I have 2 long haired ferals , is there anyway I can trap them and sedate them myself in order to groom them? All reccomendation appreciated. L9ll11tq
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Long haired feral cat grooming
- Thread starter labsnme
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Can you handle them at all, or is it out of the question? You can probably trap them in a humane trap, although sedating them is another story. Most vets will not give sedatives like gabapentin to a client who would use them out of doors, as you have not control over where the cat would fall asleep or lose response time if a car or predator were approaching.
If these cats are very feral, just being somewhat relaxed will not be enough to allow grooming. If they are semi ferals who have some relationship with you, they might be manageable with gabapentin if it were administered once you had them in a secure place and if they were kept there until it wore off.
Personally, I could not groom any of my four outdoor ferals without complete sedation and trapping.
If these cats are very feral, just being somewhat relaxed will not be enough to allow grooming. If they are semi ferals who have some relationship with you, they might be manageable with gabapentin if it were administered once you had them in a secure place and if they were kept there until it wore off.
Personally, I could not groom any of my four outdoor ferals without complete sedation and trapping.
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I feed a long haired feral who is really scruffy looking. He must go through an opening that's barely wide enough for him to fit, because as soon as it started cooling off last fall he began accumulating clumps of fur where his tail meets his rear, one on each side. By December they were about a foot long and it looked like he had 3 tails. They finally fell off and he looks normal again, though still pretty rough. Every day is a bad hair day for poor Rusty.
I'd love to brush him, but only if I didn't have to trap him and have him anesthetized to do it. I'm "saving" the use of the trap for an emergency -- in case he's sick or injured and needs to go to the vet. He was trapped a few years ago to be neutered and I'm not sure he'd even get in one again.
Edit: Forgot to say.... I mix egg lecithin into his wet food occasionally because I've read that it helps prevent hairballs.
I'd love to brush him, but only if I didn't have to trap him and have him anesthetized to do it. I'm "saving" the use of the trap for an emergency -- in case he's sick or injured and needs to go to the vet. He was trapped a few years ago to be neutered and I'm not sure he'd even get in one again.
Edit: Forgot to say.... I mix egg lecithin into his wet food occasionally because I've read that it helps prevent hairballs.
It's not possible, I don't think, if they won't let you touch them. If they will go into and use a small modular shelter, though, you could install one of those corner groomers available at most "pet" supply stores. It wouldn't be anything like a real grooming implement, but it might help a little.
I have a long haired semi feral cat and there is no way she would allow me to brush her. I had read that olive oil applied to mats help to eliminate them and isn't dangerous if they lick it. So I took a syringe filled with olive oil and squirt it on her mats while she was eating because I was really trying to avoid taking her to the vet and having her sedated. Sure enough the mats came off within the week and she was back to having silky smooth fur. May be worth a try 
I'd be reluctant to do that, though, because when the cat licks, they are ingesting fur. The resulting furballs probably pass easily; but IDK if I'd really want this.I have a long haired semi feral cat and there is no way she would allow me to brush her. I had read that olive oil applied to mats help to eliminate them and isn't dangerous if they lick it. So I took a syringe filled with olive oil and squirt it on her mats while she was eating because I was really trying to avoid taking her to the vet and having her sedated. Sure enough the mats came off within the week and she was back to having silky smooth fur. May be worth a try
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Just fyi this may not work for all cats, I have a feral that I have never touched
but I have 2 others that I am now able to pet and brush, I can pick up 1 but not the other.
The way I started to be able to touch them is I touched the end of their tail just for a second and
then kept doing that until it was like nothing. then I scratched by the end of their tail for a second
until they figured out they liked it. and then I moved up to the head, it was a long process but it worked.
My Walli is still in progress, she may never let me touch her though. My Blacky has long hair, Sammy is short hair.
I initially started doing this so I could give them flea treatment. Blacky is easy but Sammy I have to be sneaky
and Walli has to get credelio as I cannot give her a topical. She doesn't get it very often as I don't have fleas in the
backyard as I don't have grass, but there has been occasion where I suspected she had a flea.
but I have 2 others that I am now able to pet and brush, I can pick up 1 but not the other.
The way I started to be able to touch them is I touched the end of their tail just for a second and
then kept doing that until it was like nothing. then I scratched by the end of their tail for a second
until they figured out they liked it. and then I moved up to the head, it was a long process but it worked.
My Walli is still in progress, she may never let me touch her though. My Blacky has long hair, Sammy is short hair.
I initially started doing this so I could give them flea treatment. Blacky is easy but Sammy I have to be sneaky
and Walli has to get credelio as I cannot give her a topical. She doesn't get it very often as I don't have fleas in the
backyard as I don't have grass, but there has been occasion where I suspected she had a flea.
