Kitty Corner with Teallaura

[Teallaura]

Well sometimes it is temperment, and the cat is realy jumpy if I approach it (even if I am just walking past it to get where I need to go).

Other times, the cat will sit down about 10 feet from me and just sit there. Like she want's attention. But if I get up to pet her she tenses up (but doesn't get up), if I try to pet her, she may let me for about three seconds, but then slowly walks away.

But then she does not like to be petted with hands, but with her brush. Sometimes, she will let me pet her with her brush for a good while.

Try the crating. Maybe just provide the crate and feed in it to get her to accept it and learn that she has a refuge. That may help with the jumpiness. Also, don't make a big deal when she does it. Just speak calmly and keep going. She needs to know she isn't under attack or being hunted.
When she's sitting nearby like that, talk to her, quietly. Offer her a treat by throwing it almost to her. Gradually shorten the distance until she will take it from your hand (this may take a while - don't try it all at once) and let you pet her once or twice. Just be patient and she'll figure it out.
When she accepts your petting, give it to her. Try rubbing different spots (under the chin, behind the ears and especially along her sides). She’ll probably go off to bathe - this is a good thing. It's how cats learn your scent/taste (yes, really) and it helps with the bonding. Rub your hands together first if you happen to have just washed - you want her to smell you, not the soap. Also, when she lets you brush her, try running your hand down her body every few strokes. You want your oils in her fur and when she's enjoying a good brushing is an ideal time to get her used to enjoying petting.
As she settles down, try scratching areas like ears, under the chin and the base of the tail (topside). Stop immediately if she doesn't like it and do something she does like. You may find that one of those is just what the doctor ordered.

[Teallaura]

What Ph D were you working on?

Poli Sci - not cats.

[TheAnalogman]

Dear cat woman,
Dogs are better.
r,
Aman

[Teallaura]

Dear cat woman,
Dogs are better.
r,
Aman

I love dogs, but neither is really 'better' - each has it's own charms. Cats can be trained, but require more effort (half the time you're really re-training) and are infinitely easier to keep indoors. Dogs are easier to train (except for housebreaking) but require much more time and attention (an anxious dog will wreck your house, especially if it has separation anxiety. A cat will hide under the bed and almost never develops separation anxiety).
They're both great pets.



(Oh, and )

[TheAnalogman]

Dear cat loving therapy-type person,
Cats do not love. They are actually selfish weasels.
They are better on a sandwich than on your lap.
r,
Aman

[Teallaura]

Dear cat loving therapy-type person,
Cats do not love. They are actually selfish weasels.
They are better on a sandwich than on your lap.
r,
Aman

You're being a . Go start you're own thread....

[Cyrus Johnson]

Thanks for the suggestions.

Is there a blood vessel in the quick to worry about as well as the pain? My sister trimmed her dog's nails and went too deep, drawing both blood and pain. Not sure if cats are built the same.

I can't imagine him letting nail caps stay on, but might be worth a try.

1) Buy a good scratching post (sisal is best but carpet works well). Apply an attractive scent (there are a number of good ones on the market if catnip doesn't do it for your cat - available from specialty pet stores, by catalog or occasionally the vet). Do not use food - cats don't scratch dinner the same way and while they will be attracted, it probably won't be for long. For most cats, once they are used to it, the post becomes the scratcher of choice. Keep it in good condition and problem solved.
Occasionally you'll need to back it up by spraying other areas your cat is trying to use with a repellent (available as above) and using a spray bottle filled with water (buy one - no recycled Windex bottles!) whenever you catch the cat using an inappropriate object.
This will not work if the cat doesn't accept the post and is left alone a great deal of the time.

2) Trim the cat’s claws regularly in addition to the post. I trim once every week or two. You can buy special trimmers or if the cat's claws grow pretty fast, use regular nail trimmers. The key is to be very careful to stay away from the quick (the white stuff visible through the claw) - at least a centimeter or so from the quick (as trimmers dull they will squeeze the quick painfully - the cat will let you know! - and staying away will prevent this). Since only the tip needs to be trimmed this works fairly well.
This will not work for high strung or difficult to handle cats without a lot of time and patience conditioning the cat to accept it.

3) Nail caps: I've only seen them in catalogs and they have to be replaced every six weeks. Like false nails, they are glued over the cat's claws to blunt them. I've never used them but they would probably work with a calm but obstinate cat. With a high strung, you'd also need to condition the cat or wrap it.

[Teallaura]

Sure thing!

Yes, if you cut the quick it will likely bleed. Styptic powder will solve the bleeding - assuming you can still hang onto the cat! Unless you cut it very deep, it usually only bleeds a little, if at all. On the bright side, cat claws are rarely black as dog claws can be, so it's very easy to see the quick and avoid it.
I've never tried the caps myself. I imagine you'd need to hang on to the cat until the glue dried.

