So I need to clip my cat...

[natasha]

maybe you can try cutting those butt fur during bath... i found that easier than chasing them when dry. i can imagine having some "black pebbles" hanging back there when the fur is long

[tcrane]

Safety scissors, or EMT shears - the kind which are sharp but have a rounded special tip so that they won't cut your cat. My Maine Coon has the same problem with her 'hair back there'. I wait till she's relaxed and chill, then do a little snip snip. She doesn't like it, but it's less traumatic for both of us than subjecting her to a clipper shave or a groomer. I don't always give the best looking haircuts, but it helps immensely.

-Tristan

[natasha]

also, if you can try to point the scissors away from the cat, but this may not give nice cut...

[Triffid]

There are a few methods of grooming before taking the ultimate plunge of getting her to the vets where they will be sedated and groomed (Extreme cases only)

There are combs that I have seen before which have a razor type blade within the prongs. So it wont cut flesh but will cut the knots. I don't need them but have seen them before. I'm lucky with mine, short hair and readily submits for grooming.

You may have to get your precious girl used to the idea, by desensitising her to the grooming paraphernalia. Make her associate it with fuss and treats.

Other than that... If you are going to cut the hair, depending on the personality of the cat you may have to bring in an extra pair of hands... and a towel! Very useful. We've had to use long leather gloves in the past when dealing with extremely feral cats.

My mum with her old Persian and the current giant long haired ginger used to use baby wipes (Dirty Boys!) as well until it would get to the point of no return. That's the thing with long haired cats, they reach a certain age and then just are not as thorough with the cleaning as they should be (Can you blame them!? All those fur balls!)

Anyway that's just my and a very brief description of some of the methods employed to get rid of tangles in bloomers.

Good Luck!

[fotofashion]

I was never able to successfully wrap any of my cats in a towel. Even with the two of us, one wrapping and holding (trying to hold) and the other doing whatever job at hand. Once they got the idea you were going to do something undesired that was the end of the story. Yowling, scratching, struggling, wasn't worth it. Someone was going to be hurt-you or the cat.
Speaking of Maine Coons...mine loved to play in water. We had to put the water dish into another, bigger dish so that when H.H. decided to play the water would splash into the bigger dish and not on the floor. He preferred to drink out of the bathroom sink. If I was in there, he would come in and look up at the sink. All I had to do was pat the counter and tell him "come on" and he would jump up. I would turn on the water just enough so he could lap it.
He was a real lap cat, too. Especially at night when I was reading in bed. Here came 17 pounds walking up my body to flop down on my chest for a petting session. Once satisfied, he went the way he came.
If I ever have to get another cat it will be a Maine Coon. I would dearly love to have a calico.
Beverly A.

[Wynter010Beauty]

As a veterinary technician, I would highly suggest not using any form of any type of scissors. Even ones with blunted tips can cut your cat (the blades are still sharp). If there are matts, I would be even more concerned about using scissors because matts can pull the skin, and you may think you are not cutting the skin. This is a very common problem that we see in the veterinary field. I would suggest using clippers. With using clippers, you don't have to go all the way down to the skin when shaving. You don't even need to buy clipper attachments. All you have to do is sweep through the hair (don't lay the clippers on the skin). Not only am I a certified veterinary technician, I'm also a licensed cosmetologist

[fotofashion]

Amber: How do you deal with a cat that, just hearing the clippers (electric ?) freaks out? Or do you have and use the older manual clippers. Do these still exist?
I realize that in a veterinary setting the cat (or at least mine) can be halfway scared to death and you can do just about anything to them you deem necessary. But at home the dynamic is different.
I have even tried "scruffing" them as they do at the vet's but I guess I don't have the technique down pat.
In any case, I hope our original inquirer will find a solution to her dilemma.
As for me, my current cat is a shorthair calico who keeps herself, including the breeches, quite clean and tangle free.
Beverly A.

[Izzie]

I am loving all these cat stories.

It takes an entire beach towel to wrap Hallie. I've only had to do it when cleaning her ears. Clipping nails, she complains, but I'm stronger.

She likes brushing, but if I work on the pantaloons too much, she gets pissy.
At the moment, I just hold the base of her tail and let her complain.

I think I agree with Amber. I have a friend that cut her dog's tongue with blunted scissors when cutting his whiskers. It's just not a risk I want to take.

I'll probably get her accustomed to the sound of the clippers, dope her up on Triptophan, and do some quick swipes while mom wrassles her.

There are some great ideas here in any case, that I'm definitely keeping in mind. I appreciate all the replies!
I'm first trying suture scissors again, and if that just turns out to be too risky, I'll do the clippers.

[Izzie]

Originally Posted by natasha

maybe you can try cutting those butt fur during bath... i found that easier than chasing them when dry. i can imagine having some "black pebbles" hanging back there when the fur is long

heheh. heheheh. oh bath's are fun, it's more the noise though, than any struggle.
Imagine someone with whooping cough undergoing medieval torture.


It's a good idea though, certainly works on us humans!

[Gin]

When I use the suture scissors I block the blades with my thumb and finger holding what I am cutting near the skin but I use them on my dog don't have a cat ,also use to clip canary nails... the sand perches are not good and can cause ulcers on the bottom of their feet ..