Pet Lovers

[Snow Kitten]

I have a 16 year old Himalayan long haired cat and he is starting to matte and I really don't know my options for helping him. He is not a friendly cat- he bites and scratches. Holding him and brushing him is not an option. But I love him dearly.

I use to ask the vet to clip out any mattes when he went to get his teeth cleaned and was put to sleep for that. But last time he went to the vet, he was very groggy for 3 days and the vet said it was up to me if i wanted to get his teeth cleaned again if I felt the anesthia was too much for him. 

Any advice will be dearly appreciated. 

[KingstonsMom]

@Snow Kitten

I would find a groomer that does cats and have him shaved, to remove the mats.  It doesn't have to be a 'close' shave.

DD has an elderly Himalayan and he's not grooming himself anymore and gradually gets mats too, so she has him shaved maybe once a year, usually summer.

 He too, will not tolerate trying to brush/comb them out, LOL!

She takes him to a groomer to be shaved and there's no sedation involved, but I don't know how they do it, LOL!

Maybe a muzzle and socks on their feet!

ETA: When he get his haircut, he's so frisky, running around like a youngster, he loves it! I would imagine the mats tug on their skin.

[NickNack]

I would take him to a groomer to be shaved, too.  I would absolutely not have a 16 year old cat put to sleep again for any reason other than an emergency.

[Oznell]

Ruby Woo, I feel for you.  One of our cats, Naomi, is a feral cat that we tamed over time so that now she lives indoors with our other three cats.  She is our only long hair cat.

She is timid, and will never be a lap kitty.  But, on advice of others, I started de-sensitizing her to touch by first gently touching or petting her every day, from a distance, with a mop handle, a stick or whatever.  Just gentle touching for a few seconds, from a distance.  Then I shortened the stick over time, and lengthened the gentle petting with it.  It is a long slow process over the months.

One day I subsituted my hand for the stick, and she allowed petting! Briefly and gingerly.  Anyway, long story short, I did the same with the brush, and lo, she now comes running when I get down on the floor and announce "Naomi, want a brush?"

No guarantees, but it is worth a try.  Her fur was extremely knotted and matted at first.  We had the vet do the same thing yours did, then we started a regimen of gentle brushing daily.  She still looks a bit like an unmade bed, but what an improvement!

Good luck with your beloved pet.  And maybe you can get other advice from vet's offices and shelters?

[sophiesofers]

I had a long haired Calico and she would get mats in her fur too. I tried to comb them out but she did not like that.  I took her to a groomer and they shaved her.  Not too much, but enough to get all the mats out.  She actually liked it because it made her feel better.  The mats tug and pull on their skin so I would suggest you take your cat to a groomer.  And they do not have to be sedated for that either.  Good Luck!

[Desertdi]

≈^••^≈  Hi.....I'm Kitty the Fuzz.....and I am also a grumpy elder cat with long fur.   I have been under the weather with a thyroid challenge......and wasn't grooming myself.....and got into a matted mess, too.  

Mama cat (Old Furless) didn't want to take me to a strange groomer.........but the tech at our vet said she would take care of me.......with small grooming sessions over time, so I wouldn't get too stressed out.   I just had my 4th trimming, and will need 2 or 3 more.    This is all included in one grooming charge.   ♥Kitty

[Kachina624]

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@KingstonsMom wrote:

ETA: When he get his haircut, he's so frisky, running around like a youngster, he loves it! I would imagine the mats tug on their skin.

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@KingstonsMom  Maybe he's cold after a haircut. 

[Kachina624]

I have a similar problem with my old long-haired dogs (collies).   They don't want to be brushed,  have no patience for it.   They get matted but can't stand for the length of time a professional grooming would take.   I'm thinking of a mobile groomer where I can observe and see she doesn't get overly tired or stressed. 

[dooBdoo]

          @Snow Kitten,  You might want to ask your vet about using the "scruffing" technique (pinch-induced behavioral inhibition, some vets call it "clipnosis").  It's the same calming reaction seen when a mama cat picks up her kittens to carry them, and some vets use this as a sort of natural alternative to drugs for mild relaxation for a simple procedure.  I learned about it from a vet who was an RN, returned to school to become a DVM, and only treats felines.  If you try it, it's best to first check with your vet to be sure it's done correctly and to be sure it's a good and safe option for your little cat.   Another thing I've seen, in watching the gifted cat whisperers via the TinyKittens and Langley Animal Protection Society and People for Happier Cats, is a method of very gently draping a soft blanket to cover the kitty's head (seems to calm them as they burrow into it), and then removing a mat or doing other grooming. Best of luck to you and your beautiful Himalayan! 

[Lapdog]

@dooBdoo 

I am still smiling from the memories!  As a groomer, this method works well until the kitty reaches around his head and hooks your arm with his little kitty hooks!  Yowza!

However,  this does hurt much less then when they plant a hook or two into your sternum. 

Then it is MERCI !!! as you disengage the claw when you are not breathing.  

Thanks for the memories.

I recommend a groomer also to help with the mats.