Another hair/brushing thread and question..

[darkmavis]

I didn't want to hijack the other current threads about hair and grooming so I'm starting this one.

Dorothy is HAIRY. OK, so is Genever. But before we got Dot 3 months ago, I forgot that cats shed. Sure, G sheds a bit, but apparently not that much at all, because our house wasn't very hairy at all until Miss Polka Dot came home.

You pet her, hand gets a bunch of hair. She rubs on you, hair. She lays on anything, hair. That's fine, I can deal with hair. We have brooms and dust mops and lint brushes.

However, to help the excessive hair issue, you might tell me I should be brushing her regularly. Well..... this is my question I guess. She doesn't like getting brushed. She wriggles away from the metal wire brush, the comb, the soft boar bristle brush, and the regular hair brush (that I don't use) with plastic 'bristles' with round ends. She is a loveable snuggly purr machine. But when she doesn't like something, she turns into a fighter!!

So what is the best way to just hold her down and get it done?

 

[otto]

Mazy has been here over 6 years and still will not allow me to brush her in any way shape or form. I even try tricking her by repeatedly running my fingernails down her back (which she loves) then sneakily replacing my hand with a comb or brush of some type (like you I've tried all kinds)...she is not fooled. I can't repeat what she says to me when I try in this family forum

, but she is soft spoken about it, it's her teeth and claws that mostly do the talking, though she mostly feints, as she tries very hard not to revert to her wild ways.

I've tried letting her rub her face against (any given grooming tool) which she loves, but as soon as I try to use it anywhere else on her I am told in no uncertain terms where to go.

She is the only cat I have ever had that I have not been able to win over at some point. I won't ever give up though.

You might try one of these:

http://www.thecatandkittenstore.com/...ets,cat/Detail

I have not shopped at this store, but it's the only place that turned up in a search. I used to have one of these years ago and my cats loved it.

 

[otto]

Hold on, I found it someplace else much cheaper, but again, I have not used this on line store either

http://www.petabbey.com/content-prod...cat_brush.html

petco has this, but I don't know how effective it would be:

http://www.petco.com/product/15443/O...sultRedirect=1

PS In case you are wondering why I don't have one any more, like to use for Mazy.... when Tolly came, with his horrible herpes eyes out breaks, I had to get rid of it because I worried about contagion, you know, he would rub his face on it, and then the other cats would, and then forgot all about it until your thread.

Tolly rarely has flareups any more, I wonder if something like this (the brushy one) would work for Mazy cat.....

 

[strange_wings]

Try a Zoom Groom. Lots of cats like the feel of them. My only complaint is that it seems to remove more top coat (guard hairs) than undercoat (the soft coat that sheds all over the place). It's better than nothing at all, though, and something to try to get a cat used to brushing.

My cats love it when I use my hair brush or combs (that I do use, they're not dirty cats or anything... and the fur is on me already) on them. I think it's because it smells like me?

 

[darkmavis]

Thanks for the replies. I can totally see the toilet brush-looking thing just sitting there being ignored, even though it really looks like it SHOULD work and cats SHOULD like it. The Zoom Groom looks promising, but I just don't think the Polka Dot would sit for it. I will keep these in mind though.

I really think the only way to get it done is to hold her down and just do it. Maybe she'll eventually get used to it? Maybe not. But I am not good at holding her down. I can hold Genever to an extent, but Dot is too wriggly and strong and, and... and then she does this super tiny, pitiful squeak! which just makes me let her go cos she sounds like she's 2 lbs and being tortured. Much unlike Jennie's swearing.

Strangewings, I've seen you talk in other threads about just holding the cat down to brush teeth and whatnot, so do tell- how do I hold her down and actually be in charge? On the floor? On a counter/table?

 

[otto]

My cats all allow me to brush their teeth, I started by keeping them in a holding position which is: Kneel on the floor, cross your feet behind you and hold the cat facing out. I don't see how that would work for brushing the body though.

I've never tried to force Mazy to submit to brushing. Things like medicines, nail trimming and teeth brushing are required for their general health and safety and Mazy has learned to accept them. But brushing is a different proposition, and though I will never give up trying, I won't force her by holding her down. I don't think it would take her long to forget her training and revert to wild biting and digging with claws cat if I did that.

 

[darkmavis]

Oops, you said Mazy, not Jennie! I think I was thinking Jennie because you mentioned the bad language...

Sorry about that.

Yeah, I agree that that holding position you mentioned wouldn't really work for body brushing. I can't really do that with Dot anyway, she really does fight. And that squeak she does is really serious.

I can hold Genever like that though. I suppose maybe I'll just keep on sneaking a brush swipe in now and then, and keep sweeping..

 

[strange_wings]

I don't hold them down to brush their teeth.

I just pop them in my lap (sitting them upright) in the bathroom and try to get it done as quickly as possible. More like holding them against me - if they truly struggled I'd be scratched, but no one ever does and they get their treats. One hand holds their faces still, arm balances them, and the other hand holds the tooth brush. There's a couple that I do not need to hold at all and will just sit on the toilet and let me brush their teeth - such as Sherman, a treat fanatic.

Sherman, unfortunately, has to be held sometimes for thorough brushing because he hates it. I took him in as an adult tom cat who had fought before, and had mats at the time. So I'm sure this is part of his issues with it.
I have my DH gently hold him because I need both hands - one needs to be free to collect the fur.
He doesn't like this and complains at us a lot. But 10 minutes later he'll be back to hounding one of us for attention or have already forgotten about it. He's not like most cats... I think most cats can actually remember things.

