Tabs' Grumpy Problems

[Kittysodaa]

Hi Everyone! I own a cat called Tabs. He is a stray, and he has recently been cleaned and checked for fleas and recently went to the vet. The vet told me he has no infections, but fleas. So the vet told us to comb him to get rid of his dust and matted fur. We cleaned him, but when we tried to comb him, he started to hiss. He wasn't lashing out, just hissing at some touches when we comb him.

I don't get what's wrong with him, just that his grumpy. And we don't know his past. He allowed us to pet him and pick him up, and he even showed us his belly. He's pretty heavy though.

Should we check up on his back tomorrow? Please tell us what to do, cause this cat might lash out with my cat family.

 

[mightyboosh]

There could be some sensitive spots where the fleas have caused an allergic reaction or you may be pulling on his skin when you try to de-mat him.
My Oliver is cool with combing but sometimes I catch a little knot then bam, he lets me know about it.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

Yep, what mightyboosh said. Add to that, since he is a former stray, he is no longer used to being handled. Those tugs on the mats would be a bit painful. You might consider having him professionally shaved once to get rid of the mats, and go from there with gentle brushing, then combing.

 

[neely]

I thought this Article about grooming tips might be helpful for you:
7 Reasons Why You Really Should Groom Your Cat Regularly

And one more for good measure: Product Review: Jw Pet Company Gripsoft Cat Comb

Hope this helps. Good luck!

 

[Kittysodaa]

Yep, what mightyboosh said. Add to that, since he is a former stray, he is no longer used to being handled. Those tugs on the mats would be a bit painful. You might consider having him professionally shaved once to get rid of the mats, and go from there with gentle brushing, then combing.

Thanks for the advice. We are considering having someone to comb him. We might visit some pet markets to find the suitable comb/glove for him. We'll see if he responds to it, or he still is grumpy.

 

[Kittysodaa]

There could be some sensitive spots where the fleas have caused an allergic reaction or you may be pulling on his skin when you try to de-mat him.
My Oliver is cool with combing but sometimes I catch a little knot then bam, he lets me know about it.

Seems there's something related to what you said. Today he's pretty fine, just like a normal cat. He seems to hate grooming, which we can understand. We've owned many cats like him. Like I said in the above reply, We are still trying to find suitable things for him, as we don't know his past very well.

 

[Kflowers]

I've never had a cat who liked being brushed. Most would tolerate one or two combs down one side, possibly a couple under the chin, then they were outta here.

This includes the ones I started brushing when they were less than six weeks old and couldn't resist. Waiting to see what the solution is.