Ungroomable Cat

[BastardtheCat]

I can’t get a brush/mitten with a brush pad near her - she legs it like I’ve poured scalding water on her.

She’s a black short haired Bastard and I love her to distraction but she’s skittish and irrational at the best of times. I also have a cream carpet upstairs and when lying down, she’ll often move from one end of my bedroom/landing by dragging herself along, claw deep in the pile, like she’s lost the use of her legs, leaving a trail of black floof and little clumps here and there, the Bastard.

What can I do?! I’d love to pamper her with some gentle brushing to lift her old coat away but she’s ready to run/disembowel me.

Why do you need to groom her? She looks like she’s doing a good job herself. I only brush cats if they’re enjoying it.

I don’t recall ever brushing my short-haired cats. As she doesn’t like being brushed, I wouldn’t bother trying.

Lovely cat, let her be. I don't blame her for the response you get.

Thank you for the photo.

Agree with others, she doesn't look like she needs a brush.
Zoom groom brush goes down well here in short bursts!

Her fur is fine as it is and looks like she seems to take care of her own grooming very well by herself.
If she was a longhair that would be a different story.

Our cat loves being brushed - we do it every night, but I realise that is no use to you. What might be is this, which I think all cat owners should receive in their adoption packs. It’s amazing:

https://www.cashmere-circle.co.uk/products/lint-brush?gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=21403311789&gbraid=0AAAAAByEchwOOko0sAgw1-t5Kf3w50z66&gclid=Cj0KCQjw3qLSBhDaARIsAFTiVh49jJbaulZmq1u0VuGSAcVieeIqcGoSBb10gNvMZXdYQ-CupF8NA7UaAjPDEALw_wcB

sorry for that awful link.

My short haired cats used to love the zoom groom. Short haired cats can produce a lot of hair, especially as they moult for a change of season. You can get a surprising amount off by just stroking them with damp hands. I also used to have a brush attached to the corner of a kitchen cabinet which the liked to run against, google “cat corner brush”.

Thanks everyone. I shall bin/charity shop the brush! She’s just delivered quick a right hook punch to my arm for daring to stop stroking her, so I may try the damp hands method.

Shes my shadow and I don’t know where I’d be without her and her trail of black floof 😅

I have a white cat with the same issue, I bought one of those undercoat brushes and use it on him whilst he is chomping his tea.

Have you tried a comb rather than a brush? I think they sometimes like the scratchiness of a metal comb.

Even short haired cats can learn to like a groom. Start slow, really slow. Use lots of treats.
Let her see/smell the brush and give her a treat (repeat several times)
Then touch her with the brush (no brushing) repeat several times until she's relaxed.
Keep escalating the process slowly until she likes it.
Not guaranteed to work 😄
But it did eventually work with my long haired cat and she absolutely loves it now.