Deep mats

[zohdee]

I am having the semi-feral cat that has been around my home neutered in a week.  He has some deep mats in his fur and it has to be uncomfortable for him.  I am taking him to a mobile spay/neuter clinic so when he gets home, he will be sedated. 

He is a short hair cat but with very thick fur.  I am not sure how he would react to grooming.  Should I ask the vets who are performing the surgery to shave him?

Thanks for any input!

 

[GoldyCat]

I can't hurt to ask. Since they're a spay & neuter clinic they may not be willing to do any extras, especially if they have a full schedule. If they agree to do it, they may ask for an additional fee.

Have you tried grooming him? Will he even let you near him with a brush or comb?

 

[zohdee]

The mats are all over.  Rumor has it he has an owner but if that is true they are horrid.  He looks healthy (but probably because I feed him and give him meds).  I don't think I can comb them out..there are to many.
 

 

[Willowy]

The low-cost clinic I went to said they would do anything that the cat needed. I assume that would cover shaving if the cat was matted. So you can ask.

Otherwise, do you have a pair of clippers or can you borrow one? If you get him back still sedated (you usually do at the low-cost places) you could probably shave him yourself.

 

[zohdee]

They would not let me off work that day so I have opted for the double priced Friends of Animals certificate.  On the plus side, my normal vet accepts those and will shave him for an additional $23.00 while sedated.  He is getting snipped Friday!!

Pics forthcoming...not of the snipping but of the shaved  Orange Kitty!
 

 

[orientalslave]

I'm sure he will feel a whole lot better once he's shaved.  Hopefully with very gentle grooming as his coat grows in he will come to be happy being combed onces his coat is back.  I had a cat with a similar coat and he wouldn't tolerate combing, but he liked a slicker which did the job well.

 

[andrya]

Are you in a warm/temperate climate?

We couldn't shave our kitties around here, brrrr.

 

[orientalslave]

Sounds like they have no choice. 

 

[zohdee]

He is not gonig back outside, he will be staying in where it is cozy.

 

[andrya]

He is not gonig back outside, he will be staying in where it is cozy.

Yay! Lucky kitty 

 

[zohdee]

He is in my bathroom now with the door closed.  I was afraid he would not show up tomorrow so when he was waiting for food outside I brought him in.  New bed, new litter box and food but he is not happy.  I think he is a bit afraid by himself.  I think he senses the other kitties.  I hope he eventually socializes nicely.
 

He is eating now and when I picked him up, he purred.  His whole back is just filled with mats. 

 

[zohdee]

He is home.  They were able to brush most of the mats out and only had to shave a few spots.  The mats were caused by a severe flea  infestation.  I guess I was dumb because I thought after the frost the fleas died.  But hey, I learned something.  He had a dose of Revolution and I bought another to give him  in three weeks.

They also told me he has gum disease.  So I have to get that taken care of fairly soon.  I am not quite sure how much that is going to cost...they told me he needs all his teeth pulled.

The vet tech told me he is not feral, he was someone's cat.  She even called him a love bug.  He purred so loud after they calmed him down from the trip there they had a hard time hearing his heartbeat due to his purrs.  He was dumped because someone who didn't want to pay to have him neutered so he wouldn't spray. 

He is going to be one handsome kitty once he is all fixed up.  I love him so much and am so glad he is inside where it is safe.  He deserves that.

 

[orientalslave]

So glad he is fine.  He will need combing rather than brushing, unless you use a slicker brush.  The average bristle brush just slides over the surface of his fur, and since he is fine now you need to keep on top of it.

Hate to say it, but if he had a severe flea infestation I'd think about treating the house, and I'd certainly either wash his bedding hot and dry it outside if possible, or replace it.  Fleas lay eggs at quite a rate and they drop off the cat into the environment - they are not glued on to the hair shaft like nit eggs.  Lots of good info on fleas at the FAB:

http://www.fabcats.org/owners/fleas/info.html

 

[zohdee]

Thanks for the info!  They told me he had a ton of baby fleas but no adults.

Can anyone give me a ballpark figure of how much pulling his teeth will be?
 

 

[orientalslave]

Baby fleas are eggs, larvae and pupae and are not found on cats so I have no idea what they are on about.

As to the cost of a dental, vet prices vary wildly as does the cost of a dental at any particular vet as what has to be done varies a lot.  Best ask them for a quote.

 

[GoldyCat]

I agree that the best way to find out the cost is to call and ask. Vet fees vary widely from one area to another, and even from one vet to another in the same area. You might want to get several quotes.

I took Merlin to a dental specialist to have all of his teeth pulled, due to severe resorptive lesions. That cost just over $2000.
My own vet pulled all of Goldy's back teeth behind the fangs while he was doing a dental under anesthesia and it cost about $125.