shaving a feral cat (in winter)

[julia123123]

Help! We were "adopted" by a feral cat when we moved to our rural property 6 years ago. She's quite tame with us (lets us pick her up...briefly), but is afraid of visitors and hides. She was a barn cat but now she's elderly and "retired." We feed her daily, fresh water, heated house on porch, and that's where she spends her days.

This fall, I noticed that for the first time, her fur was matted around her back hip joints/tail. I tried to brush her...she reluctantly let me brush her unmatted fur, but the matted parts were too far gone. I just left them alone (have never dealt with matted fur before). This week I noticed that the biggest clump of matted fur had fallen out and that there was a healing sore underneath. At first I thought that she'd been in a fight, but I read online that this can happen with matted fur clumps. It seems like she needs to be shaved...but I'm worried about her staying warm. That's the reason I didn't brush her in the first place (so that she'd have the warmth of her undercoat). What to do with a feral cat with matted fur? Should I wait until spring? Or just trust that she'll be warm enough until her fur grows out? I can't bring her inside...we have 3 indoor cats already and they fight with her through the glass of the front door.

Thanks!

 

[iPappy]

Personally, I'd get the mats shaved out if they're tight enough to cause sores and leave the un-matted fur alone. Matted fur, if wet with rain or snow, won't dry like non-matted fur and will trap in moisture, potentially making the situation worse by the time spring rolls around.
Does she spend a lot of time in her heated bed?

 

[julia123123]

Actually, no. We put a feral cat "house" on the front porch (insulated rubber container with straw) and she much prefers that!

 

[Kflowers]

Some cats are afraid of the noise of the electric shaver. If you plan to use one be sure to let her get used to the sound first. If not, if you aren't taking her in to be shaved at the vet, you may want to consider buying baby scissors, they are for use with human babies and are blunt on the tips. This will keep you from accidentally stabbing her as you cut the mats out. I would also, if possible slip a comb through the fur between her skin and the mat before removing the mat. Remember that the mat when touched will pull on the skin below it.

I worked with one cat who had one mat on his abdomen. It was about three inches long. Once the mat was cut out the skin under it expanded to about the width of my palm. This is part of why the mats make sores under them. There is no ventilation, and the cat can't wash under the mats. For whatever reason something kept the cat from chewing the mats out and they got too big for her to manage. I would also suggest checking her teeth, when/if you take her to the vet for grooming.

 

[Kwik]

Nice to meet you J julia123123
Since you can pick her up......
When's the last time she's been to the Vet? I'd suggest familiarizing her with a carrier,close to the size of her little house,should be just a couple of days for her not to be startled or apprehensive of the carrier sitting on the porch .....in the carrier you go sweet darling and have her mats shaved or clipped off ,they can give her gas so they can work on her easily and she can probably use a wellness check

With ferals that will only stay for brief periods it will take you forever to groom her properly and it is something that should be addressed sooner than later ---- she doesn't need her entire body shaved so she should be just fine for winter with her house and heated bed...

Consider transitioning her to inside life....you'd have to start her out in her own safe room for starters anyway,a ways off before you'd start scent swapping-" sight "without proper introductions will typically always result in hissing,growling and swatting - they can all peacefully co- habitat eventually with a loving,patient head of household

What's her name?Sounds like this sweet lady stays close to home and I'm hoping she's safe out there,you mentioned it's rural and she was a barn cat- your barn?About how old was she when she adopted you 6 yrs ago

 

[di and bob]

I would go the vet route, or a scissors to get the worst out until spring. i have a cat that absolutely will not let you work around his rearend. He has to go to the vet if he needs shaved back there. He will bite, claw, become a whirling demon to get away at home, at the vets he is so scared he just lays there while they shave him!!

 

[julia123123]

Some cats are afraid of the noise of the electric shaver. If you plan to use one be sure to let her get used to the sound first. If not, if you aren't taking her in to be shaved at the vet, you may want to consider buying baby scissors, they are for use with human babies and are blunt on the tips. This will keep you from accidentally stabbing her as you cut the mats out. I would also, if possible slip a comb through the fur between her skin and the mat before removing the mat. Remember that the mat when touched will pull on the skin below it.

I worked with one cat who had one mat on his abdomen. It was about three inches long. Once the mat was cut out the skin under it expanded to about the width of my palm. This is part of why the mats make sores under them. There is no ventilation, and the cat can't wash under the mats. For whatever reason something kept the cat from chewing the mats out and they got too big for her to manage. I would also suggest checking her teeth, when/if you take her to the vet for grooming.

I will do that! I don't think I'm going to try it myself. I'm going to call the vet on Monday to make sure she sees ferals!

