My new scared, long hair, rescue cat wont let me brush him

[little bean]

Hello

I'm new on here. My beautiful cat, Truffle is long haired, one year old and was rescued by his previous owners, so is technically a rescue cat. When we went to get him, he was hiding from his owner, and they had bought a boisterous puppy into the home too, which Truffle obviously was not happy about.

We have been REALLY patient and after many weeks of hiding behind the washing machine, he now only hides when loud strangers are in the house, mainly men, or if my boyfriend moves/gets up from the sofa. He has improved massively and I am now allowed to stroke him sometimes, but it is definitely on his terms!!

The trouble is, a couple of weeks ago, he was sick and it was hairballs. I can't get close to him often, and on the occasional opportunity I get to stroke him, I have tried sneaking the brush into the stroking procedure but he panics and runs off. It's like he is scared of the feel of the brush. I did it slyly so he wouldn't see the actual brush but he still got scared. In my previous experience, cats usually love being brushed, so I thought he would like it, but no.

I am worried he might not continue to sick up him hairballs and will be at risk of getting intestinal blockages if I can't groom him. His previous owners were totally irresponsible (they lied about him being neutered and as I couldn't get near him to check I assumed they were honest people!), so I don't imagine they ever brushed him, but how big an issue is this?

We have made so much progress already, I hope that in a year he might be coming to me for strokes, and I could try sneaking the grooming in when he is more comfortable, but this might not happen.

Anyone got any thoughts/reassurance he will be ok?

He's only a youngster which I know is a positive thing regarding bowel movements/muscle strength and ability to expel hair balls via pooping, but I do worry about the poor guy.

Thank you xx

 

[ritz]

Welcome to The Cat Site, and thank you so much for rescuing this cat from a bad situation.

Have you tried a mitten that acts as a brush?  If it is the brush he is afraid of and not the petting, maybe this would work.

For hairballs, you could also try adding egg yolk lecthin  to his food.  See also this thread. 

Good luck.

 

[little bean]

Fantastic, that's a great idea. Thank you for your help. I'm doing some googling right now.

 

[sivyaleah]

Is he food motivated?  If so you could try using treats while grooming him.  If you slowly work up the time, maybe a couple of minutes at first with treats being given as you groom to take his mind off the comb, you might find that he stays put and it might desensitize him to the process.

Just a thought.  

 

[little bean]

Great idea, thanks. Wish I'd found this website and forum sooner! He is the greediest cat. I know I'm meant to watch his weight now he is neutered, but one look of his big greeny eyes and I give in (provided he wont be ill, eat too much, it isn't cheese/chocolate/milk etc), he even sits and begs if I'm eating salad.

To Ritz - I searched for egg yolk lecithin but I'm in the UK, and on our popular health food website, Holland & Barratt, they only do Soya lecithin. Any idea if this is ok? Or would he be better with some real egg yolk? I found the brand you mentioned on amazon, but it's £20 (about $30)!

Thanks again both of you xx

 

[ritz]

Good question, but I don't think Soya lecithin is the same thing, I think it's stuff in the egg yolk that helps with hair balls.

You could add egg yolk, but it is somewhat calorically dense, so not too many.

Search in the raw food forum, we use it a lot.  (I would, but Ritz doesn't have problems with hair balls.)

 

[melesine]

He is gorgeous! You know they make some cat toys that the cat rubs up against and gets groomed. 

 

[chloespriestess]

It sounds like he wasn't properly socialized as a kitten. After such starts, some cats have hard time crossing that line to trust human. I think the important thing is to respect his boundaries and if he "says" he doesn't like something (brushing, being petted, being held, etc.) you will have to accept it-for now because forcing it only reinforces his fear of these things.

 You can, however, find a slightly different version of these activities that he might accept and work to improve it. For example, as far as grooming is concerend, perhaps it is the proximity to human hands that he fears, not the brush. If that is the case, you can buy one of those inexpensive bamboo back scratcher and start petting him with it. (It helps if you rub a little bit of catnip spray on it.)

