Elderly Cat In Need Of Grooming?

[boo7basil]

Hi group,

Happy to be here. I have an elderly female kitty (16 years old) that has medium to long hair. I have never had her groomed and she is very feisty. I try to brush her especially now that she is older and does not have the flexibility to clean herself as much but she HATES it. She literally tries to scratch my face and she screams bloody murder.
The problem is that she is getting mats on her chest. I am sure that is not comfortable for her and would like to make it easier for her to groom herself (I already have to trim her bum with scissors which she sort of allows) I was thinking of having a groomer come to my house, shave her down and put her in a lion cut. My fear is that the process would stress her too much and I don't want that because of her age.

Does anyone have any thoughts or ideas? My other thought was just brushing her and cutting the mats out and bearing the brunt of her displeasure. Any thoughts on special brushes or similar experiences would be greatly appreciated.

Thank you

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi! and we are happy that you are here!!
My Big Guy was much the same about brushing, as well as having mats. I was able to get the vet to do a clipping several times while he was getting his teeth cleaned, and the other at-home approach involved a long stretch of catching him while he was asleep and cutting the mats out then, and at other times brushing while he was asleep.
Like I say, it took time but he lets me brush him now --but the mats on his chest are still a challenge.
I'm using blunt end scissors, and although I tried a furminator I'm now just using a cheapy brush I got from petco.
One other thing, where I am has really dry air, and static electricity builds up in his fur almost immediately so I have a damp paper towel I rub over his fur first, and then repeatedly if it turns into a longer session.
Good luck!!

 

[susanm9006]

Getting shaved by a groomer can be too stressful for some cats. The alternative is to have it done by your vets office, where they will do blood work and then sedate the cat before shaving. I had a very bad tempered and very long haired Siamese who refused to allow grooming. I would bring her in for shaving twice a year and while she hated going to the vet, she loved her short fur and always seemed happiest after a shave.

I now have a cat who is short hair but doesn’t groom herself and won’t let me do it so a couple times a year we do mat removal. If you choose to cut out mats yourself, a Furminator tool really helps to break apart and take out mats. I also use a tiny sewing scissors and a fine tooth comb if the mats are really big. Once I catch the cat which might take days or even weeks we go into the shower stall. Once I shut the door and she realizes she has nowhere to go she calms down and lets me work on her.

 

[FakeGourmet]

I had to bring my late brother's cat to the vet to shave down. As mentioned, they will do blood work and sedate the cat and the whole process goes much easier. After that, get a human comb with medium teeth to comb the kitty (even before fur grows back) to get her accustomed to grooming when it isn't necessary. Be a bit prepared - if you haven't had blood work done on the cat in a while, you may find out that she is ill. When they are 15 or older, their skin is SO DELICATE you can easily damage it, which is why I recommend vet assistance on this.

 

[Muffkin]

I had a 17 year old cat in a similar condition, I ended up taking him to a groomer thinking the same, that they could shave the mats off. She told me at that age their skin is very thin, and shaving is not a good idea. She was an exceptional groomer, and actually brushed the mats out, I guess there is a special way to do it. When she was done, it looked like someone had sheared a sheep! Maybe ur girl would behave if someone else was doing the grooming. It was well worth taking him to have that done, was much better !

 

[neely]

Welcome to TCS! You have come to the right place for advice about grooming your elderly cat. I highly recommend the greyhound stainless steel comb for longhair cats: PetEdge - Wholesale Dog Grooming Products & Pet Supplies

Our groomer comes to my vet's office twice a month. It's a win-win situation since we have peace of mind that our cat is in good hands with the groomer and the vet knows his medical history. Best of luck with your cat's grooming. Please check back to let us know how she is doing.