Smokey dislikes being groomed

[smokey105]

Does anyone have any advice on grooming a cat who hates being groomed? Smokey will allow brushing or combing on his face, shoulders and part way down his back. When I go further near his tail, he will sometimes bite at the brush (or the hand holding the brush) and hiss. I've tried flea combs, stiff brushes, soft brushes, grooming mitts, etc. with the same results. He has dandruff on his back & I think grooming more would really help but I'm not sure how to help him accept it. Also, are there any suggestions for fixing the dandruff problem? He eats canned cat food with a small amount of Wellness Core Indoor dry food. Thanks.

 

[GoldyCat]

I haven't had to deal with it myself but my friend has a black show cat who sometimes gets dandruff. She gives him a few salmon oil treats and it usually clears the dandruff fairly quickly.

Is Smokey longhair or shorthair? If he's shorthair he may not need so much grooming. You could try giving him a second grooming brush to chew on while you're working on his back. Keep the grooming sessions short and if he's food-motivated try giving him treats after each session.

 

[smokey105]

Thank you for the suggestions. He's a medium haired cat and pretty overweight - was 20 pounds when I adopted him. That's probably part of the problem - too overweight to groom himself properly and I'm trying to help him lose weight by giving him low fat food (homemade cat food mixed with Fancy Feast Classic and Wellness Core Gain Free Indoor dry). So the dandruff is probably because he doesn't have enough fat in his diet. He is VERY food motivated - maybe I should give him treats while I brush him? I try to brush him daily, for only a few minutes and he seems to like it ... until I reach the tail area.

 

[spiffykitty]

Dandruff is just excess shedded skin.  Many cats don't like being brushed on their lower back, for some reason. I'd try various brushes and also try combs, in case Smokey feels more comfortable with a different tool. Giving him treats is a fine idea -- remember you only have to give a tiny treat, even break the treat in half and feed part of it to him.

He'd benefit from a bath, de-shedding and blow-dry. This will decrease shedding fur and get rid of the dandruff (for a while).  If you have a professional cat groomer in the area, they can do it for you. Cat groomers are used to handling cats who aren't crazy about being brushed, so it will be easier for the groomer than it is for you.

 

[smokey105]

Thanks for the suggestions! Just an update, Smokey "allows" me to groom his back with a stiff brush, while I hold a soft brush near his face. He grooms his face while I brush his back and that way we're both happy.