When you have these "grooming session" is also important. It has to be when he wants to approach you; you can do the following when you are watching your nightly TV: when he comes near you, extend the scratcher and let him sniff it first. He will probably rub his face on it, so gently "scratch" the side of his face a few times. Just a couple of strokes to get him interested, and (this is the hardest part) stop. Place the scratcher gently on the floor (where it can't fall and startle him) and ignore him. (He might or might not explore the scratcher on his own then.) You lengthen these "grooming session" a little bit each time by more strokes. As the time passes, you can venture onto his neck and the back, but if he shows any sign of uncomfortableness, stop. lay the scratcher down, ignore him. (Go back to watching TV.)

(Often fearful cats come out when there is less noise of people moving, so when everyone is sitting down to watch TV is often the best time for this.)

You can leave the scratcher near his napping spot so he stays familiar with the sight and the smell of it. You can also leave a brush of choice next to it as well.

After he becomes completely comfortable with the back scratcher, you can either introduce the brush the same way or tie the brush to the scratcher and introduce it that way. Same rules: a few strokes, quit, ignore. You can give him a few treats too. "Kitty Kaviar" is great; it's super light but it's irresistible.

There are many different types of brushes too, and some cats object to the feel of certain brushes. Some cats have more sensitive skins and they don't like slicker brush. I use a slicker brush made for kittens. I have known some cats that accept nothing but a comb.

Also, diet makes a huge difference on the condition of cat's coat, including the amount of shedding. High quality diet high in protein and low carb keeps the over all shedding to minimal.

Good-luck!

 

[ritz]

It sounds like he wasn't properly socialized as a kitten. After such starts, some cats have hard time crossing that line to trust human. I think the important thing is to respect his boundaries and if he "says" he doesn't like something (brushing, being petted, being held, etc.) you will have to accept it-for now because forcing it only reinforces his fear of these things.

 You can, however, find a slightly different version of these activities that he might accept and work to improve it. For example, as far as grooming is concerend, perhaps it is the proximity to human hands that he fears, not the brush. If that is the case, you can buy one of those inexpensive bamboo back scratcher and start petting him with it. (It helps if you rub a little bit of catnip spray on it.)

When you have these "grooming session" is also important. It has to be when he wants to approach you; you can do the following when you are watching your nightly TV: when he comes near you, extend the scratcher and let him sniff it first. He will probably rub his face on it, so gently "scratch" the side of his face a few times. Just a couple of strokes to get him interested, and (this is the hardest part) stop. Place the scratcher gently on the floor (where it can't fall and startle him) and ignore him. (He might or might not explore the scratcher on his own then.) You lengthen these "grooming session" a little bit each time by more strokes. As the time passes, you can venture onto his neck and the back, but if he shows any sign of uncomfortableness, stop. lay the scratcher down, ignore him. (Go back to watching TV.)

(Often fearful cats come out when there is less noise of people moving, so when everyone is sitting down to watch TV is often the best time for this.)

You can leave the scratcher near his napping spot so he stays familiar with the sight and the smell of it. You can also leave a brush of choice next to it as well.

After he becomes completely comfortable with the back scratcher, you can either introduce the brush the same way or tie the brush to the scratcher and introduce it that way. Same rules: a few strokes, quit, ignore. You can give him a few treats too. "Kitty Kaviar" is great; it's super light but it's irresistible.

There are many different types of brushes too, and some cats object to the feel of certain brushes. Some cats have more sensitive skins and they don't like slicker brush. I use a slicker brush made for kittens. I have known some cats that accept nothing but a comb.

Also, diet makes a huge difference on the condition of cat's coat, including the amount of shedding. High quality diet high in protein and low carb keeps the over all shedding to minimal.

Good-luck!

