How To Do A Sanitary Trim/grooming Advice?

[Ardina]

Hi everyone,

Mishka is my first longhaired cat, so I'm a bit lost in terms of grooming. I've tried to get her acclimated to brushing, but she only tolerates a few strokes alongside her cheeks before running away. She doesn't really let me brush anywhere else, and the static shocks aren't helping!

I discovered that she has some matting near her butt. I managed to hold her still long enough to cut out the mats, but she was definitely a little traumatized after. I only managed to get out the mats, but there's still plenty of fur around there to get matted again. Any advice on how to do a sanitary trim to avoid more matting around there? And is there a way to do it without scruffing and/or sitting on her to keep her from running away?

She doesn't seem to mat anywhere else thankfully, but I'd like to get her used to brushing to cut down on shedding. How can I get her to be okay with brushing? And what tools would you recommend?

 

[margd]

I don't know the answer to your question since all of my cats have been short-hairs but just had to comment about how beautiful Mishka is. She's just gorgeous. I can also see from her eyes that she is a strong-willed girl who will not make this easy for you.

I'll put out some feelers to people who may be able to help you.

 

[Ardina]

Thank you margd! I appreciate the help.

 

[Sarthur2]

If I were you, I would let a vet tech trim her fur. It's much safer, and the vet's office has the proper tools. You may have to take her in every so often, but it will be easier on both of you.

Beyond that, having her groomed regularly is an option. The groomer can also trim her fur.

 

[neely]

All my cats have been long haired or semi-long haired. In answer to your question about a tool, I highly recommend the Gelb Stainless Steel Greyhound Comb, it works wonders. Here's a link for you to see what it looks like:
PetEdge.com - Geib Stainless Steel Greyhound Combs - Pet Supplies

Mishka is indeed a gorgeous girl. Best of luck with the sanitary trim. If the matting becomes too severe it would be a good idea to bring her to a groomer and then you can keep up with the combing.

 

[Ardina]

If I were you, I would let a vet tech trim her fur. It's much safer, and the vet's office has the proper tools. You may have to take her in every so often, but it will be easier on both of you.

Beyond that, having her groomed regularly is an option. The groomer can also trim her fur.

I think you're right - it'll probably be easier to get the vet tech to do it than trying to fight with her. Since Saipha is due for her yearly checkup, I'll just bring Mishka in too and get that done as well. How often do you generally get the sanitary trim done?

All my cats have been long haired or semi-long haired. In answer to your question about a tool, I highly recommend the Gelb Stainless Steel Greyhound Comb, it works wonders. Here's a link for you to see what it looks like:
PetEdge.com - Geib Stainless Steel Greyhound Combs - Pet Supplies

Mishka is indeed a gorgeous girl. Best of luck with the sanitary trim. If the matting becomes too severe it would be a good idea to bring her to a groomer and then you can keep up with the combing.

I'll try that comb, thank you! Would you recommend the fine/coarse, fine/medium, or face/finishing style? Currently, I have two types of slicker brushes (one with round balls on the ends and one without) and a bristle brush. The bristle brush doesn't seem to do anything, and she's not a fan of the slicker brushes. Hopefully, she'll tolerate the comb better. She doesn't have any matting at the moment - they were far from the skin, so I felt comfortable about cutting them out. I also ended up giving her a back-end bath, which she was surprisingly okay with. She even purred when I was drying her off.

 

[foxxycat]

Hi there, you can get some blunt end scissors-be careful you don't snip the skin as its very easy to do. First things first= get one of those grooming mitts-that will help her get used to your hands on her body-she may not be ready for a brush plus it probably hurts. The next step=old tooth brush=use this on her neck/arm pits=then if she bites it-it's long enough to not get you clawed and she won't get hurt biting the bristles. You can also use this on the matts that you clip=you can just stick the scissor end into the matt and cut outwards-so it doesn't cut it off but breaks it apart. then use the tooth brush to brush it apart.

