Conference misery::feline_v1

Whatever Jasper likes, if you don't get the mats removed, they will lead to
very bad skin sores...they keep getting tighter for some reason and sores are
a result.  I also have a hisser and a biter, but she gets groomed - thoroughly
groomed - once a week.  My roommate holds the cat (with gloves on) and I go
over her completely with a comb.  As we've gone through this for awhile, she
has gotten much better, but she still hisses.  I have convinced her to like
a daily brushing, however, by using a "rubber fingers" kind of brush - it
removes loose hair and massages her body.  Hannah loves her "hannahbrush"
and comes running when I say the word.

Now, to get the current mats removed, I would suggest a trip to the vet and
get them cut off - the vet may tranquilize the cat if necessary, but you may
already have sores that need treatment and this may be why Jasper is so crabby.

I used to work for a groomer, and quite frankly once a mat is well set in, it
is CUT out...if it is a new tangle, some groomers will work it out with a comb,
but your cat is guarenteed to hate the process because it hurts.  The groomer
I worked with simply wouldn't put the dogs and cats through it.  The mats were
CAREFULLY cut off and the owners were given some training in properly combing
their pet.  Sometimes, the pet was clipped real close to the skin all over
in order to get rid of the matting.  If this is necessary, you will have to
keep him warm until his fur grows out -- that means inside the house only.

Once you have the mats out, start brushing/combing Jasper for a few minutes
each day -- then you won't have to deal with the mats because they won't
be there.  Remember to pull the comb or brush through the hair, AWAY from the
cat's body.  They have very sensitive skin and it hurts when a comb is drawn
against the skin.  I comb the cats' fur OUT from the skin, drawing the comb
slowly through the fur so I don't accidentally yank a mat.

    
    
    	If you want to try to work them out yourself before they
    	get bad, you can use a seam ripper, it has a knob on one
    	side, so this would be the side you place towards the skin.
    	I've used this on Rosie, who has super fine hair. Since she 
    	lives with my mother now, she doesn't get combed as often as 
    	she should, and I usually have to do this once or twice a
    	year. (she growls at my mother, who thinks she is hurting
    	her)
    
    	Sherry
    

    Thanks for the good advice.  I will have to get on him whether he
    likes it or not.  God, how I hate the idea of the fight ahead!  I
    didn't realize that the matts could cause sores.  So, glad I asked.
    What is the rubber-finger type comb that you talked about (.1)?
    Jasper would love it if the "brushing" were more like a massage.
    He gets in my lap daily for his massage.  But he's always hated
    anyone touching his bum area...and that's where the matts are.
    Will have to get it resolved though, because he seems to get more
    all the time.
    
    K

    Don't give up.......It has taken me 4 years to get to the point
    where I can brush/comb Nippa's personal parts (i.e.  parts she hates
    to be touched...tummy...tail base area).  What I have been doing is
    every time I feed her, I brush her `okay areas' for a minute or so as 
    she's starting to eat.  She started tolerating this, and now I think
    she gets upset if I don't spend this time with her (you know that
    *look* they give when you can't live up to their expecations).  Over
    time I have added, very slowly, the personal parts.  She basicially
    dosen't fuss much anymore.  I will say, she won't tolerate grooming
    if there is no food in fron of her.  Also, when she says enough.....
    then I stop. I don't want any unplesant experiences which might set
    back the progress we've made thus far.
    
    Michele (whos allergies are better)  

    Mocha know's when we have a comb. (he can't possibly as we keep
    it on top of a small guest hand towel and we go in an out of that
    closet a lot) but he has the expression on his face, if you touch
    me with the comb I will rip your face/hand off. We put up with this
    long fine haired "beast" until we got to the point we could have
    killed him. Finally took him to a groomer and she was willing to
    try (we were honest with her) and when we picked him up he looked
    so handsome and was purring up a storm. The groomer said he was an
    angle (knew she was talking about someone else's cat DEFINATELY
    NOT MOCHA. Cindy said, "Really he was a good boy." The charge was
    $25.00 and worth every penny of it. He goes every month. One month
    he gets a bath and  groomed and the next just groomed. For the groom
    alone it's $15-18. Believe me if I had to take a second job to pay
    for it I would get it done.
    
