Gooming Help

So this morning i had to brush taz. I pulled of huge clumps of matted fur, they were like terrible knots, they pulled right out of her back. I havent done it at untill now because shes been so cloistered to the kittens i didnt want to stress her with them. Well they are mostly weaned now, so i took the chance.

There has to be a better way! I have scratches all my my arms, on my chest, my hands are covered in claw and bite marks, i was practically hogtieing her with one hand while trying to brush the knots outta her with the comb in the other.

So grooming tips please!! Taz is going to the upcoming adoption fair in about 2 weeks, giving the kittens a couple more weeks ( they are 8 weeks old now) with mom. And i want her looking great to find a good new forever home. So how do you make your babies SHINE! without causing such drastic personal harm?

Thank you!!!!

First- it is normal for her to be dropping coat. The worst of it will be over soon.

Trim her nails very first thing. If she is really evil you can tape her paws over with vetwrap.

After that the best option is to have a helper hold while you are combing.
If that is impossible I like to use a slip lead in a figure eight pattern to help control a squirmy cat. Just put a slip lead over her head and behind one elbow, then wrap it around behind the other elbow and back out the loop on top. You can then loop the handle end over one arm so she can't get away and still have your hands free.

If she is really biting, fashion an elizabethan collar out of plastic or cardboard like this http://www.westonkaanimalhospital.com/ecollar.html .

thank you I wanted to hog tie her with rubber bands or scarves or something, she was really ripping me up!! but she looks slightly better...
sadly... i have to give her a bath.. any tips on baths?

You have to do it gently - don't pull on the knots. You might need to get a knot splitter that will loosen the tangles. Do NOT attempt to give her a bath until all the tangles are out of the coat.

I would get some help with another person familiar with grooming longhair cats. Start with a wide toothed comb and then use a medium comb as you get the knots out. If the knots are too close to the skin, it will hurt and she will fight - you might have to carefully cut the really bad ones out.

Do a search on bathing cats in here - I wrote a few replys on how to do it. Important thing is to get those knots/mats out first - if you don't you will never get them out after being wet.

Thanks, i got all the knots out this morning. It was terrible. I didnt know she would mat like that, i hadent brushed her sence the babies were born because i didnt want to stress her with them.

But now shes avoiding me like im evil, i even tried to bribe her with a treat... she snubbed chicken! Now thats miss priss for you.

ill do a search next thanks so much