  Chloesprincess has some excellent points and recommendations.  You could also try brushing his coat with a feather, the kind that comes at the end of a wand/stick, or a peacock feather (they're much longer).

 

[lucky83]

I used to have a long haired, a rescue cat (Keith) and she was very nervous too (she was scared of children...), she did come round but was always a mummy's (me) cat! She trusted me - even though I wormed her, groomed her and gave her tablets everyday when she was old etc

For hairballs you can buy a paste - 'hairball remedy' from pet shops. I used to get some called 'Kittymalt'  but now I have some 'Beaphar hairball paste'  - I put it on my finger and they lick it off - both mine and sister's have loved it (you might have to dab it on their nose to get them to start licking) . Instructions on this say to give daily but I have a short hair (older) girl now and I give it to her once a week or so in spring/autumn (moulting) or if she vomits grass.

Does he go outside and have access to grass? If not you used to be able to buy some 'cat grass' and grow it inside in a pot they can reach - I did that when I lived in a flat for 6 months and Keith couldn't go outside. (grass does often make them sick though -encourages them to bring up the hairballs)

Maybe a bigger problem will be matting and clumps forming if you can't brush him ...if they get really bad they need a clip at vets (they can get sores etc under bad matts - naturally cats aren't long haired so they find it hard to groom) - maybe he has memories of being groomed being painful?

You will probably need to try lots of different types of brush and be patient.. I (and my sister for her long haired cat) also had a wider tooth plastic 'human' comb for going after brushing to get the matts.  My sister also bought a 'furminator'  or something like it ...it was a comb thing with a razor blade in to thin fur a bit - don't think her cat was every impressed with it though!

Give it a while but then you might have to actually hold on tight and do it - he might fight -but when he eventually realises it isn't actually that bad and he gets lots of treats after (and it is the only time you give him treats - and my cats think/thought kittymalt was a treat!) it might get easier...then you can be gradually start being more thorough...

 

[lucky83]

Sorry - I agree with chloespriestress and ritz too ...cross post - struggling to post and then got distracted....

 

[chloespriestess]

It's hard to get some cats to like being groomed but it is well worth the effort. It will save him a lot of discomfort and potential health problems. Grooming also helps to cement the bond between the owner and the kitty, so it helps if it's pleasurable experience for both of you. (It's like mum cat grooming him with her tongue.)

One can only work at it as far and as fast (or slow) as he allows it, so do respect it and both of you will be happy in the long run.

Some cats like to dig claws in when they are being groomed. I think it comforts them to have a "better grip", plus it feels good to them.  if you have an old bath mat or a towel, you can designate it as the official grooming mat; it will help to facilitate the grooming=good feeling. You can also make him familiarize the mat by giving him the special grooming treat only on the mat.

Best of luck!

 

[lucky83]

Cholespriestess - I do agree with you - to take it slow...but if after trying for a month or so with different brushes etc I really think you might just have to do and then spoil like mad...

Thinking about giving Keith her thyroid tablets - had to be done twice a day ....I couldn't fool her (and I tried ..would manage to spit tablet out after extracting it from whatever I wrapped around it or just not eat with it powdered on food) - in the end I had to force them down her - a battle but made sure I treated her and fussed over her afterwards and eventually she would just eat them and wait for the treats - and that helped with worming tablets and in latter years with the vitamin tablets I used to give her....

Also with a stray I re-homed with ear mites - wasn't keen on having stuff put in his ears (and I still have scars to prove it) -in fact I don't think had to do that long enough for him to get used to it - but he didn't hate me and not trust me forever for doing it ...

 

[raintyger]

I have a long hair that wouldn't let us brush her for 9.5 years. She wasn't scared, just didn't like it and wouldn't sit still. I didn't want to turn it into a battle issue, so I didn't brush her. She had hairballs, but managed to expel them out one end or the other.