    So Karen, you might want to try a groomer once and see what happens.
    Where do you live?
    
    Barbara (Mocha the terrible, Ming and Miyagi the ones who love the
    combs.

    I can sympathize with .0!  I find it so ironic that of my 4 cats, the 2
    that were feral and probably never combed for the first time until I
    found them, absolutely love it, -- while the ones I got from a breeders,
    who had groomed them since they were babies, absolutely HATE being
    combed or brushed!  Mom picks up brush, Kelsey and Murdock vanish.  Mom
    picks up brush with T.K. and Nikki and they practically fight each
    other for their turns.
    
    Cats, --- Go figure!
    :^)
    

    Hm.. Happy "is NOT Happy" when it is grooming time.. soshe also
    goes to the "groomer" (currently it is Diane at my Vets.. and
    she is also very good for her.. ) I do what she will allow
    me to  do to her.. that is minimal.. but it does help..
    Lat nite we visited Dr Callahan,, I thught she had  an
    ear infection, but I was mistaken.. Happy informed me that
    in the future mistskes like that will not be so
     easily forgiven.. AHEM. but anyway.. she let
    Pat groom her while we were waiting for Dr Callahan
    to come in.. and she was very well behaved.. she even
    PURRED.. .. Diane and Dr Eric were saying that sometimes
    "they know what they can get away with.. and it is common knowledge in
    my house,, that I am not the one in charge.. so I am told they
     kinda take advantage of the situation... NOW what was that word
    that began with N.... 
    Kate, Happy..(HELP, HELP, MY CURLYQUES are going to be all gone,)
    Preschie,,(MAMA CIN said NO Curlyques..purrrpurrrr)
    

    I agree that cats prefer people that don't know them too well
    to do the things they don't like.  I have to clean Tamba's ears
    weekly and when I do this he fights, yelps, and cries real loud,
    but if the Dr does it the cat PURRS!
    
    My Vet told me the next time I want to clean his ears at home...was
    to get a stranger to do it.   
    Sandy

       I too have a fouple of living-shredders... 
    
      I've found a couple of things help..
    
    (1)I bought one of those "kiddie-scissors" that 1st and 2nd graders
    use...you know the kind---the ones with the round tips so the kids
    can't impale each other or themselves...
    
     (2)I found a rather neat way to "confine" my kids temporarily...
    Take an old sock--knee-length if possible, (it must be big enough to
    fit the cat into but small enough to be tight...) Cut the foot off of
    it, and use the leg part as a "kitty-tube". Pull it over the cat's
    head, folding the feet back so they are alongside the body and just
    pull it down like a body-stocking. Of course, this only works when
    working on the REAR half...anything up-front won't work with this
    method.. It DOES work for pill-giving if the cat is a real
    problem...all you do is pull it down so only the head is sticking
    out..those lethal weapons are still confined..(the ones on the feet
    that is..the mouth is MUCH easier to control when you aren't dodging
    the claws though...)
    
      JM

re: someone else doing it...I agree.  However, be careful of the groomers.
Some can be very ungentle.  I would trust my vet much more with something
that can hurt this much.  In my case, the vet visit wouldn't have cost
me any more than a groomer to deal with the problem. Once the mats are gone,
you can keep up the cat's coat and avoid them by a regular brush/comb
schedule.  It really only takes minutes a day and can save both you and
the cat lots of grief.  Once the cat learns the brushing/combing won't hurt,
he/she generally gets much better about it.

re: rubber fingers brush

I found it at a pet store.  It is a little brown square of rubber with
short, soft, rubber bristles -- they are very flexible and they do pull
off loose hair.  The cats love it.

It WON'T solve the mats that are there now.  If used daily, covering the
cat's body very well, it may help PREVENT mats in the future.  I would
still work a cat comb through the long fur at the back legs, around the
neck, and hanging from the belly once a week at least.  We generally
comb Sam (our long-haired, Maine Coon look-alike) twice a week during
warm weather, once a week in the winter.  Rubber fingers brushing occurs
every day -- they all like this and come running.  

