Any Tips on Grooming My Fluffy Cat Who Hates It?

[Irish Setter Mu]

Hi there - I'm new to Catsey - have just posted one on the introductions and one in health (ear problem).

Another problem - below is a picture of one of my cats Meg - she isn't too fond of grooming (only when she feels like it and on her terms!). Recently she has got a large number of matted areas around her back end. If she is in a particularly good mood she will let me "get at her" with a sharp pair of nail scissors and remove them. Lately she has been a pain and won't let me near her. Any suggestions (I don't really want to have her sedated and shaved but will do so if needed). Any natural calming/sedating techniques available??

Thanks in advance, Karen

[Mags]

Hi again Karen, we have a few Persian cat owners here who will be able to give you some tips, I'm sure. Hopefully they will be along soon to answer your question.....

[dandysmom]

What a lovely girl Meg is! Have you tried Rescue Remedy or a Feliway plug-in to help calm her?

[Elaine]

Sellotape all 4 legs together Sorry only joking, having a similar problem with my fluffy butt cat too.
I am resigned to getting at it little by little and taking a few scratches for my efforts.

[calismum]

As above. Try sometimes grooming her without 'doing' the matted bits sometimes. Then she won't always associate grooming with the matt removal. One of my cats is a semi long but has a very fine coat and he gets quite matted in the same are. I use thinning scissors on it so he still looks as if he has the length but not the volume.

She is lovely. Torties are a favourite of mine.

CM

[Irish Setter Mu]

Thanks everyone - she does quite like to be groomed - especially when I am grooming the "boys" (dogs). It's only when I get around her butt end that she gets a bit iffy.

There only used to be the odd matt or two, but now a few more seem to have popped up. Every time I want to groom her she is never there and turns up when I am just about to go to work or go out! Cats eh?

[Irish Setter Mu]

Thanks everyone for all your replies. I took Meg back to the vets tonight as her ear problem (possible harvest mites) doesn't appear to be getting better and I have opted to have Meg sedated and the matts removed.

I feel like I have failed her and am a bit upset about it. She is six years old and I've never had this amount of matts before. As I mentioned in the previous post she likes to be groomed and when I am grooming the dogs she always gets in there. She is a very clean cat and is always cleaning and licking herself (not excessively though).

[Elaine]

Dont upset yourself, you havent failed her. Sometimes these things happen and atleast you are getting the issue sorted and not just leaving it as some people would.

[Irish Setter Mu]

I picked Meg up from the vets early yesterday afternoon - she didn't look anywhere near as bad as I thought she would in her coat. They only classed it as "light matting" on the vets bill which made me feel a whole lot better! I am now £120 poorer after 2 visits to the vets and a final visit on Saturday morning.

Meg has one of those lovely plastic collars which she tried desparately to remove when I bought her home yesterday. She managed to escape whilst I was closing the garage door and made off like a loony! Managed to capture her and she has now calmed down a lot. She was round my legs purring this morning so hopefully she has forgiven me!

Thanks for everyone's comments.

[Mags]

I'm sure Meg feels a lot better with her new 'hairdo' now!

How long does she have to wear the collar for?