Any ideas on how to groom a cat that hates being touched.

[Toddlerteaplease]

My friends cat is very grumpy and not keen on people. She absolutely refuses to be groomed. She does go to a professional groomer. But today she was so matted she had to have quite a bit shaved off. The poor thing looks like a plucked chicken. She usually behaves beautifully for the groomer. But it's very expensive. Any tips. The groomer rubs some pet remedy in her ear which helps. So we will try that.

She usually behaves beautifully for the groomer.

Why?

My dog is the same - I can't groom him without him playfully trying to chew my arm off but he stands relatively meekly for the groomer. I think she is firmer, takes no messing and, crucially, is not Family.

If there's someone who grooms their own cats and isn't considered Family, could they do it?

What about a grooming glove? I know she doesn't like being touched, but if it's done very quickly and often, it might help?

I think you / your friend need to build up to her accepting touch first. Then tackle grooming her. I know if she is matted the urge will be when you get to touch her to address the matting while you have the chance. But she will just start to associate touch with unpleasant grooming.

I have a long haired cat who isn't keen on grooming. We have some gloves we put on which have a textured rubber side so we can stroke her and give her a brush through.

Although these wouldn't be enough for de matting. So I'd suggest something like this to keep on top of the work the groomers had done once the cat was accepting touch.

I think my friend isn't very confident handling her. (She's his first ever pet) which probably doesn't help. She gets on better with his Secretary, but he's reluctant to get too involved in stuff like that. And she won't go anywhere near me, even when I have treats. It's such a shame shes so grumpy as she's absolutely beautiful.

I've bought him some grooming gloves and some of those gloves you wear for horse riding with the pimples on them. To try and get rid of some of the loose hair. We've also tried several different brushes.

@SoupDragon I would happily have a go. But she hates me and runs off on sight of me!

She turns into a hissing spitting bundle of fur if I try.

So, what is magic about the groomer I wonder? Is it just the pet remedy thing? Animals are odd!

My cat is elderly (17 we think) and last year he stopped grooming himself properly. The vet was hopeless, wasn't doing face-to-face appointments. I went to Pets At Home and bought a grooming comb (meant for small dogs) for £10. It's got pronged "teeth" with blades (it doesn't hurt the animal, obviously) and it worked fantastically well, cutting right through matts and knots. I used it once a week, just to keep him decent.

Apparently she's exactly the same at the vet. They didn't believe her had when he said she's really grumpy and not friendly.

She's supposed to be a Persian chinchilla. But she's not as thick or as docile as my pair are.

@SoupDragon

So, what is magic about the groomer I wonder? Is it just the pet remedy thing? Animals are odd!

Mine is very passive at the vets because she's scared. Probably a similar sort of thing.

Mine also dislikes being touched, so I taught her to target (she has to boop my finger with her nose.) Didn't take too long with high value treats and now I can use it as a sort of safety net - if she gets upset, we target and refocus.

No other advice I'm afraid, but what is this pet remedy for ears you speak of?

It's the normal spray. The groomer puts a bit on her finger and rubs it in the inside of her ear. She literally chills out in seconds. However at the groomers she's already in the correct position for grooming. At home she has to be caught!

She sits and purrs while being groomed. I don't think it's cross purring either. We've explained to her that she'll feel better if she just cooperates!

Pet remedy is magic. The calming kit is really good.

I think they sort of shut down at the groomers and vets and wait for it to all be over. With you they can fight back.

I conditioned mine to sort of like a groom over a loooong time: I’d hold the comb and she’d sniff it and I’d give her a treat. Then after weeks of that I’d sometimes place the comb on her fur for a second and give her a treat. Then I’d run it gently through a tiny bit of fur. Etc etc.

It took months and is still a work in progress. Now I can pick up the comb for an (almost) proper and she’ll come running. She still swipes me or runs off if I go on too long or if there’s a difficult bit.

Those eyes!

Is she a bit overweight? Or is it just an unfortunate camera angle?

Shh!! We don't talk about her weight. But yes she's a bit chunky. She says she has a very thick coat.

she just looks curvaceous!

Our British shorthair hates being groomed. For the first couple of years she'd go completely passive if we stuck a cone on her head (learned that after she was spayed). These days she goes passive if we back her into a corner. She throws herself on the floor and cries while we brush. Sometimes she tries a half hearted escape but she tends to know her fate is sealed.

She’d probably find it easier to groom herself if she had less “fur”

Yep. You should have seen the amount that came off her last time. It was enough to make two whole cats. The cone is a good idea. My groomer used to have an 'air muzzle' of the late Maia was getting a bit to feisty!

Might it be worth trying a self-grooming arch? There are lots of them available on Amazon including the JML one I linked & I think there’s another “As Seen On TV” brand. The internet suggests one is sold through Wilko, too.

They’re not wildly expensive (certainly much cheaper than a trip to the groomer) & it would be putting the brushing on her terms. She’d still need some human input, but it should be reduced if she goes for it. Which she might be particularly inclined to do if there were a tiny wee bit of catnip or valerian spray on it to attract her…

Patience and treats worked for me. One of my cats is semi longhaired and if not brushed gets mats and lots of things stuck in her fur (slugs, grass seeds, etc). She had to be gently persuaded that the brush was fine.
I started by literally brushing her once and giving her a Dreamie. One more brush, one more treat and stopped as soon as she got agitated and moved away.
Turns out she adores the sensation of the metal teeth against her cheeks and jaw. So I now have 2 brushes. One I hold out so she can rub herself against it whilst I quickly brush her with the other one. When she comes in full of burrs and seeds she sits by the cupboard where the brush is kept to politely request a brush!
But you do have to start very slowly if they're not keen. Mine likes being brushed now, but not for long.