 

[julia123123]

Nice to meet you J julia123123
Since you can pick her up......
When's the last time she's been to the Vet? I'd suggest familiarizing her with a carrier,close to the size of her little house,should be just a couple of days for her not to be startled or apprehensive of the carrier sitting on the porch .....in the carrier you go sweet darling and have her mats shaved or clipped off ,they can give her gas so they can work on her easily and she can probably use a wellness check

With ferals that will only stay for brief periods it will take you forever to groom her properly and it is something that should be addressed sooner than later ---- she doesn't need her entire body shaved so she should be just fine for winter with her house and heated bed...

Consider transitioning her to inside life....you'd have to start her out in her own safe room for starters anyway,a ways off before you'd start scent swapping-" sight "without proper introductions will typically always result in hissing,growling and swatting - they can all peacefully co- habitat eventually with a loving,patient head of household

What's her name?Sounds like this sweet lady stays close to home and I'm hoping she's safe out there,you mentioned it's rural and she was a barn cat- your barn?About how old was she when she adopted you 6 yrs ago

Her ear is clipped (and she's never had babies), so she was clearly a part of a TNR program at one point! I've never taken her to the vet. She's always been happy and healthy outside and I didn't want to traumatize her with the drive/visit. That's a good idea about the carrier...I'll put it out today!

She doesn't like being outside. There is an aluminum-siding barn on our property, formerly a horse barn, but I don't know if she was ever inside. I found her out in the field and it took me months to gain her trust. That barn is now insulated/concrete slab floor/HVAC-controlled. When it gets cold here (under 20 degrees F), we "trick her" into the barn so that she will be warm and comfortable (usually with wet food). She tolerates the barn, but she always wants to go back outside. We have to be careful not to let her escape until the temps climb back into the 20s! I don't think she'd ever be happy indoors.

 

[di and bob]

While you are there you might have her vaccinated too. At least rabies and distemper. She sounds more like a kitten born to a feral who was cared for by humans. The fact that you can be around her and even touch/briefly hold her is amazing! When I bring a cat in like this I always write FERAL on front of carrier in big bold letters so some unsuspecting worker doesn’t open the carrier and grab them. Then they have to be quarantined for rabies or worse.

 

[Kwik]

Her ear is clipped (and she's never had babies), so she was clearly a part of a TNR program at one point! I've never taken her to the vet. She's always been happy and healthy outside and I didn't want to traumatize her with the drive/visit. That's a good idea about the carrier...I'll put it out today!

She doesn't like being outside. There is an aluminum-siding barn on our property, formerly a horse barn, but I don't know if she was ever inside. I found her out in the field and it took me months to gain her trust. That barn is now insulated/concrete slab floor/HVAC-controlled. When it gets cold here (under 20 degrees F), we "trick her" into the barn so that she will be warm and comfortable (usually with wet food). She tolerates the barn, but she always wants to go back outside. We have to be careful not to let her escape until the temps climb back into the 20s! I don't think she'd ever be happy indoors.

So what is her name?

Yeah,just familiarize her with seeing the carrier ,then msybe some treats or food in there - that's all it should take is a few days- cats that do go in little houses or cubbys are pretty easy---- then cover it and she'll remain calm with the door locked and while transport

She was possibly given a 3yr rabies but more likely the first time on a TNR they do a 1yr---- either way it's been 6 yrs ,be a good idea to get her a 3yr rabies and as di and bob suggested,distemper as well,for any outside feline it's wise

 

[julia123123]

While you are there you might have her vaccinated too. At least rabies and distemper. She sounds more like a kitten born to a feral who was cared for by humans. The fact that you can be around her and even touch/briefly hold her is amazing! When I bring a cat in like this I always write FERAL on front of carrier in big bold letters so some unsuspecting worker doesn’t open the carrier and grab them. Then they have to be quarantined for rabies or worse.

That's a great idea! I'm going to basically do whatever the vet recommends.

 

[julia123123]

So what is her name?

Yeah,just familiarize her with seeing the carrier ,then msybe some treats or food in there - that's all it should take is a few days- cats that do go in little houses or cubbys are pretty easy---- then cover it and she'll remain calm with the door locked and while transport

She was possibly given a 3yr rabies but more likely the first time on a TNR they do a 1yr---- either way it's been 6 yrs ,be a good idea to get her a 3yr rabies and as di and bob suggested,distemper as well,for any outside feline it's wise

Original name unknown...we call her Claudia.

 

[Kwik]

Keep us posted on Claudia J julia123123 ----

 

[julia123123]

Keep us posted on Claudia J julia123123 ----

Will do! Soonest appointment is mid-December but maybe there'll be a cancellation!

 

[daftcat75]

While you are waiting for that appointment, it couldn't hurt to try the olive oil method. Fill up a needle-less syringe with olive oil and squirt that as close to the base of the mats as you can. Get in there as best as you can all around the base of the mat. Then simply leave it and wait for it to work its magic. I have done this on one or two occasions with my last cat Krista and it worked perfectly. The mat simply dropped out of her fur after a day or two.
https://www.karikells.com/Petsitter/2017/olive-oil-to-remove-matted-fur/