Face it, when you have a long-haired cat, you HAVE to groom the cat or
there can be big problems.  I've learned over time that if I simply do
what HAS to be done, ON A REGULAR SCHEDULE, my four get "used" to the
idea...they don't like it, but they seem to learn that this is NECESSARY.

Of course, I still have to FIND them to give them a bath or use the cat
comb on them or trim their claws...that's part of the deal too... 8^}

    re: .7 - I think the word you want is Machiavellian

    Well, if you all haven't figured it out by now, I'll tell
    you.......Jasper runs OUR lives!!!!  I appreciate all the advise.  I
    think I will consult a groomer (I live in Millis), and tell her/him
    up front what a BEAST he can be.  The vet idea won't work though.
    He turns into a WILD BEAST at the vets.  I have to heavily tranquilize
    him in order to allow anyone to work on him there.  The last time we
    went he had an asthma attack, there was no time to tranquilize, and
    he was too sick to be his usual HORRIBLE self.  But he still put up
    quite a fight when they did x-rays.  I am afraid he will be a terror
    for the groomer also.  He kills me when he acts this way because he
    usual puts on the CUTEST, happy little face, when things are going 
    according to HIS plans.  I will also try and get one of those rubber
    finger things.  I think he doesn't like the brushing because I have
    been using a wire brush.  I probably have been hurting him, as one
    noter pointed out about sensitive skin.  He gets in my lap daily for
    a massage, so he'll probably love the rubber fingers.
    
    Well, I'm working up my courage and will get all this resolved soon.
    
    Thanks again,
    Karen

    RE.11
    Nancy,, that is probably true.. but you see this "N" word is not spoken
    in my house.. I use terms like  "inappropiate behavior". a friend
    of mine.. when she heard this  said .." Kate, you are not making
     a "marketing presentation".. at Preschies "age" she needs to 
    that N word.. (I cant even write it)".. of course Preschie
    was looking at her Auntie very intently.. and she probably
    went and told Happy.. HEY we got a problem here.. that lady
    is trying to convince Mummy to discpline us.. HMM.. Well
    Happy ..what are we going to do?... this could be very serious,
    very serious,, Should we  call the "THE FIRM". for help
    in resolving this problem.. or should we call Guido..? 
    HEH-HEH..
    Kate, Happy, Preschie

    
    Hi Kate,
    
    I'm sure Happy doesn't understand why you don't like her curlyques, she
    wants to get a permanent wave so that she can be curly *ALL THE TIME*!
    She thinks it looks cool with her leather jacket and boots.
    
    I nearly fell of my chair when I read -1.  I can just see the "Auntie
    in Question" lecturing Kate.  Heeheeheehee.  And Happy and Prechie
    yelling kitty obsenities at "this soon to be dispossesed Auntie", from
    the other room!!!!!
    
    Feline Silly today,
    Sue & Panther & Spot
    
    P. S.   Mummie, it's okay, we LIKE marketing presentations!!!
            <<love, Happy & Prechie
    

    re: .9
    
    I find that restricting or confining methods, like described in your
    #2, will lead to a very unhappy `expression'.......... 
    

    
    
    Michelle is that you???
    
    Right you are, those Maine Coon girls really let you know in no
    uncertain terms when they are unhappy!!!!
    
    Feline in need of a gas mask at times...
    
    Sue & Panther & Spots (AKA Stinky or SPOT HOW COULD YOU?!?!?!)
    

    
    re: .16 - are you sure they're not really very happy ;-)
    Bob and Isis are known for their "happy farts"!

    well nanc, if you'd like to compare, your more than welcome to come on
    over and compare...... ;*)
    
    

     
    Well Nanc,
    
    There is nothing "happy" about Spots' little "expressions"!
    
    She is usually groweling and carrying on when they occur....
    
    Feline Odoriferous,
    
    Sue & Panther & Spots
    

    
    Sounds like my new nephew who makes all kinds of faces when he
    farts :-))))))))))

    How did this note digress so much from matted fur to "expressions"?
    KC