Hi all,
Recently posted about a new persian rescue cat that I was getting. Thread here. History of grooming trauma and previously family just giving up on even trying and left to get to the point of being unable to even walk because he was so matted.
We’ll have had him six weeks on Wednesday. It became apparent within a few days of getting him that he was already significantly matted under his beautiful long fur, but had some shaved patches which is presumably from the rescue taking him to the vet to be sedated/shaved. Why they didn’t just do his whole body I have absolutely no idea. They very obviously hadn’t kept on top of the frequency of brushing they’d said we’d need to be doing so we were already starting on the back foot.
He actually settled in quite easily, within a day or two he was coming out of hiding and wandering round the house and exploring, I think he was very pleased with the amount of space he had to explore and hide, as the flat where he’d been fostered was just one open plan room with several other cats.
We started trying him with the brushes and treats etc and we’re getting a few passes with the brush on his top fur, but absolutely nowhere near what was needed for the level of matting he had. We tried for 3 weeks trying to build our bond and gain his trust which was certainly working in terms of bond and his willingness to be around us, but achieving nothing of any significance in terms of grooming.
So I resigned to ringing round some groomers for dematting - spoke to the local Pets & Friends branch, grooming manager was very positive, arranged for him to go in for an assessment and a bit of brushing/dry shampoo/eyes cleaned, etc just to get the lay of the land with him and then look at booking a proper full groom appt.
He went for that appt and they rang within 20 minutes saying his back was super matted and tight and could they shave his back. I said yes, of course. We agreed he’d go back the following week and have a full lion cut to finish the job. Staff very negative on arrival for second appt, saying if he was stressed they’d stop etc, of course. Within 10 minutes they’d rang and asked me to fetch him as he’d got stressed again and they think he’d have to go to the vets for sedation from now on.
I rang the vets and booked that for the 5th August. But the vets explained that they don’t “groom” and they only have surgical clippers, so he will be shaved right down to the skin. There will be no fur left essentially.
Knowing I’d got a bit of time left to play with yet and very reluctant to subject an otherwise health cat to being sedated every three months, I spoke to another groomer who is also a vet nurse, we took him there last Wednesday, she managed to trim his claws and then when the clippers got switched on his stress started to escalate - she managed to do a bit more shaving but not much before he started to get aggressive so she rang me to collect him. She said she’s happy to see him again, she can tell he’s a sweet natured cat but just has a lot of fear/trauma, but she thinks I need to speak to the vets about getting some Gabapentin prescribed for him for future grooming appointments. Agreed to do this and very grateful she’s prepared to see him again.
He was meant to have his new patient check/pre-sedation appt this morning at the vets in readiness for the 5th, and I was hoping we’d be able to get to the Gabapentin at this appointment so we could try the proper groomer again, and hopefully cancel the sedation.
Unfortunately, crating him this morning went terribly and he went from 0-100 in fear/aggression in an instant. My partner even came home from work to help me with it, but there was absolutely no chance.
I called the vets to cancel and rearrange for next Wednesday so we’ve still got a chance of him having the sedation on the Friday.
Me and my partner are now wondering if we just plan for the sedation/shaving next Friday so that he’ll at least be free of matts for a while and then we can start working towards the groomer (with Gabapentin) once his fur starts regrowing - and obviously us keeping on top of the regrowth with home brushing?
I’m so stressed out by it all, I just want to do what’s best for him, I’ve had a poorly tummy this morning after all the drama. I know emotionally what’s best for him is just to leave him alone and let him live his life, but we just don’t have that option with a long haired Persian cat, we HAVE to get rid of the matts one way or another.
He’s settled in very well with our other male rescue, they’re quite friendly now, always rubbing faces and playing together. He’s more cautious of us, but will come up for fusses on his terms, but not long enough for us to do any meaningful dematting/brushing/eye cleaning etc. He’s even started to be quite interested in visitors and has taken an at-a-distance liking to my dad who visits regularly.
As soon as he gets home from these visits to the groomers he’s happy as Larry again, he doesn’t go off to hide, he’ll be let out of his carrier and then still stay in the room and look at us or play, he seems very glad to be home. Will happily eat again immediately and seems thrilled to be home.
We’ve got a mortgage payments worth of Feliway plugged in everywhere, use the Feliway spray on his carrier, he has spot on calming drops on the back his neck, and we’ve been feeding him Zylkene in his food for the past 10 days.
As time progresses I’m more and more annoyed at the rescue for sending him to us in that state without full disclosure of how bad his matting was, why sedate him and only take a few chunks off, his entire body was covered in matts! Just telling us we’d need to brush him every day wasn’t even touching the surface by that point. I’ve no intention of sending him back, he is mine and I am his, and I don’t trust that anyone else who adopted him would go to the effort or trouble that we have. This is clearly his home now, and he is bonded with my other cat so I have to sort this out.
What do you think? Should we just resort to the sedation/shaving now? And try the groomers again at a later date? Any other suggestions for calming stuff?
Pics of course, unfortunately he now looks like Salvador Dali had a go at grooming him, but the aesthetics of it aren’t really important.
Thanks cat people!