So it won't work on a cat that gets seriously upset.
I hate to brush his fur this way, but he is a DLH and a few minutes of brushing is better than hairball impaction.
I've tried slow and gentle with him, and he's happy to accept a comb willingly, but never a brush or furminator needed to get the massive amounts of undercoat out.

Sometimes I have to hold Tomas still, too, because he's over stimulated by brushing and will keep rolling around. He's rolled off the kitchen table from that before. "Hold" in this case just means a hand on his shoulder as he lays on one of his sides to keep him from rolling.

 

[feralvr]

I have been brushing all my cats at least three times a week lately. This is my routine and Perkins is one of mine that hates brushing so I am real fast with him. I use a sturdy grooming table. First I furminate, then I zoom groom, then I use a slicker brush to get any fly aways. This takes about five minutes tops. With Perkins, I scruff him when he starts to panic, gently scruff and release and treat him. He loves treats so this is how I am able to groom him and he actually is getting much better now because he decided that the treats are worth being groomed. This is the only time he gets treats also.

 

[darkmavis]

Originally Posted by strange_wings

I don't hold them down to brush their teeth.

Oh, I must be making up stuff in my head then. Or maybe it was someone else, who knows.... My brain is foggy.

Feralvr- do you scruff him, give him a treat, and continue brushing, then scruff, treat, repeat? I may try this. Get Dorothy up on the bathroom counter thing and see what I can do. She LOVES treats too. We shall see..

 

[strange_wings]

I don't scruff Sherman, if you're interested. We just put a hand on his shoulders to hold him still. The cat being on a smooth surface helps as they can't get a good foot hold.
I have a semi feral one outside that's even easier to brush than Sherman - I have to "chase" him down a bit and then bribe him with butt scratches, but even he tolerates being brushed after that.

What are Dorothy's favorite treats? Anything that she might be willing to sit there and chew on a while (like cooked stew meat) as you brush her some?

 

[pami]

When mine were younger and didn't like to be brushed... I started using this brush...

http://www.sallybeauty.com/Phillips-...8&cm_vc=MYBUYS

It doesnt have the teeth like some pet brushes do or the little ball on the end of the plastic.

I started by using it around their necks for just a little bit. I would leave it out so they could use it to scratch their cheeks and I slowly built up from there. Now, I can use the furminator on them and this brush with no problem at all.

When they got use to the brush, I would also massage them (lol) and brush to make it a "treat" for them.

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

My Sven also hates to be brushed, and I think now he's got arthritis so it may actually hurt him when I try to brush around his hips and tail. That being said, just this morning I used the zoom groom on him and he let me do it for a short while, but then when I brought out the wire brush to smooth him out and pick up the fly aways, he quickly took flight and actually tried to bite me when I pinned him down to try to finish the job

.

So...what we normally do with him is take him to the groomers twice a year and they bathe him and blow dry him (which he seems to really enjoy) and that gets rid of tons of loose fur, and any mats that he has since he's so uncooperative! Obviously, it's time to take him in.

I just looked at that link Otto provided, though, the one with the loop of brushy stuff. That looks pretty cool! Might have to get one.

 

[Draco]

Monet LOVES to be brushed. I could brush him for up to half an hour (yes, I timed), lol. I lay out 3 different types of brushes (wire, soft and furminator) and he usually chooses what he wants to use that day, lol.

He gets excited when he sees the brushes. I'll have to video it one day soon. I think he's this way because I brushed him a lot when he was a kitten. he got used to it.

 

[darkmavis]

Yes, get a video of Monet being brushed and loving it, and let me show Dorothy, then maybe she'll see that it's cool to get brushed.

I admit I haven't given it much of a try since first posting this thread, but I have been grabbing as much fur as I can while petting her and accumulating a pile on the couch or wherever. I know it doesn't get nearly as much fur as a brush would, but it's a bit.

 

[Draco]

what about those mitts/glove thingies.. not sure what they're called, but they have rubbery nubs on them. you put them on your hand and pet the cat with it.. supposed to groom and remove fur?

 

[mrsgreenjeens]

Originally Posted by Draco

what about those mitts/glove thingies.. not sure what they're called, but they have rubbery nubs on them. you put them on your hand and pet the cat with it.. supposed to groom and remove fur?

I have one of those, and all it really does is collect the loose fur on the cat, doesn't really get anything from underneath. Better than nothing, I guess, but not much, UMHO.

 

[Draco]

Originally Posted by DarkMavis

Yes, get a video of Monet being brushed and loving it, and let me show Dorothy, then maybe she'll see that it's cool to get brushed.

Your wish is my command:

 

[otto]

Originally Posted by Draco

Monet LOVES to be brushed. I could brush him for up to half an hour (yes, I timed), lol. I lay out 3 different types of brushes (wire, soft and furminator) and he usually chooses what he wants to use that day, lol.

He gets excited when he sees the brushes. I'll have to video it one day soon. I think he's this way because I brushed him a lot when he was a kitten. he got used to it.

Originally Posted by Draco

Your wish is my command:

Awwww....! But I want to see it from the beginning, when he makes his choice of Grooming Tool!

 

[Draco]

Originally Posted by otto

Awwww....! But I want to see it from the beginning, when he makes his choice of Grooming Tool!

lol,

he doesn't get a choice today. I used the furminator yesterday so I didn't want to use it again today. in a few days I'll give him a choice and he'll pick!