Groomer or not?

Alright guys, I need a little bit of advice. I have a very beautiful little boy(app 10months) named PHX.He is a siamese mix- very adorable. I've had him for a few months now and now I would really like to have his nails trimmed and teeth cleaned. Although he is not dirty and does not smell I was thinking about giving him a bath anyways just so I know he's clean. Now, the question is- do you recommend that I bring him to a groomer or just do it myself. I don't want to spend alot of money at the groomer's and don't even know one that's good. I feel like I just don't want to bring him to some random place where I don't know if they will treat him with respect. I can always just do his nails and his teeth myself and skip the bath thing. I've clipped other cats nails before- but its a hassle. And I've never cleaned cat's teeth before- but I have a feeling PHX will not like it at all! He really does have a personality of his own. What do you think I should do? Any comments, questions,or advice is VERY much appreciated! Thanks in advance.

IMO you do it yourself. I've always clipped nails and washed many cats. Teeth cleaning I've never tried.

There are many threads in here on nail clipping and washing a cat to help you out.

Hiya

Well I do it myself most of it, but the old teeth cleaning I have not attempted! LOL you should see what he does with his toys with those teeth!!!!

Related, slightly OT: Will a groomer do my cat's Dingleberries? She wont let me near them. Teeth and claws I can handle but she will NOT have me and scissors near her bum. (I usually try to do the claws when she is napping, she barely notices.) :-(

If your cat is not dirty and does not smell -- skip the bath (could be very traumatic for you and him). I would do the nails yourself if he'll let you. As for the teeth -- doesn't a vet have to do that? I thought they had to be sedated.

Giving cats baths are NOT tramatic for the cat or you. Not if you do it at a young age. The only cat I could not give a water bath to was my first one - and something happened to him that made it tramatic (we rescued him when 2 yrs old).

I've had no problem giving baths to 6 week old kittens up to older adult cats! Its not that hard. None of the cats were that afraid of water. My show rex would just stand in the tub and not try to jump out when given a bath.

I trim both my cats' claws regularly. I figure that since they chew my toothbrush regularly of their own accord that their dental health is probably not requiring any further intervention from me at this point but it wouldn't be a problem to introduce a kitty toothbrush, and if either of them were due for a bath I would do it myself.

If you are nervous about doing a nail trim because you've never done it before and don't know where to cut then of course take kitty to a groomer or vet and have them show you how to hold them and where to cut the nail, but once you know what you are doing and how to hold them still for it, it isn't difficult. I do have very pliable cats though! Both of them have been used to being handled from a very young age and are pretty amenable to any sort of handling.

I bathe all my cats. The white ones to stay one, Lily cuz she's not good at backend grooming, Damita because she's always dirty, & Dory cuz he's not good at grooming in general. For the first time bath, I fill the sink with a little water & don't use any running water at all. Depending on how they handle that, I slowly introduce running water baths over a period of 6 months or so.

I bathe my own cats and clip their nails very sucessfully. I use the kitchen sink because it is smaller and feels safer for the cat. And it saves my back. PUt a rubber mat in the bottom of the sink, fill the other side with warm water and 3 Tablespoons of vinegar (for rinsing), and talk softly to the cat while holding firmly. Mine love to snuggle all wrapped up in towels after their baths.

Originally Posted by Cessena

Related, slightly OT: Will a groomer do my cat's Dingleberries? She wont let me near them. Teeth and claws I can handle but she will NOT have me and scissors near her bum. (I usually try to do the claws when she is napping, she barely notices.) :-(

Click to expand...

Yes, a groomer will handle that little problem... I found that out last year with great relief for me and my Moogy...