Need to get sedative for matted cat to be groomed - help!

[writerperson]

My rescue cat groomed herself ok for two years, then last year she stopped bothering and her back got matted. She's never let me groom her. She's quite fierce. I had a mobile groomer come and the cat wouldn't let her do the job either. She needed dental work done so the vet put her under GA and did the dental and shaved her fur.

This year she is matted again. I took her to a groomer who was great, two of them worked on her and managed to get her half shaved before she kicked off and wriggled and attacked.

They suggested I tell the vet she doesn't travel well and ask for some prescription medication to sedate her, then give her that before next visit to the groomer. Apparently vets won't prescribe sedation for grooming.

BUT would I need to take my half shaved cat to the vet to get this prescription (that'd make them suspicious)? Or does anyone know if I can get it by phoning / calling in without the cat?

If I can't get the medication I'll need to book her into the vets for them to sedate and groom, which costs around £300-400, plus I'll look a big liar for asking for sedation for travel, then if I can't get that, booking her in for a vet groom.

Anyone?

I had to get the vet to fully sedate her and then they shaved her. That was the first time. They told me no way would they let me sedate her at home as too risky with cats, so my option was full sedation. The next year she just shaved her at the vets during her yearly shots. Turns out my cat is quiet enough and scared enough at the vets to let us do that without any sedation.

Oh by the way, full sedation and groom was about £50. NOT £300.

Thanks Happyspud, how much did they charge?

sorry cross posted

hmm wonder which part of the country you live in and why my vet can get away with charging over £300!! we live in the south east.

Vets won’t prescribe sedation without seeing the animal first and any sedation will be very mild (as in animal still conscious and able to move around - feliway pheromones etc ) as anything strong needs careful monitoring for its effects on the heart and respiratory tract. I don’t think your groomers are acting in your cats best interests here by trying to get you to lie to the vet. Why not ask if the vet do a payment plan to spread costs over a few months, and it’s unlikely to cost £400 for GA and demat, was that with the dental included? A demat alone under sedation should be cheaper.

I had a fierce female with medium hair. Nobody messed about with her, without getting ripped to shreds! She used to get matted, from lying in the bushes in the garden in the summer. The vet told me off at a routine vaccination appointment and told me to bring her in for them to sort her coat out. The day I took her in, the veterinary nurse rang me up and said:

"We can see the difficulties you have! She needs sedation!"

After that, they cut her fur under sedation as and when needed - usually in the summer!

It's best to do the sedation at a vets because I think too much sedation can stop breathing.

Sorry I’m not answering you well but I think you should call them. Tell them she’s travelling terribly and you need sedation as she’s VERY distressed. See if it works. You bringing the cat there is not really any help to them is it? (Especially if she’s ‘distressed’ travelling).

Are they quoting you for a GA and de matt?

Slip her some Valium in some chamomile tea or maybe bake her some "brownies" 😀 xx

I've phoned round a few vets just now and had a few different prices for sedation and dematting:

Vet 1: £256
Vet 2: £207
Vet 3: £160

Obviously I booked vet 3! It is a lot more reasonable than vet 1's original quote which was (a few weeks ago) somewhere between £300 & £400 to keep her in all day and try and do it gradually.

I'm really gutted that I chose such a challenging cat from the rescue centre!

JenMumma - hahahaha love this!

@MontStMichel nice to hear its not just me with this issue! How much do they charge you?

Sorry, I cannot remember! It was only like once a year, because she only got in a mess in the summer! However I took her once, when she was walking on three legs. The vet could not even examine her - they just gave her a painkilling injection and said to bring her back for an x ray under sedation, if she was still limping in a few days! It was on her notes:

“She will have you, if she can!”

Anything strong enough to sedate and immobilise a cat only comes in injection form and can only be given at a veterinary surgery as they're strictly controlled drugs. Plus your cat's vitals will need to be constantly monitored. Dematting is pretty time consuming, hence the price. Our practice charge around £120 for sedation as that includes your cat being monitored kept alive by a qualified nurse. Perhaps your groomer meant an anti anxiety type drug which might help but won't sedate your cat. I would always attempt without sedation first though as a scared cat will often be more amenable at the vets than elsewhere.

MontStMichel your cat sounds a lot like mine!

PottyPotterer it's good to know the charge is fairly standard / reasonable.

She's booked in on Friday for her sedation and dematt - can't wait to get her back to normal, a half shaved cat is a strange looking sight!

While sedation is generally routine and safe, it does always come with some level of risk (of death...) so I would book with a vet you trust the most rather than who can offer the cheapest price...

I can't afford that choice viccat. Hopefully the vets in Pets At Home is trustworthy, otherwise they wouldn't be a vet..?

We have a long haired cat who won’t let us brush her but she generally keeps herself in good condition. She does occasionally get matted bits under her arms or around her back legs though.

We did have a vet nurse visit at home but she spent 45 mins trying to brush out the matts and I have never seen a cat so possessed. It was not pleasant and there was lots of biting and scratching.

We then took her to the vets who dematted with clippers thankfully without sedation but bit by bit over a day.

In our case M absolutely hates the travel and waiting at the vets so I invested in a pair of the clippers the vet has. Very expensive (around £150 I think) but very good and we find we can do her at home as long as we catch anything early.

It takes three of us, two to hold in the right position and one to clip but she really doesn’t object too much. We probably spend ten minutes two or three times a year doing it.

Is it something you could consider for the future?

That's interesting KittekatMP, I did wonder yesterday when watching the groomer whether I could manage to do bits gradually myself if I had some clippers. But I think my husband and son would find it difficult to hold her. Definitely something to think about for future though, maybe I can get some of the big gloves and try and brush her before she gets matted. Silly cat, wish she did herself!

It might be easier for you to keep control now you know she will be starting afresh as it were.

Good luck.

My Obie has to be shaved under sedation twice a year. He's an enormous ginger Maine Coon who refuses to be groomed (we groom his sister daily)
Last year cost £160..beautiful job done.
This year cost £300 after my vet retired and bloody Medivet took over.
And he looked scraped.
I've changed vets! But..proper sedation is the way to go, as cats skin is very fragile.
Obie looks embarrassed for a few days but then he feels fabulous!

Any chance any of these fierce beasties are bath cats?

It is much easier to comb out matts in the bath with a bit of conditioner so sometimes a solution if the cat will let you because can be done little and often.