Worried About Losing A Cat’s Trust While Grooming/making Him Skittish

[scraggles]

My long-haired cat really, really dislikes being groomed. His tail swishes, his back trembles, he growls, moves away from me…

I try to groom him when he’s calm but I get worried that I’m turning him into a distrustful cat. I give him treats, but now he’s associating treats with grooming (or medicating) and has become wary of them and me. He’s even begun refusing them (unheard of!), knowing that he’s going to get brushed. I give him treats sometimes outside of these times to try reducing the association – but it doesn’t really work.

He is extremely prone to matting and has now a giant mat on his back, around his hind leg area – which, from my reading, I think is a stud tail (I could be wrong). It’s like there’s glue in there and no amount of brushing is going to get rid of it. I have at times snipped matting and I figure this is really the only way I’ll reduce this one. But whatever about brushing he HATES the scissors even more. This is when his behaviour turns more to attack mode. When he first arrived as a stray his coat was in an awful, filthy state, it had also been aggressively butchered, it was like a child had got at him with a scissors and I think whatever happened might have traumatised him.

He was fast asleep on my bed today when I tried to snip a bit out of this mat. But straight away he woke up and grabbed at my hand with claws – not enough to cut me – just a snag. I know he really doesn’t mean harm – he’s just telling me that he really doesn’t like this and I don't want to push it.

I have pretty much every type of brush/comb/grooming glove at this stage – I used to brush him when he was distracted by eating (during the winter he was a glutton) but I stopped that as it can’t be good for him and I was worried I’d give him a food complex.

I don’t know if I want to continue brushing him when he’s asleep as I’m worried he won’t want to fall asleep beside me if I constantly wake him with annoying grooming.

I use a grooming glove sometimes when he sleeps – but being long haired it doesn’t do enough of a good job – especially with his back tail area.

I suppose this is more of a vent really than anything. He’s due his yearly vaccinations in a month or so and I’ll be asking the vet about it when I’m there – as I don't think it's a medical issue, it can probably wait 'til he’s due the visit anyway. And I really want to say he’s really not a viciously intentioned cat, by the way – he’s just his own man and I completely respect that. I admire it to be honest. But matting isn’t good for him and I worry!

 

[neely]

I can totally relate to your predicament, i.e. our persian cat was rescued from a terrible hoarding situation and his mats were so bad he was given a mercy grooming. I have an awful time trying to get the mats out also. He tolerates me combing him around his head and chest but nothing near his back end, back legs and stomach. I have been taking him to a groomer who fortunately has persians herself. Would it be possible to check out some of the groomers in your area? I know it may not be the perfect solution but even if you take him occasionally and try to keep up with it in between perhaps it will be less stressful for both you and your sweet, fluffy boy.

 

[scraggles]

Thanks for your reply, neely! – I don’t think a groomer is, unfortunately, the answer, for the moment anyway. I brought Scraggles to the vet to get matting removed from his chest/belly/underarm area at around Easter time and the vet had to sedate him to do it, so I don’t know if a groomer would want to put up with that…

I also had to bathe him myself once and it’s not an experience I’m too keen to repeat(!)

This was all before shedding season so his back wasn’t really the issue it is now. When I’m at the vet next I’ll see if he thinks he needs to have them shaved off again, it’s just Scraggles had a really awful reaction to the sedation last time I’m really very reluctant to put him through that again.

I’ve ordered a Kickeroo on Amazon that I’m anxiously waiting for – I finally managed to get it at a cheaper add-on price with a recent order. So I’ll see if that works in any way as a distraction while I try snip the matting out – I don’t hold much hope but it’s certainly worth trying.

I’ve also tried all sorts of dry shampoos and mousse type things – but he’s getting to recognise the sound/smell of them and goes scarpering. I thought with time he might calm down and get used to being brushed – it’s only just over a year since he first arrived – but it actually seems to be getting worse. I suppose I’m grooming him more these days with shedding season so he’s really getting sick of it.

I’ll just have to keep trying, I suppose – I just don’t want him to stop hanging out around me. He’s not a lap cat by any stretch of the imagination – which just makes it all the more special when he does come to sit beside me, and I don’t want to lose that trust.

 

[neely]

One more idea I had was a lion cut to take care of the mats and for easier maintenance. It may help make the both of you more at ease, just trying to brainstorm ideas.

 

[posiepurrs]

If his coat is a bad as it sounds a lion cut is probably the best solution, then work with him daily with a comb. The vet could try a different sedation if he had a reaction to it last time. Leaving a mat tight to the skin can cause an infection, not to mention how painful it is. There are certified cat groomers trained to handle difficult cats. You might want to contact the National Cat Groomers Institute - they may be able to give you some names of groomers in your area.

 

[red top rescue]

I just posted this in another thread having to do with grooming an older cat who gets very grumpy about it, so go to the second post in the following thread and read that also. You may find some helpful information there too. Older, Grumpy Male Cat Grooming Question

 

[scraggles]

Thank-you all so much for your help! – I’m going to talk to the vet about getting them removed. In the meantime I’ve a greyhound comb ordered online as they didn’t have them in stock in the petshop I went to.

Of all the brushes I have I am finding that I turn to the comb that’s in the photo below the most. The standard pet brush seems to yank at him a bit more I think. And after reading so much about greyhound combs on this forum I’m looking forward to trying that too.

I do have one more question about combs/brushes though – I was thinking of also buying a “pet undercoat rake”.

Although I’m nearly certain I’ve seen it talked about here on this site – it also says that it’s suitable for cats on an Amazon – there was one similar in the petshop that the shop assistant was hesitant to sell me as it really is for use on dogs. Would it be worth my time buying one?

About his diet, red top rescue – taking advice from your other post, you’re right it needs work. I feed him a high quality, grain free, dry – but I’m definitely working on getting him to eat more wet food (he’s also not a fan of it ) – but I’m taking it slowly. The price of buying wet food that was only ending up being thrown out was becoming a bit of a challenge – but thanks to another thread on this site I’ve ordered pet food can covers and am feeding him smaller amounts so hopefully it’ll work out as, yes, definitely I want him to be eating wet. His coat can get quite static so I think his diet would definitely help with that also.

Thanks again.

 

[basscat]

Sometimes I think my cat likes everybody else more than me. Because I make him do stuff. I'm the bobcat police. I make him stop biting everyone and everything. I make him go out when he doesn't want to go out, come in when he want's to stay out. I make him go to the vet. I put stinky flea stuff on him. I stop him from having fun when fun gets too crazy.
Therefore, he runs to everyone else and purrs and climbs on them and loves on them...instead of me.

BUT, as soon as he sticks his nose in somebody else's face, he will stop, walk over to me and bump my face just to be sure I'm there. (it's almost as if he's asking permission. Probably not, but, as long as I think that...it's okay).
And every night, when he thinks I'm going to put him up and go to bed, he'll get in my lap, curl up, and go to sleep.

Dogs and Cats know who their people are.