This year I got a Kong Zoom Groom, and she absolutely LOVES it! She purrs when I brush her with the Zoom Groom and stretches her head out so I can get her neck. I did have to start her on it very gingerly, though. I would suggest experimenting with different brushes. Make sure you buy from a store that allows returns of products that have been opened and keep the receipt. A lot of people have more success with the Zoom Groom style brushes or rubber bristle brushes.

http://www.petsmart.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2750594

If you can get Truffles acclimated to brushing, then consider a Furminator. It gets tons of undercoat out, so your grooming sessions won't have to be as many/as long.

Digestive enzymes are also supposed to help with hairballs. Protease is the enzyme you want and is included in almost all pet enzymes.

I don't favor use of petroleum based remedies because they block nutrient absorption. I do give them, however, if I hear the hairball wheeze and it is unproductive. Give it a couple hours after mealtime so the nutrient blockage is minimized. If he doesn't like the usual pastes, try Greenies Smartbites Hairball Control. My kitty hates the pastes, but begs for the Greenies.

 

[lucky83]

I've tried a zoom groom - my sister got one for her cat (Tash- long hair) and he loved it - so I got one for mine (short hair) and she hated it - in fact I've just dug it out and tried again and she still does...See you're in Manchester (I'm in Scotland but my parents live near Manchester..)If you like I could post it to you - just looked and it wouldn't cost much and less hassle than trying to freecycle it and shame to bin it ...It has only been used once or twice - it is a bit dusty but I would give it a wash..it is a blue cat shaped one Actually my sister gave me all her grooming things (and lots of other stuff) after she had to have Tash put to sleep last year (too upset to sort it out) - she did have a furminator too but I have a feeling I might have given that to a neighbour with a long haired cat with some other stuff - but I could have a search and if I still have it send that too (but I do think that is a long shot -just can't remember at moment exactly what I did do ...)I think you can message me through the site with your address - guess not a good idea to put your address on the internet...And if you are not comfortable -don't worry - I know this might seem a bit odd - just don't like waste and need to declutter ...and this is perfect ...and helps a poor rescue cat too...

 

[sweet sally2]

You might have him shaved for the time being.
 

 

[jtbo]

I have found out that some cats sleep so soundly, that you can do anything to them as long as you stay clear of the head, I brush one of mine that does not allow to be touched when she is sleeping, silly cat starts purring and might even roll on her back, when she wakes up and realizes it is I who is doing things to her she leaps to safety and then is bit of confused for few moments while keeping on with the purring. Silly cat has even accepted petting recently as long as she is not seeing my hand approaching her, I think it is because of while sleeping she has gotten used to being touched but she can't quite figure out that it indeed is that horrible monster that has been doing all those things.

With time she will learn, but worth to try, just wait until cat is at sleep, approach silently from behind and start very gently from front shoulder of back, soon cat adjusts to brushing be the normal. Not sure if there is difference between multicat houses in that as maybe cat thinks other cat is grooming her, but worth to try. Oh and if cat wakes up, just act as if you were just minding your own business, surely after few seconds sleep continues, at least mine is very confused right after waking up and does not really realize what is going on around her, if there is nothing immediately focusing to her she continues to sleep.

I have not seen ever hairballs from my cats, but they are stealthy feral origin, for example when eating grass they sometimes puke, but after I get paper and come back there is not much to clean, gross for us, but in their hard world nothing can be wasted so they indeed eat what they did vomit, ways of nature are different I guess.

Probably that is reason I have not seen hairballs either.

 

[little bean]

Thankyou for your response JTbo. I have found an ok solution. I tempt him towards me with his favourite toy then when he's not looking, brush him with one of those brush gloves/mitts. He purrs and purrs when he's brushed but, like yours, if he sees my hand or the mitt coming towards him he's wary and moves or runs away.

I give him treats at the end to try and make it a bit more bearable but its silly thinking he obviously enjoys it (or at least it feels nice), but I have to play mouse with him while brushing him. I also play mouse with him without brushing so he doesn't always associate the mitt with playing and vice versa!