brush for long-haired cat

planetX

Hi, can anyone recommend a brush for me - I have at least 5 different types and none of them are doing the job. My poor long-haired cat is getting matted again. She has health problems which make her difficult to handle, so it's hard to get rid of them. I bought a fake furminator last year but it's very hard to get it through her fur. I've had to resort to pulling the loose hair off with my hands:eek:
Would it be really bad to have her fur clipped off?

Themadhouse

I shave one of mine as he doesn't like to be handled too much. His coat is so thick and get unmanageable. He dances around ye place after string his haircut so he must like it! Matts can be painful for them.

planetX

Themadhouse wrote: »

I shave one of mine as he doesn't like to be handled too much. His coat is so thick and get unmanageable. He dances around ye place after string his haircut so he must like it! Matts can be painful for them.

Do you use dog clippers? This might be the answer for me.... what do you do with the tail, shave it too? Thanks!

It's a shame, because of all my cats this is the one whose personality is least suited to long hair - she likes to sleep out under bushes and hunt around dirty farmyards.

Themadhouse

I use human clippers. I shave his bum area right down and the rest of him has about half an inch left. No matter what brush we tried it his knots would just appear nearly in front of us!

ABajaninCork

Use a medium-sized slicker brush. That should do the trick...

Doesn't cost much for a decent one either.

brrabus

planetX wrote: »

Hi, can anyone recommend a brush for me - I have at least 5 different types and none of them are doing the job. My poor long-haired cat is getting matted again. She has health problems which make her difficult to handle, so it's hard to get rid of them. I bought a fake furminator last year but it's very hard to get it through her fur. I've had to resort to pulling the loose hair off with my hands:eek:
Would it be really bad to have her fur clipped off?

Hi planetX, have only seen this post now and hope you and your cats are sorted however just thought I would tell you about this wonderful comb I got a few weeks ago for one of my cats.

He was really suffering from hairball, to the point that he was quite sick. Had not brushed him in a few weeks as I lost my brush so went on the hunt for a new one, really hard to find any brushes. Anyway, my local pet shop recommended a "Furminator". It was expensive but the girl highly recommended it, and I was so worried about my cat that I bought it.

I have had cats for over 30 years and have never had any brush that works as good. First night I used it I thought he was going to be bald after I finished. Now, I use is the odd time and he does not really shed anymore on the furniture (nor my clothes). Best purchase I have made in year and I now have two very happy silky cats.

planetX

brrabus wrote: »

Hi planetX, have only seen this post now and hope you and your cats are sorted however just thought I would tell you about this wonderful comb I got a few weeks ago for one of my cats.

'sorted' = 150 euro haircut at the vet:(:(:(

brrabus

planetX wrote: »

'sorted' = 150 euro haircut at the vet:(:(:(

€150 OMG :eek:

Mo60

planetX wrote: »

'sorted' = 150 euro haircut at the vet:(:(:(

A few years back I found a long-haired cat, outside a supermarket, that was completely matted - the fur was a solid mass. The cat was obviously a stray because of the state he was in.

I took him straight to my own vet and he spent over an hour trying to remove all the fur because it was causing the cat distress. My vet told me the cat would not have survived for much longer due to the state it was in.

Because I had rescued the cat, my vet did not ask for any payment.

planetX

brrabus wrote: »

€150 OMG :eek:

the cost was mostly the general anaesthetic.

Themadhouse

I recently got a Denman triple comb and omg it is brilliant! It was recommended to a friend for her cat and she managed to get a couple and sent one to me. It worked a treat on my coon, bsh and moggies!
Keep an eye in your local chemist as I did try to find it in hair suppliers,boots, larger chemists and couldnt get one. It was found in a small local chemist in the discount bin. Worth looking out for!

mymo

Themadhouse. I assume that's a human comb?
Fluffy ball of trouble we rescued half dead few weeks back seems to be staying, despite 4 offers of homes, this is why I don't foster:o
Want to start like I mean to go on, get her used to a good brushing, other cats are short haired, dogs brushes and combs are too big.

travelledpengy

The real FURminator is by far the best brush
i've ever had! There are videos on youtube showing how effective it is.

http://www.amazon.com/FURminator-Long-Hair-deShedding-Large/dp/B0040QS3PO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351511178&sr=8-4&keywords=furminator

brrabus

travelledpengy wrote: »

The real FURminator is by far the best brush
i've ever had! There are videos on youtube showing how effective it is.

http://www.amazon.com/FURminator-Long-Hair-deShedding-Large/dp/B0040QS3PO/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1351511178&sr=8-4&keywords=furminator

Completely agree, best tool I have every bought, well worth investing in. I have hardly any shedding from both of my cats now, which is wonderful for my clothes & washing machine. And the cats love it.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_3jg0_8MTC0

Howjoe1

Has anyone used the vet for treatment of matting and if so was the cat stressed in anyway after it?

