Grooming....

[Minxrat]

Poppy is the beaut in my profile picture. By way of background, she's 2.5 years old and blind.

Poppy gets terrible matting in her fur. One day she's fine then the next there's matting which go down to the skin. She's now very good at letting me work some of them out but historically has had to go to the vet. She's going again next week to get the ones I can't remove, and sort her pantaloons.

Things have changed, however, in that she has started aggressively grooming one front leg when I stroke where the matting I can't get out is. She's also climbing on me during the night for cuddles a LOT the last week and at 7kg, you can imagine it's hard on my sleeping ability!

However......Mindy arrived with us four weeks ago. Shes three months old. Poppy has taken to her really very well (after a week of hissing etc) but I wonder whether this could be causing the aggressive grooming/climbing on me for lots of cuddles.....reassurance perhaps

Thoughts?

 

[Furballsmom]

I wonder whether this could be causing the aggressive grooming/climbing on me for lots of cuddles.....reassurance perhaps

Possibly would some music help?

I haven't tried this but I've read that cornstarch can help with detangling mats, and with my boy if I keep his fur shorter, the mats don't seem to develop. Some of them I don't even try to comb out, I'll just cut it down to a certain point and then work the rest of it free with my fingers.

 

[Minxrat]

I can work some out with my fingers as well as cutting gently with nail scissors but these are really close to her skin. She's amazingly smooth and beautiful mostly, but all of a sudden the matting appears. My other long haired cat is silkier so he doesn't get any.

She has music on all day as I'm not there and she can't see but this cuddling thing is very intense all of a sudden. It's very funny in a way as Mindy copies everything, so will often climb on top of me as well! Luckily she's very light :-)

 

[Furballsmom]

My other long haired cat is silkier so he doesn't get any.

oh, so lucky! My boy's belly fur is that cottony, almost sticky (at a certain length) type of fur, it's incredible.

Would you be interested in chamomile tea?

From @Mamanyt1953
You can try giving her chamomile tea as an anti anxiety remedy. Get a box of the tea bags from your grocery store's coffee/tea aisle. Plain chamomile, no blends (clearly marked). Brew a cup and chill it in the fridge. Administer between 1-3 teaspoonfuls (tablespoonfuls for cat over 10 pounds) up to 3 times a day via syringe. It is gently calming without being sedating. (You can also use the tea as a wash, as it is wonderfully soothing for all sorts of skin irritations and ouchies.)

DO use the commercial tea bags. Those are ALL made from German chamomile, which is medically active and safe for cats. The English variety, which often grows in gardens, is almost useless medicinally and is actually toxic to cats.

 

[Minxrat]

She's not good at syringes. Last time, she shot up the stairs around the bed, over the bed, down the stairs and behind the sofa - not bad for a blind cat!

I think I'm going to start by getting Mindy a replacement bell collar (she broke hers) so Poppy can hear her and not get stressed.

 

[Furballsmom]

think I'm going to start by getting Mindy a replacement bell collar (she broke hers) so Poppy can hear her and not get stressed.

Let us know how things go

 

[Etarre]

I think you're right and it's probably stress, due to a change in her routine.

But just wanted to say that overgrooming can also be a sign of a food allergy, so if her food has changed at all, you might want to be aware.