matted fur clumps on old cat
i took on my ex-neighbours extra-furry ginger cat last year.
i took him to the vet for his annual MOT and the vet said i should get his matted fur cut/shaved.
i took him to a grooming place, but they had to give up after getting a bit shaved off as he was having none of it.
i spoke to his former owner who said that in the past he had to be sedated for his hair cut.
question is, he is now 16, would sedating him be worse than him living with the matted fur?
i took him to the vet for his annual MOT and the vet said i should get his matted fur cut/shaved.
i took him to a grooming place, but they had to give up after getting a bit shaved off as he was having none of it.
i spoke to his former owner who said that in the past he had to be sedated for his hair cut.
question is, he is now 16, would sedating him be worse than him living with the matted fur?
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arrrr bless:)
its good of you to take him on:)
Ask the vet if he is happy to sedate him at his age. My cat gets sedated to get shaved/de-matted. Someone told me of some kind of mitt to groom cats, which cost £20-something pounds, but works a treat. Its called a "Furminator" available from http://www.qvcuk.com/ukqic/qvcapp.aspx/app.detail/params.item.823731/walk.yah.UKHG-U078
I just worked the comb very very gently over the surface of her back at first as it pulls fur out. Over the course of days I got deeper until I had got rid of all the clumps. She just loved it, it was as if she knew the bit of pain she got (and she let me know when it hurt!) was worth the effort because you could see it in her face, bless her.
I've never let it happen again - I was convinced those lumps were something cancerous! I just keep her well brushed.
Have you tried that on the poor thing.
Just had the same problem with or 15 year old cat......we found him at 3 weeks old and hand reared him...his coat is Persian like and until recently he did a really good job of looking after himself.I only had to comb him through about once a month to get the big matts and clumps. I did him the day before yesterday though and found he was in a right mess...I think it's just old age and he can't be bothered anymore.
For me I'd rather spend the 4 hours of combing and snipping than risk sedating him......he ain't looking too pretty at the mo with patches of bare skin showing but at least he's comfy again.
Yesterday I found out that cats have brothers.
Today, cats have haircuts.
Whatever next ?
My old pussy had a special brush to get rid of the knots.
I think you should ask your vet what to do. You could try a de-stressing plug in aromatherapy thing. I poohparred them until I tried one on Beasley when we moved house. (he gets stress related cystitos)
Motorbikes?
They really like dustbins?;)
One of my cats is a Persian who I groom every day, sometimes every other day. If there are knots I comb out gently from the end to the skin. On occasion when this doesn't work I've cut them off with small scissors but you have to be careful not to catch the skin. It's just a question of regular attention really
will prob have to take him back to vets by the look of things.
I brush them daily, but unfortunately they sleep under the radiator, and get sweaty, and they the fur matts. I would try and cut the lumps off .... but once you got one off - 2 more would appear. Plus, the cat wasnt keen on sitting on my lap for long !
Anyway - i used to book mine in for a shave yearly. I would take them in, they would have a little 'knock out' juice .... and they would come home bald with little leg warmers, furry tale and furry head
But .... my cats are now old. Being persian's, they dont live as long as normal cats, and now they are 15 - they are very ancient.
So, i daren't have them knocked out. The year before last i cut they knots out myself, and it worked. It took me weeks - but i did it. Then, last year i took one of them to the vets as the knots were very bad. They did it while she was awake ... with me holding her - and she was a star. BUT, the vet nurse was smothered in hair at the end of the session, and she didnt look too amused ... so i didnt really want to take her back if i could help it.
This year i have gone back to the scissors way. Its hard work, you need a steady hand .... and its slow. You might get one knot off - and then have to leave it till the next night to get another one.
I wish you luck, but at 16 the cat might be a little too old to be knocked out unnecessarily.