cat grooming issues

[thisgal]

Alllrighty. I have an eight year old female calico cat. Claire was diagnosed with diabetes last year, and we're pretty close to getting her insulin dosage regulated. The problem is her fur. I'm allergic to cats, dogs, trees...anything with fur or pollen. (I'm not the kind of person to just get rid of a pet because of allergies....in fact, we have four dogs and three cats.) I bathe all of the furry pets weekly to prevent flea infestations and to prevent my nasty sinus headaches. Claire has always been the worst, as far as shedding. If I have her on my lap, petting her for a few minutes, the eyes start to itch....yay. After the regular bathing schedule was set, there was alot of improvement in that area. Lately, however, we're back to square one. I believe she has stopped grooming herself!

Claire gets nasty mats of hair (she's got medium length hair, less than an inch and a half long) on the back third of her body. I brush her as often as I can, but I can only get the top layer of hair. If I really want to break up a chunk of hair, I have to use my fingers to tear it apart!

I've never had to groom an elderly cat before because previous cats either didn't survive to old age, or had short hair. How do I go about getting the mats completely out? I'm willing to do this daily, I just don't know what kind of brush to use, or anything.....any advice?

Also, are there any vitamins or supplements for this problem?

 

[bugmankeith]

Matts are very painful, and tearing them apart with you fingers may be really painful for her!

You could always take her to a groomer once a year during the summer and shave the fur really low, that way new fur will grow in, and it will give her and you a chance to groom the fur, preventing matted fur. Eight isnt that old for a cat, if she isnt grooming herself that is a problem, and should be talked about with the vet. I could be due to her diabetes, but usually a cat never stops grooming themsleves unless they are sick or something medically is wrong.

Fish oil tablets usually help with nails and fur, ask your vet about them, I used to squeeze the liquid from 1 gel capsule into my cats canned food and she ate it without knowing it was there.

 

[thisgal]

Hee hee....we recently (and by "we" I mean "I") started clipping our dogs' hair a few times during the summer. It's just so logical: shorter hair is easier to clean, cooler, and they look all neat and tidy now that I've gotten a bit neater...

Makes me wonder how much blood I'd end up losing if I started cutting at least this cat's hair....and I have a feeling I won't want to let her out in public after the first few attempts!

 

[LPacker79]

For most people, allergies are caused by dander, not by the fur itself. Overbathing will dry out the skin, and might even make the problem worse.

Also, if the pet spends a good deal of time outside, some breeds need their coat in the summer to insulate against the heat; it's not just for the cold.

There's times I look at my dog (a husky) and think of shaving him, but then I clunk myself on the head. Not only would he look silly he'd be awful uncomfortable!

There are several good allergy medications out there that "claim" to relieve symptoms coming from pets, but my niece is allergic to dogs and cats and they don't help her at all.

Good luck!

 

[bugmankeith]

But shaving would be in the cats best interest since the cat seems to not be grooming itself, and I would rather have the cat look different than be in pain from matts and ungroomed fur...

Thisgal, dont clip the hair yourself, you Need a vet or groomer to do that for you....

 

[thisgal]

Well, I'm not talking about shaving her completely....ha! She so deserves it....

I'd like to at least attempt it myself. I have the appropriate attachments for a cat; they came with the dog clippers. I know when to stop if I encounter any problem, whether it be with her behaviour or anything.

Furthermore, I doubt I'll have to resort to trimming her hair. I'm going to see what advice the two local pet stores have, as far as combs and brushes, and if I HAVE to cut her hair, I'd prefer to use one of those combs that has a razor built into it.

LPacker79: I've been over and under and around and through all the allergy mumbo jumbo. :wall: I've taken all the allergy stuff that's out there, and I even got allergy shots for several years, all to no avail. I'm hopeless! I know it's the dander I'm allergic to, and not the hair, but every time a hair is shed, there is most likely dander ON it. Hey, have you ever tried trimming your dog? Even a half inch does WONDERS in the summer. I've got a smooth coat collie...she has a jillion (seems like) layers of hair, and she is able to go for longer walks in the heat, without overheating.

 

[luna]

Check and see if there are any "mobile groomers" in your area. That has been the best solution for keeping my cat well groomed.

I have a long hair cat that needs to be groomed a few times a year. In the past I have tried it myself. You will probably find that cat hair is much different than dog hair and it may not cut with your blades. I also used to take him to a shop but the noise, long wait time, and strange dogs made the experience extremely stressful.

Although they cost a bit more it it so worth it! Mobile groomers keep my boy looking good and happy.

 

[Stylopidae]

For most people, allergies are caused by dander, not by the fur itself.

I always thought it was a protien in the saliva that got coated on the cat.

