brushing kitties

Opie is so cute. No matter where I put the brush, he knocks it to the floor and brushes himself. He seems to know which brush is for the shorthaired kitties.

Opie starts by rubbing his face and chin on it and progresses to brushing his flanks. Of course, he doesn't seem to mind when I take over.

Buddy has a different brush, being a longhair. He is OK with me brushing his top side and bib. When I get to his belly and the inside of his back legs, I have a fight on my hands.

Buddy is a bit lax, with his personal hygeine. The hair under his tail and down his back legs gets nasty and matted. Naturally, I am not going to allow THAT. It takes quite a bit of work to clean him up. I need one hand for the brush, two to hold Buddy and one to hold his tail out of the way. Bill is a good groomer's helper, though. Sunday, Buddy had what I thought was a particularly nasty mat. It turned out to be a small turd, caught in his fur. Eeee-www! I guess that its no worse than changing diapers.

Ahhh. The joy of cleaning and brushing long-haired cats!!!

With my 2 persians, I find the best way to do their undersides and between their back legs is to tip them on their backs, heads toward my stomach and hold their front paws while brushing. I have been doing that since they were kittens so not sure if it would work with a grown cat like Buddy (i.e., he may not take too kindly to being upended).

The poo-poo is an ocupational hazard of long-hairs also. Sometimes if you have a metal flea comb, it is easier to dislodge the offending article with this than a brush.

How I wish just one of my 3 would brush themselves. It would make for a much easier morning all around!!!

I bought a flea comb, when I first got Buddy. He was so badly matted, that I had to clip the mats. I slip the comb between the mat and the skin and cut across the top of the comb. Its too hard to tell where the hair ends and the cat begins. I've been trying very hard to keep him from getting that way again.

my stripey loves to be brushed, he perfers the flea comb, im not sure why, when i get him finished and go to brush blackie, he comes over and trys to rub his head on the brush, blackie doesnt care for it much, they are both short haired but i get alot of hair from them