Forest Needs A Haircut.

I wonder if anyone who has experience with long haired cats could give me some advice.

I found a stray Persian (I think he's a Persian) last year. When I found him he had very dirty fur from sleeping rough in the woods and the vet had to shave his back legs and the under part of his tail. Since then his fur has grown back and he has a wonderful long, thick coat.

I groom him every day and have bought a selection of combs and brushes. The trouble is he doesn't really like being groomed and struggles and growls. I've only been brushing him for about 10 minutes a day as I don't want to stress him out.

He looks great but I can feel mats forming under his top coat. I've trimmed a few out but yesterday he pulled a clump of hair off and I'm worried he's going to hurt himself. There aren't any cat groomers around here. I'm thinking about taking him back to the vet and getting his coat shaved into a lion cut, although the vet says he'll need to be sedated for this.

Is this a good idea? Once he's been shaved what kind of brushes should I use to stop his coat getting matted again? Any advice on how I can keep his coat in good condition?

@posiepurrs  @SpiffyKitty  what do you suggest?

Here's a picture of the little fluff ball.

I love Forest. He's so handsome. He looks like my Sophie with light fur. Night and day. Her coat is also prone to matting more so than Lilith's whose hair is longer and silkier. I'm curious to see what they advise, too. I have an arsenal of combs, brushes, shampoos, conditioners, clippers, detangling sprays, etc.. (all cat safe products, of course) 

Thank you @Kat0121  Sophie looks like quite a character. (I think she'd be the yin, isn't yin black and female?)

I guess you have the same problems keeping her tangle free as I do with Forest. My other long haired cats all love being brushed, but they've got silky fur that rarely tangles. I think the reason Forest hates being groomed so much is that the comb pulls on the knots, no matter how gentle I try to be.

Maybe he'll be more comfortable if we trim it all off and start again.

He looks to have a cotton coat - the most challenging type to manage. I would suggest having the lion cut and then working from the first day, every day with treats and lots of cuddling, getting him used to the comb. I would not use a brush as it does not get down to the skin. He could look great on top but be a felted mess underneath the top coat. I know it sounds crazy but if you can get him used to bathing it helps. A clean coat doesn't tangle and mat as badly as a dirty one. With the boy is my avatar (Jack) he gets weekly baths (I show) and I rarely comb him between baths. I check with my fingers everyday for tangles and deal with any before they get bad. As his coat grows out comb him - there should be no tangles to be jerked. You could also use a furminator to remove undercoat if you like. Just don't use it on a tangled coat.

If it helps you feel any better, I have a girl I have to keep shaved down. She is going on 8 years old and has been a demon to groom since she was a tiny kitten. I am talking about my having to sedate her when I shave her to keep from blood shed (mine). I think she is mellowing out somewhat. I shaved her last time without having to sedate her. Of course, I did it over several days and she would have never won a grooming contest for me with the results, but at least she was mat free.

Thank you for the advice @posiepurrs

Jack's coat looks gorgeous, you must spend ages grooming him.

I've made an appointment to get forest shaved on Tuesday. I'll post some "after" shots here when he's done. I've got some mild cat shampoo left over from the last lot of poopy butt feral kittens I fostered. Forest is a very well mannered cat who has obviously been loved and handled a lot by someone. Hopefully he won't object to being given a bath.

Do you use a hair drier on Jack or towel dry him?

Because Jack is a show cat he must be dried with a dryer each time. I have some pets that I don't completely dry since they REALLY don't like the dryer. When I finish bathing all of them, I towel dry - going with the pattern of hair growth so it will not tangle. I use 2 towels, then I switch to paper towels  to get even more moisture out. Just keep him warm while drying and know that when his coat is long it will take a very long time for him to dry - but then it would using a dryer too if you don't have access to a professional dryer. If he air dries his coat will be wavy looking.

If you do bath him I would suggest diluting any shampoo you use in half with water. It is so much easier to rinse out. If his coat is oily, you could just use diluted Dawn dish detergent. That is my first shampoo with my cats. They get up to 5 shampoos in a show bath, but for the ones not being shown I just do a couple, starting with the Dawn. The most important thing in bathing a cat is the rinsing. Don't just plop them in the tub and rinse once - it won't get everything out. Rinse until you think everything is out and then rinse some more. I spend more time rinsing than I do shampooing. If anyone is interested an article that I was asked to write on show grooming a golden Persian is on the Dixieland Silver and Golden Fanciers website. It will give you an idea just how crazy I am for choosing these beautiful cats!

@Norachan  He is a beautiful cat, please post a pic after he is done.  My long hair is a moggie so he does not have the thick cottony undercoat like the Persians. I notice he has toe tufts, I would like to see what your vet does with those. I bathe mine monthly and completely blow dry him. Like Posipurrs said if I do not completely blow dry him he is wavy and his belly is more cottony than the rest of his body.

