Cat grooming

[Beleriphon]

Hello all,

I have a couple of questions in regards to advice about cat grooming, particularly in long haired cats.

First some background. My new little buddy Fizgig isn't so good at cleaning himself. He's lazy, and gets bored easily, plus with his former residence had another cat that would clean him. So he occasionally gets pretty gnarly knots and tangles. I can generally brush or comb these out with the tools I have, but I noticed recently that he has some pretty righteous Bob Marely dreadlocks going on near his butt. I've tried to brush these out with now luck, and a few scratches to boot. I'm thinking that I'm just going to have to trim the fur down, and keep a closer eye on any matted bits.

Any advice on good tool beyond the standard cat brush and comb, or tricks you've found to help brush a cat that may no appreciate being brushed?

[Traci]

I use a "slicker" brush, and brush at least two times a week. Brushing frequently keeps the undercoat in good shape and helps prevent excessive shedding. It also helps that the brushing sessions are made into a good experience for the cat. Choose a quiet time, offer a treat right before, or during the time you're brushing, talk softly, etc. If the cat struggles, release him and try again later, you don't want this to become a fearful experience for him or to stress him needlessly.

On another note, per your posts in FH, the diarrhea/soft stools could be preventing him from grooming himself on a daily basis. If there is fecal matter stuck on his fur, naturally, he won't groom himself. The diet also plays a role in skin and coat condition.

[Beleriphon]

On another note, per your posts in FH, the diarrhea/soft stools could be preventing him from grooming himself on a daily basis. If there is fecal matter stuck on his fur, naturally, he won't groom himself. The diet also plays a role in skin and coat condition.

I sort of assumed as much, although by all accounts he's always been a lazy self groomer. He's better now that there is not other cat to do it for him, although sometimes I wonder if his staring at me involves me licking him.