skin yet, and could be teased out with a little time and an extra set of hands, but when I tried this morning I couldn't manage it effectively and she just got so stressed.

She's due her booster injections on Wednesday, and I asked the vet if they could have a go at combing out these matts, but was told that any cat grooming must be done under sedation, but with her age and no knowledge of her history I'm not sure how I feel about that. But at the same time, it's taken us so long to establish a modicum of trust with her, I don't want to that I don't want to destroy that by being the one to man-handle her in her own home.

Reading that back I know it sounds a bit wimpy, and I'm not usually one to pussy-foot around administering medication, syringe-feeding, or cleaning out wounds if any of my pets need it, but Missy is such a mentally delicate soul, and it's taken us so long to get this far with her, but even now she'll still regress from time to time.

Obviously, the longer we leave it the tighter the matts will get, so the obvious answer is to book her in for sedation...right?

Edit to add: I'll also be speaking to the vet about any calming/anti-anxiety supplements we could try with her (Feliway etc. has had no effect), as well as having her checked over for early arthritis signs, in case she can't comfortably reach to groom her sides.

 

[Roxylola]

I'd get her sedated and groomed out so then you are starting from her being comfortable and start asap using a slicker or comb daily to "stroke" her. That way any discomfort from the current matting is not associated with being groomed or touched

 

[Esmae]

Will she go to sleep on your lap and relax? If she will get yourself set up ready with some talcum powder and a wide tooth comb and when she's snoring pop some talc onto the place and gently start to tease the comb through. The talc will help the comb to slide through the fur so it feels nice. (longhair show people use the talc method) Don't try to get all the lot at once. If she really won't let you then you may have to resort to sedation on the grounds of welfare. Going forward if you are successful then heating bran in the oven and working it through the coat and combing it out will help to keep her coat easy to manage. Good luck, it is maddening when they don't get that you really only want to help.

 

[MiJodsR2BlinkinTite]

^^^ Ditto this. I would ask vet about sedating puss - it is a simple procedure and puss won't know anything about it after - you will worry about this more than she will!!, and ask the vet nurses to remove the knots.

She will be a lot more comfortable, and you will be able to start off from scratch with her rather than have to be doing something which stresses you both out!

 

[Arzada]

I have a very similar cat. It was about a year before she came close enough to be stroked. Grooming took longer to be accepted and now, some approx 8 years later there are areas which can't be groomed. We have the similar vocal commentary. Only minor matts in certain areas can be teased out gently. For more problematic matts I am lucky that this year she will accept them being cut off with scissors. You wouldn't even know because he is so long haired! She accepts treatment (for other things at the vets) so if yours is like this I would see if the vet would let you go armed with scissors and cut them off while you're there. OR they may ask a vet nurse to do this for you. You haven't had her long, for a very nervous cat, so I would just deal with the matts this way. As time goes by and she relaxes more and more with you and realizes that what you are doing is OK then you will be able to more grooming.

 

[fiwen30]

Thank you everyone, you've really helped put my mind at ease!

Esmae: she's not a lap cat, unfortunately. She sleeps on the bed with us at night, but as it's the only room that she'll properly relax in, I don't really want to mess around with her in her 'safe space'. I'd not heard of talc though, I'll try that for grooming the bits of her that I'm allowed to get at!

Arzada: thank you, it's good(?) to hear of others in a similar position. I think I'm a bit wary as our vets aren't letting owners into the practice re. Covid, so I wouldn't be able to be there with her, which is worrying. Not that I don't trust my vet, and I'm not convinced she'd be any less stressed even if I was there, but still.

We adopted Missy after I lost my 10 year old heart-cat George to a 5-month battle with cancer. I was his person, and he just trusted me implicitly, would've jumped off a building if I'd asked. Our relationship with Missy is very different but no less special - she's just so fragile.

 

[Myloubylou]

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