[mossrose]

My daughter has the most beautiful, huge, Maine Coon. He gets horrible mats on his belly, and since he doesn't like to be held much OR groomed, the mats usually end up on the floor eventually.

Aside from taking him to a groomer or vet and having someone else deal with the mats, do you know of any way to get him to let the kids cut the mats off?

He is about 5 years old, and weighs about 15 pounds......I thought I had a good picture of him, but I don't have one scanned that shows how big he is. But he is really hard to handle.

[Teallaura]

My daughter has the most beautiful, huge, Maine Coon. He gets horrible mats on his belly, and since he doesn't like to be held much OR groomed, the mats usually end up on the floor eventually.

Aside from taking him to a groomer or vet and having someone else deal with the mats, do you know of any way to get him to let the kids cut the mats off?

He is about 5 years old, and weighs about 15 pounds......I thought I had a good picture of him, but I don't have one scanned that shows how big he is. But he is really hard to handle.

To get them off, he'll have to be either wrapped or put in a special cage that won't let him turn around (those are available by catalog - and I love mine!!!) You really need a mat comb - they're comb like things with sharp tines. The comb is safer than scissors with a badly matted cat - scissors are almost guaranteed to cut him as they try to get the mat. The comb will take a while, but it will cut up the mats until they a small enough to be safely cut away with scissors or brushed out (unless you are showing him, I'd opt for cutting).
Wrapping is exactly what it sounds like - take a towel (a bath towel in good condition - nothing threadbare) and wrap the cat firmly, pressing the legs into the body. Normally I prefer to put the middle of the towel under the cat if possible, but you'll need to put it over his back. It'll take a little practice, but once you can control him that way (no paws coming out - squirming will occur) you can expose a little of his belly at a time and start combing. If he is heavily shedding and shows no discomfort, small mats can simply be pulled off. Otherwise, it'll take a long while (probably best done in sessions if he's continuously matted over the whole belly) but the comb will do the job.
The cheating way is to go ahead and have a groomer sheer him (yep, all of him) and start a daily habit of having the kids brush and comb him. He'll hate it at first, but give him a treat afterwards and keep at it until he gets used to it. Eventually, you won't have to wrap him and by the time his fur grows back out, he'll be much easier to maintain. I'd get one of those glove combs for this (the ones made of rubber - I like the ones that fit over the hand, but aren't gloved shaped - they usually have two types of tines and they work great). Or while his fur is short and he's shedding, get a hair block like they use on horses (it's a pumice stone) they're wonderful for heavy shedders. Definitely invest in a good curry comb style scrapper - they'll help a lot with his belly as the fur comes back in, or once it's completely brushed out. Any good catalog or pet store will carry all but the pumice stone (I get mine at the co-op)!
The big thing is do it every day. Once he knows it's going to happen and doesn't hurt, he'll get used to it and settle down. Hang on tight at first - I do know how hard it is to wrestle with a 15 pounder!
Hope this helps!

[mossrose]

That's all good advice, Laura! I will pass it on. I know they can't always afford to have him groomed, and the cage idea sounds interesting.

I guess he eventually works them out himself, and that's why they find big old mats on the floor once in a while. I am afraid he will then try to swallow them before the kids find the mats, and then he will have the mother of all fur balls!

My cats eat bits of their fur they find on the carpet......., that's how I know the silly creatures do that!

[Teallaura]

That's all good advice, Laura! I will pass it on. I know they can't always afford to have him groomed, and the cage idea sounds interesting.

I guess he eventually works them out himself, and that's why they find big old mats on the floor once in a while. I am afraid he will then try to swallow them before the kids find the mats, and then he will have the mother of all fur balls!

My cats eat bits of their fur they find on the carpet......., that's how I know the silly creatures do that!

Sure thing!
If he's dropping them, they can probably be pulled off gently. He'll let you know if not.
Does your cat eat it's own fur? It's probably investigating strange fur - and they have been known to get it stuck to their noses - to get it off, it goes down the hatch. I've never seen one go after it's own fur other than to play with the ball whisping along (and yep, same thing happens when it gets stuck). Unless the cat is really sick, it may play with a mat, but it won't actually eat it. If your cat is actively eating fur, you may want to get him checked at his next vet visit - something isn't right about that.

[mossrose]

We have 2 cats, and I have seen them both sniff at a bit of fur on the carpet or floor or bed, and then they will lick it down if I don't grab it first. And it doesn't seem to matter whose fur it is......

They have both done it for years, and I haven't been overly concerned about it. But they aren't fist-sized mats either, like my daughter's cat gets.....

[Teallaura]

Ah, okay, it's a play habit. Nothing to worry about - and your daughter's cat won't eat the mats, I promise. Play with them and make a mess doing so, yes; eat them, no.

[mossrose]

You are likely right, since they are really big.......