I remember when you found Forest, and I absolutely adore him. Wow...that coat is certainly beautiful, but definitely looks like a challenge. I'll be interested to see the "after" photos!

hes gorgeous! ive one of these as i have a shi tzu and shes a pain to do. i brush my kitten when shes asleep next to me as she will prob end up long or semi long haired she tries to get the comb otherwise. might be worth getting one for the future and they are really cheap can get them off ebay x

Norachan said:

 
Thank you for the advice @posiepurrs

Jack's coat looks gorgeous, you must spend ages grooming him.

I've made an appointment to get forest shaved on Tuesday. I'll post some "after" shots here when he's done. I've got some mild cat shampoo left over from the last lot of poopy butt feral kittens I fostered. Forest is a very well mannered cat who has obviously been loved and handled a lot by someone. Hopefully he won't object to being given a bath.

Do you use a hair drier on Jack or towel dry him?

Click to expand...

I doubt I can shed any more light on the situation than the person that shows cats but I did want to mention that the groomer will bathe him for you.  Once he has his lion clip the comb is essential after his fur regrows to a length that can mat...I'd say start when he reaches a 1" length.  At that length he shouldn't mind the comb because it won't pull and he'll be used to it once you have to tug a little.  Use a good metal comb.  German ones are the best.

 Dirty coats demat easier than clean ones and I know that sounds contradictory to the previous advice but she is right....clean coats do not mat as bad but once they are matted they are easier to demat dirty.  The undercoat tends to shrink up with a bath and lie tighter to their delicate skin.

Thank you for all your comments and advice. Well, here he is!



Our vet had never done a Lion Cut before, so that's why he looks more like a lamb. 

We shaved him down to 2mm but there was a big mat on his chest that needed to be shaved right off, so he has a bald patch.. He was given a bath and had his claws trimmed too. Luckily his tail hadn't matted at all so they left that the way it was.

He seems much happier, he's much more active, coming for pets and purring more than he has done in weeks.

 

He does look like a little lamb. He's such a cutie.

Isn't it funny how they perk up?  Like..."Look at me?  Aren't I special now?"  And they like to be pet because the sensation must be vastly different now?

Looks like an okay job for the first time.  We usually do a lot more blending of the long hair on the legs into the short hair but, hey, mission accomplished.

Your vet did a nice job. Mine are shaved much closer (more like Forests chest) when I shave them down. I am happy that he didn't need his tail shaved - it takes FOREVER to regrow! Now you can start working with him, getting him used to being groomed.

He is perkier because the mats are no longer painful.

Aw, he looks great, and definitely like a lamb!

He is a cute lamb. I love that they could leave his tail.  Did they do any trimming of his toe tufts?

He is a lot happier, it's easy to see that he's more comfortable. I think our timing was just right too. It's 12C here today and it feels like spring has arrived. I was worried that I'd have to get him a little coat to wear, it's usually below zero here at night.

The other cat's were all a bit confused by his new look. "Who is this shorn, handsome stranger that smells of shampoo?"

  

They seem to have worked out who he is now.

@KittyMomma1122  They didn't trim his toe tufts. they washed them and trimmed his claws and his feet are finally the same colour as the rest of him. The soil around here is almost black and his feet were stained with it, but he now has little silver paws again.

How cute is he!!  I suppose we all feel spiffy after a new haircut! 

I love a Greyhound comb, very sturdy steel, with fine teeth on one half and coarse teeth the other half. Coarse (wider spacing) for areas that have very slight clumping or matting to start, then finish with the fine toothed end of the comb, making a snag-free coat. I use these on all cats or dogs before clipping or scissoring. If just a few mats I work through them with the comb, holding the base of the hair roots so not pulling on the skin as much, then clip. If matted throughout, to the skin, shave down, leaving what I can unless it's too little to bother with and looks ridiculous.

So many are zippy and bouncy after a clip down, even when not close to the skin and a couple inches of hair still over the back and skirt. A shih tzu pivoting, running, rubbing and rolling all over the floor after removing a matted coat is so fun to watch. A big Newfie is slower zipping, but still happy to feel the air running through to their skin, leaping and rolling in the grass; ah I love watching them enjoy sensations again.

Most cat owners seem to like the closer shave for a lion cat, with a #10 blade, with longer time needed before grooming, and easier to start maintenance at home. Then, scissoring where the hairline starts on the limbs and neck (mane) to blend the skin and long hair together. A good pair of grooming shears lasts forever when only grooming your own, fewer, pets. Good investment. Only sharpened my personal pair twice in 8 years for 3 dogs and a cat's monthly grooming. If not a do-it-yourselfer, you can ask for a #10 blade cut, scissor blending, and bath/nail trim with the groom in the future. Any client with a grumpy gus or inability to groom due to their own arthritis or health risk (ie. blood thinners/hemophilia)

when handling cats tends to elect for the monthly lion cut special.

I think Forest deforested is a handsome beast indeed!