Our family pet is now 11 yrs olds. A (very) long haired cat that gets mistaken for being fat. She grooms herself constantly and we help with brushing. But she always has a few difficult matted clumps and as she gets older is shedding a lot more.

I was thinking of taken her to the vet and having her shaved under anesthetic.

She hates going in her carry box (gets very distressed on journey).

My question, is she likely to feel distressed and shocked when she comes around and finds all her fur gone for the first time in 11 yrs?

and if not and I should get it done, is it better to wait for the warmer spring weather? she stays out a lot at night time (exxcept for extremely cold nights).

SillyMangoX

I've been involved in dematting cats under anesthetic in the vets (it's very therapeutic for the person doing it :P). The cat will come in and be given a sedative which will kick in about 20 minutes, then they will be all happy and groggy and not care whats happening and soon forget about the traumatic cat carrier. Then they are induced into general anesthetic then every attempt is made to brush out the fur but sometimes it just isn't possible and they are shaved. The cat would then be wrapped in a towel, have a hot water bottle under it and be nice and cosy in the kennel. When they wake up from anesthetic they are still groggy and sleepy so in general they aren't too distressed at all because they are nicely stoned! They are usually given some pain medication when under anesthetic too because it can be kind of sore where they skin has been tugged at with the matts. She may be a bit confused as to where her fur is gone, try grooming and then look disgusted! but it doesn't take long to grow back in. I definitely wouldn't be leaving her outside until after it has grown back in a bit though, no fur covers means cold nights would be even colder, same as ourselves being out overnight in the cold. So if there is no way at all you can keep her in for a few weeks until the hair is back then I would wait until spring summer, but I still wouldn't be leaving her out all night until she has good hair cover back.

If there is only a few patched of matts though the vet may just snip them out and not shave the entire body, you would have to talk to them about it.

Edit: Shaved cats feel like suede. Just thought I'd share that :P

Howjoe1

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I've been involved in dematting cats under anesthetic in the vets (it's very therapeutic for the person doing it :P). The cat will come in and be given a sedative which will kick in about 20 minutes, then they will be all happy and groggy and not care whats happening and soon forget about the traumatic cat carrier. Then they are induced into general anesthetic then every attempt is made to brush out the fur but sometimes it just isn't possible and they are shaved. The cat would then be wrapped in a towel, have a hot water bottle under it and be nice and cosy in the kennel. When they wake up from anesthetic they are still groggy and sleepy so in general they aren't too distressed at all because they are nicely stoned! They are usually given some pain medication when under anesthetic too because it can be kind of sore where they skin has been tugged at with the matts. She may be a bit confused as to where her fur is gone, try grooming and then look disgusted! but it doesn't take long to grow back in. I definitely wouldn't be leaving her outside until after it has grown back in a bit though, no fur covers means cold nights would be even colder, same as ourselves being out overnight in the cold. So if there is no way at all you can keep her in for a few weeks until the hair is back then I would wait until spring summer, but I still wouldn't be leaving her out all night until she has good hair cover back.

If there is only a few patched of matts though the vet may just snip them out and not shave the entire body, you would have to talk to them about it.

Edit: Shaved cats feel like suede. Just thought I'd share that :P

Thanks for that. Puts my mine at ease. Will get it done so. Is €150 about the going rate everywhere?

SillyMangoX

Howjoe1 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Puts my mine at ease. Will get it done so. Is €150 about the going rate everywhere?

Most of the cost is for anaesthetic so it would be up around/over the €100 mark, ring around a few places and get a few quotes

planetX

Howjoe1 wrote: »

Thanks for that. Puts my mine at ease. Will get it done so. Is €150 about the going rate everywhere?

just remembered that amount included a health check. It's a good time to get a vet to check the cat over while its knocked out.