 

[Barbedwirecat]

OK, your cat already has a health problem, the diabetes. If a cat is not grooming itself that is normally a sign of other heath problems. You can go shave the cat, which will relive you and the cat of the outter issue, but there could me more complicated internal problems. Diabetes can cause excessive weight gain and hair to become dry. However like i stated NOT grooming at all can be caused by other issues that go hand in hand with have diabetes. I beleive Addisons disease and adrenal disease can cause this but, REALYY anything can, liver failure, kidney failure. Most of the cats I saw at the vet clinic were either not regulated, or had another problem. I would reccomend a vet visit and a blood diagnostic panel. Please take this seriously, her life could be in danger.

 

[Tcrazy]

You can use a hypo allergenic shampoo on your cat you can buy it at a pet store or get it from a vet. thats what i use at work on my clients cats. some times when you shave the cats hair it will shed even worse when it grows back

 

[Galadriel]

PLEASE let a groomer with cat experience clip her. It's not like shaving a dog. Cat's have very fragile skin and grooming clippiers, even with the cat attachment, will buzz right through it if you were to catch a small skin fold. If you don't want to shave her, you can buy a handy little device called a mat comb. Do a search for groomer supplies online and you'll find them. By the way, cats not grooming themselves when they have diabetes is a very comon thing. Best of luck to you!

 

[WhyTeDraGon]

Try thinning shears, rather than a mat comb. Unless the mat is far above the skin, it is going to be VERY painful to remove. If you opt for the mat remover, remember to keep your fingers between the mat and the skin to reduce tugging on her skin.
Thinning shears are scissors with teeth on them so that not all of the hair is removed at once leaving a huge bald spot. So you can go through the coat and snip snip here and there, and your cat wont look so bad. If the mats are REALLY bad, take her to a professional groomer. Ive seen some PRETTY bad dogs with pretty matted fur, and shaving has almost always been the best option, but then again, that's a dog, not a cat...as I don't groom cats

 

[Tcrazy]

If a cat has mats they need to be shaved out if there tight against the skin. if there loose you can use unicoat on the mats and they will brush out. if you use any kind of shears be very careful. its very easy to cut the cats skin. highly not recommended

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Most of the cats I saw at the vet clinic were either not regulated, or had another problem. I would reccomend a vet visit and a blood diagnostic panel. Please take this seriously, her life could be in danger.

I worked at a vet clinic. I saw this everyday. Yes not grooming can be common in diabetic animals, but not normally to the point of MATS, again I always reccomend a heath check as this is a HEATH issue. If it was a perfectly normal cat, I would still suggest it, but I suggest it even more that its not.

Looking out and making people aware of the welfare of their beloved pets. Unfortunatly I get alot of hell for this on most of the forums I post on :wall:
Not here to scare, just make aware

 

[thisgal]

Barbedwirecat: Claire has the other type of diabetes. She'll get skinny when the insulin is not given, not fat. We discovered she had it because of her excessive thirst, sleeping, and weight loss. She goes to the vet once a month for glucose tests, and every three months for checkups. In other words, she HAS no other health issues. Of course that was the first thing that came to mind.

Furthermore, she is not long haired. She has what barely qualifies as medium length hair, and the matts aren't very bad yet. I'm just starting to notice them.

Aaaand, people, don't get all worked up! Although she's PEED on enough stuff to deserve a nice, clean buzz cut, I believe I said I wasn't really planning on shaving her completely. I'm not diving into this predicament completely blind. I'm the sole caretaker of all the animals in the house now, and I do not take that responsibility lightly.

So far, I've got a little cat brush that I use on her daily, and every other day, she'll let me use the dogs' grooming blade on the thick areas down her sides and back legs. I love that thing....it gets SO much hair off any animal you use it on!

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Awesome thats all I wanted to hear, I'm so glad you are taking care of your kitty like you should be. I aploigize if i didn't see where you had posted about all of her diabetes issues and vet trips, but you are a awesome kitty owner! As far as the clip, depending on how her temperment around shavers are, if she gets REALLY stressed out and trys to kill andyone that comes near her it might be a good idea to ask your vet for a medical trim. If not, a groomer would be good or if you trust yourself enough with a good pair of clippers you could do it yourself. Do not use scissors EVAR EVAR EVAR, you could cut her REALLY bad. I know I have done it and I learned my lesson. If you use guards on the trimmers its can make it easier
Don't forget to leave a little poof in the end of her tail! Let her knows there still a little lion in her

 

[thisgal]

Hahahaha....I'm NOT making her look like a poodle!

I'm actually looking for one of those combs that has a razor at the base of its teeth. I've seen it advertised for touchups between childrens' haircuts.

 

[Barbedwirecat]

Actually its called a LION cut, all the rage in Paris!

What you do is leave their head unshaved and a mane around the head, then you shave off everything on between that and the poof you leave on the end of the tail except the legs. Vioala! Instant Mini Lion! This is truely a groomer cut! Ask this cat:

And this one:

You could go with the "Punk rock" version:

And just because I thought it was adorable (kinda mean but cute) A pint o' kitten--

Don't forget to knit a sweater for the kitty! LOL