How can I make my cat let me brush out her hair?
Wednesday, July 21st, 2010 at
10:45 pm
She has a bunch of mats and she doesn’t take care of them and so now i am trying to get her all spiffed up and cute looking again because she looks like a street cat. Problem is every time I try to she scratches the heck out of my hands. How can I calm her down enough to get her taken care of. Her nails hurt pretty bad.
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Filed under: Cat Supplies
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Because it HURTS!!! You should NEVER use a brush on a mats and you should NEVER use a brush on a longhaired cat – PERIOD. Brushes do very little to remove the loose hairs of the undercoat and can pull out and break topcoat hairs. A comb will gently remove the loose hairs of the undercoat and leave the topcoat intact.
Longhaired cats need to be combed at least every other day all year long to prevent mats if they have thick undercoats. If the coat is light and cottony then a weekly combing is all that’s necessary.
If these mats are really bad then you need to take her to a groomer and get them clipped out. Shame on you for seeming to complain about your cat looking like a "street cat". Whose fault is this? YOURS – because you didn’t bother to groom her regularly. Sad.
You should use a comb and comb out the mats very gently holding onto the mat to make sure you are not pulling on your cat’s skin. If the mats are really tight, you may need to get your cat shaved by your vet. I had an old long haired cat and had to opt for this solution a couple of times.
First of all, its not her job to maintain her long fur, it’s yours. You need to be brushing her fur out daily. Otherwise this problem will occur. Apparently, what you have done has hurt her, so she will no longer let you try. It is pointless for me to try to tell you how to get them out. The best solution to this issue then, is to take her to a groomer or a veterinarian and have them get the mats out. Good luck. REMEMBER: You must groom long-haired cats! They cannot efficiently groom their own fur. Using a detangler spray and a special grooming comb when you first notice a mat forming on her fur will also help keep her coat in good condition.
You may have to take her to a groomer or vet to get the mats out. If they’re incredibly bad, they may have to be snipped out. After they’re gone, try to keep her fur nice with regular brushing. Try every other day and see how that works. I’ve had some long-haired cats that never had mats, and another that had them regularly, so find something that works with your cat. Start gently with the brush, and reward her with treats simultaneously, gradually getting more thorough with the brush. If you go to far and she scratches, take a break for a while, because if you keep going she’ll just stay angry. If the brush catches on something, don’t yank. Hold the bottom of the fur, nearest to the body, preventing it from pulling on the skin, and comb it out with the brush. Another thing that might help the scratches is trimming her claws first.
Put her on your lap and rub her gentle and brush gentle until she get use to it.