The next step-don't bath her-this will make the matts even worse. you can also use coconut oil on her coat-put some on a wash cloth and smooth it down her backside-down the back of thighs etc. she will lick it off and help keep herself groomed plus it may help the matts come off easier. It is also good for pulling stuck poop off the back of hair on her bum and thighs.

I second the vet tech or cat groomer.
My girl Honeybee doesn't tolerate brushing much. If I do-I feed treats before-during-after. And for now she only allows the tooth brush and bites it often.

I have gotten her arm pits done but not her butt. In fact I need to clip the furr on her bumbum soon. She's getting what they call snow pants and soon stuff sticks to it. We get Honeybee groomed twice a year short hair. Once in June-then again August.

They do a fantastic job of sanitary cut on her belly and nether regions-it doesn't grow out until now-around November. I could bring her in for a clip but it's cold here so I just keep her backside trimmed.

My groomer uses blunt tip scissors. They are not for cutting paper-they look funny but much safer for the cat. Often it requires two people if you clip. one to hold down cat. one to snip. There's no way to get around this. Honeybee gets scruffed during clipping and we used to have to put the cone of shame or muzzle on her because she bites the clippers-it sounds harsh but better a pissed off cat than a cat with mouth injury-my groomer is really good-been doing this for 30 years-the entire procedure takes 10 to 15 minutes tops.

From her neck to her tail. I highly recommend this haircut if your cat is indoors this winter. They will clip her fur down to 1/2-3/4" long-this is the BEST way to get rid of matting. Then you can start using a tooth brush, then soft bristle human brush on her-only do 5 min a day-she will get used to it- I have been practicing for a few months and we are now up to 10 minutes before she gets ticked off.

So I just do sections every day. one day her neck. then her back. then arm pits. then her back legs--by the way=cats hate fur touched on legs-it tickles and brush pulls-so don't be surprised by this reaction. I can't get her belly either-never ever although we have been practicing touching her tummy when sleeping-I will get one of those mittens that's made for grooming and use that on her tummy.

sorry this is so long. But at least you can work on the knots on back of leg/bum areas a bit at a time. I will see if I can find a video explaining the technique I am talking about with clipping the matt in half away from the skin...sorry so long.

 

[Ardina]

foxxycat , that was super helpful, thank you! Oops, I didn't realize bathing made it worse. Mishka had more matting and gross stuff stuck in her bum today, so I gave her another bath to get it all out. I've been teasing apart the mats with my fingers while running them under warm water because I don't have the right scissors and I don't want to risk injuring her. I'm definitely going to make an appointment at the vet's to get her trimmed, but I probably won't be able to get her in until sometime next week. I'll try the coconut oil in the meantime. But what should I do if she gets urine/feces caked in again like it was today? It's not just a clump that I could easily pull out. I don't imagine the coconut oil would do much in this scenario.

I'm also confused as to why she's suddenly having this issue. She's not having diarrhea (unless it's all stuck in her fur with nothing in the litterbox). And she's been on the same food for months with no change at all. No change in litter type or boxes either.

I'll definitely try the toothbrush to get her used to grooming! Thankfully, when Mishka's had enough, she just gets up and moves away rather than biting or scratching.

 

[Ardina]

I've ordered the greyhound type comb. It'll be delivered tomorrow, so fingers crossed that Mishka will tolerate it. I tried the toothbrush, but she either bites it or runs away. A friend has the grooming mitt, so I'm going to borrow it and try that since Mishka loves petting.

Somehow, after that last time, she hasn't gotten anything else stuck in her fur. No idea what changed.

 

[Ardina]

I got the greyhound comb, and Mishka loves it! I've only tried brushing her head, back, and tail, but she purred and softly blinked the whole time. Thank you so much for the suggestion!

 

[foxxycat]

So glad the comb is helping...i have used soft bristle brushes on cats..those ones we use on kids...soft soft touch. Doesnt pull much hair out but gets them used to the feeling of brushing without tugging.

Too bad toothbrush didn't work. I dont know what else to use to get poop off fur. My elderly cat I always chased her around the house with warm wet washcloth. She hates it but after I can tell she feels better. I think it's how they squat in the cat box.