Just booked my old boy into the vets.

[Finedon.Dandy]

My old cat that is not my Hubbie!

Poor old Ollie cannot get to his nether regions (think he has a touch of arthritus or lazyitus!) to groom and so has some matts in his fur which I just cannot get on top of. So he is going in on Friday to be groomed under sedation and if that doesnt work then they will have to shave him Oh the indignity of it!

Any tips on keeping the experience as calm as possible for him as he usualy ends up with a urine infection after a trip to the vets cos he gets stressed about it? Mind you he is as good as gold whilst there - loving the vet etc! Just want him in as good a condition as possible as I think he is going to find this winter hard especialy if its a cold one. Love him soooo much.....

[Irie Jan]

Ah bless!

I know Ollie will get lots of cuddles from you! Perhaps you could try a gentle massage with your thumbs just between his shoulder blades, my cats love that! My old boy Esev sits there almost falling asleep when I do that to him! That's about the only thing I can think of to keep him calm!

I hope all goes well, If the vet ends up shaving him you could try a small dog coat to help keep him warm, especially if he wants to go out! Was just a thought that came to mind! Give him a rub behind his ears and around his chin from me please!

[lynda66]

my dog loves the vets ...... until they try to cut her toe nails ...... for some reason she gets hysterical even with a sedative (you can do anything else with her without a problem she just cant stand having her claws clipped)....... so if she ever needs them doing she has to have a general anaesthetic .... hence lots of walking on roads now.

he'll be fine ...... even if he has got a bare bum

not really got any tips though ..... asbo tries to eat the vet ...... when he was tiny, he nearly took her hand off ....... well she'd just stuck a nasty big needle in him and it was payback

[kirsty b]

my dog loves the vets ...... until they try to cut her toe nails ...... for some reason she gets hysterical even with a sedative (you can do anything else with her without a problem she just cant stand having her claws clipped)....... so if she ever needs them doing she has to have a general anaesthetic .... hence lots of walking on roads now.

he'll be fine ...... even if he has got a bare bum

not really got any tips though ..... asbo tries to eat the vet ...... when he was tiny, he nearly took her hand off ....... well she'd just stuck a nasty big needle in him and it was payback

What is it about toenail clipping? I was looking after my dad's dog a few years back and noticed his claws were long, so my vet agreed to do it, but we ended up having to muzzle him cos he kept trying to eat the vet. He has now sadly passed away, the dog that is, but he hated having that done, even from a young age.

[lynda66]

dunno, i think some dogs just have ultra sensitive toes?? .... she doesn't try to bite, she just tries to hide ...... mind you when i cut my nails she hides too

[SlugLobber]

If you can get the sedative from the vet, what about having someone groom at your house? Otherwise the vet will do it if you ask. You'll pay a call-out, but then if you end up paying for urine-infection treatment, then you'll be saving, anyway. Good luck, regardless of how it gets done!

[Nicos]

Our vets refuse to give sedatives to cats- it can apparently send them crazy instead of calming them down.
You can give a few drops of Rescue Remedy ( yep the stuff we use)
Neo -being long haired - always had a few matted tangles and I used to creep up on him whilst asleep and chop them off- before they go too big. I've got a bag of them now and will probably comb them and knit something small- or felt it into a mat.

[Polly Fouracre]

Will he not let you brush him? Try , starting with a very soft brush and gradually working up to one that does the job.

[Finedon.Dandy]

He loves being brushed but I hate doing it as I am allergic to him! so I end up sneezing and all itchy. DH does do it once a week but vet advises daily. Now I know how bad he has been getting I will put up with my discomfort so I keep him comfortable if you know what I mean! Where do I get rescue remedy?

[lynda66]

i have found .... for the allergy thing ........ a pair of goggles ...... and one of those dust mask things are pretty effective ........ when grooming ........ ok you look stoopid, but it'll give the cat something to take his mind off it

i am also allergic to cats ....... and rabbits ..... and horses and erm ...... late flowering trees

[scarey55]

Probably a bit late for Friday but have you tried serene-um. It is completely herbal, you can get it from the pet store and it works in a similar way to rescue remedy. It has to be taken over a couple of days before it takes effect but it is brilliant for calming nervous dogs and cats. Always works a treat on my nervous Greyhound around bonfire night.

[Nicos]

Any chemist will have it FD- including Boots and Tescos

Check for fleas too- scratching can create more bobbles

[Sue]

For grooming there is a soft rubber thing that fits into the palm of your hand and instead of metal teeth has rubber teeth, quite large. This is a very good intro to grooming, my cats go very silly when giving them a groom with this, it does pick up a surprising amount of hair too. They do love this and hate combs and things. I got one at the local pet shop.
best wishes
Sue

[BrideXIII]

stroking them with rubber gloves on is less stressful, and gets a surprising amount of hair off too, however, if your cat is a longhaired breed, you MUST comb daily, or they will get matts they can't cope with, in worse cases this can lead to maggots etc. so persevere.Longhaired breeds are 'artificial' and they cannot cope with their own coats.
if matts are bad, get a vet to shave, then start combing, little at a time until they get used to it.