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Cat Forum / Cat Anecdotes / July 2005Grooming Day-BW
When a lady reaches a certain age (or is it because she is a queen?) she doesn't groom herself since she expects her admirers to do it for her. And I am the one elected to do the deed today. I get all my tools and approach the queen. She is agreeable. So we set to it. However, in her senior years, she wants most of the attention paid to her face and throat. Is it because she thinks she is beautiful, or because the vigorous rubbing backward pulls the wrinkles out?! It is real job tackling the rest of her body, as she tries to insert her head under the brush just as I position her to reach the hinder parts. Sometimes she is insistant enough to bite the brush or even the hand holding it. With loose hair flying everywhere, particularly in my face, I manage to swipe the brush here and there. She likes the rubber bumpy thing and the brush and will tolerate the comb; but she does not like the slicker. I pull back my bloody hand and go back to the brush. Finally she looks pretty decent and I let her go, while I gather up the wad of loose hair and dispose of it. Then i call Robin. Brushing Robin is a challenge. He loves it. He loves me. He doesn't bite. But it is really difficult to brush a cat that is trying to plaster himself to the front of my shoulder and expect me to hold him up there, all 150 pounds of him! Alright, 15. He nuzzles under my chin and puts his arms around my neck. So I manage to swipe the brush down his back a few times. He changes position and I swipe the other side of his back and hips. There is a wad of fluffy loose hair now tickling my arm. I grab that and put it aside. Then I pull his tail out and try to brush around the base of it. And his butt. He doesn't like that. He lets me know it. All four sets of grappling hooks grapple as he changes position and tucks his tail in. So I brush more hair off his upper body and gratefully receive the nuzzling. By now my heavy-laden arm is supported by the tree perch with my knees bent somewhat for the awkward height. Since he prefers my right shoulder and it is the right arm that is holding him, I have to brush with my left hand. I am right-handed. So the job is not done as well as I would like. I finally give up and settle him down in the perch. Now that is a real job as I try to release the grappling hooks with as little blood as possible. He is really determined to get his full session of nuzzling. Now I can relax until bedtime. I never have to brush Djoser. Every night is the same. Once I get settled in bed on my left side, he walks across my body and settles down by my belly. After a few pets, I compose myself for the nightly ritual. Djoser starts grooming himself vigorously. My belly gets massaged as the bed rocks and bounces. This takes about 15 minutes. Being so used to this ritual, I fall asleep easily. In fact, I can't sleep without it. On the nights Djoser and Robin are watching the mouse highway on the porch, I lie in bed wide awake. Eventually, Djoser comes to bed and I can sleep while being pummeled and rocked. -- CATherine > When a lady reaches a certain age (or is it because she is a queen?) > she doesn't groom herself since she expects her admirers to do it for [quoted text clipped - 52 lines] > awake. Eventually, Djoser comes to bed and I can sleep while being > pummeled and rocked. Aww, so sweet. I don't think I could sleep if Frank wasn't lying on the pillow next to mine and purring. Well, we'll see when i come back to town without the cats to pack for my move. Frank used to like being brushed, but he doesn't any more. Miranda's fur is so short i haven't seen reason to brush her. So no grooming days here.  SignatureMarina, Frank and Miranda. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki ><snip> > [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >brushed, but he doesn't any more. Miranda's fur is so short i haven't >seen reason to brush her. So no grooming days here. Well, maybe you will be so tired from packing and moving that you might fall asleep anyway. I know you will miss them anyway. I wonder if Frank has arthritis or old age aches and pains for not liking brushing. -- CATherine > ><snip> > > [quoted text clipped - 11 lines] > -- > CATherine It could be. I wonder about that in Pan's case, too. He's an approximate contemporary of Frank's, and lately, he hasn't been taking the same care of his coat that he used to. He's a short haired cat, but he's getting little mini-mats in his fur, which give him a semi-tufty look, especially on his tummy. I'm trying to slowly brush them out so they won't get any worse. Pan likes the Kong Zoom Groom, which while it does wonders to get rid of dead hair, is not so helpful with the matts. So I'm also doing very gentle combing and slicker brushing in very short sessions. Francesca and Nina seem to like having the slicker brush drawn very lightly over their fur to get rid of excess hair. Francesca doesn't like the Kong Zoom Groom at ALL. She bends her body away from it when I try to use it on her. She likes the little red rubber kitty curry comb better than either the slicker brush or the Zoom Groom, so I mostly use that, in her case. Nina is convinced grooming is all a game invented for her amusement, and soon is rolling around, batting her paws at my chosen tool. Melissa >> ><snip> >> > [quoted text clipped - 15 lines] > >Melissa Sheba also gets those little mini-mats on her belly. And the flesh is tender there making it even harder to smooth the hair out. For that I use the rubber thingie and then the brush. Sometimes a little mat is too big or dense and then I cut it out. What is a Kong Zoom Groom? Sheba likes to rub her face and shoulders on the rubber thingie in the shape of a kitty. -- CATherine > Well, maybe you will be so tired from packing and moving that you > might fall asleep anyway. I know you will miss them anyway. I wonder > if Frank has arthritis or old age aches and pains for not liking > brushing. I've been wondering about that, too. Is there a test for arthritis? Not for old-age aches and pains. I'm pretty sure he has those from time to time. Some days he's just more subdued than other, and I can tell even though he spends most of his time sleeping. SignatureMarina, Frank and Miranda. In loving memory of Nikki. marina (dot) kurten (at) iki (dot) fi Pics at http://uk.pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/frankiennikki/ and http://community.webshots.com/user/frankiennikki > > Well, maybe you will be so tired from packing and moving that you > > might fall asleep anyway. I know you will miss them anyway. I wonder [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > time. Some days he's just more subdued than other, and I can tell even > though he spends most of his time sleeping. Not really, for the most common form, osteoarthritis -- which, more than anything, is due to wear. There's a nonspecific blood test, erythrocyte sedimentation rate, that tells you there's an inflammation somewhere in the body -- but could be as likely as worms as osteoarthritis. The diagnosis is mostly from history and physicals, possibly with some X-rays. There are much more rare forms of arthritis that involve an autoimmune response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), and there's growing evidence that more cases of arthritis than we thought may be due to infections. >There are much more rare forms of arthritis that involve an autoimmune >response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), and there's growing evidence that >more cases of arthritis than we thought may be due to infections. I hadn't heard of that. What kinds of infections? Can we avoid or prevent that kind of infection to avoid arthritis? >> There are much more rare forms of arthritis that involve an autoimmune >> response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), and there's growing evidence >> that more cases of arthritis than we thought may be due to infections. > > I hadn't heard of that. What kinds of infections? Can we avoid or > prevent that kind of infection to avoid arthritis? In my case, the infection was a garden variety staph infection in my knee. Because the infection was in the bursa, it was very difficult to clear up. From what my rheumatologist told me, the infection basically caused my immune system to go into overdrive, and now it's stuck in the "on" position. If I'm not actually sick there isn't anything for my immune system to attack, so it attacks the tendons and ligaments around my joints. Interestingly, if I have a cold my joints feel better, but I don't get colds very often because my immune system is already hyped up. The diagnosis for my arthritis is "reactive peri-arthritis"... reactive because it's in reaction to the infection, peri-arthritis because it's not an inflammation *in* the joints, it's an inflammation of the connective tissue *around* the joints. Not the worst form of autoimmune arthritis, but not a cakewalk either... I'm on some pretty hefty drugs that allow me to do most things with relative ease, but they're not without side effects. Katrina > >There are much more rare forms of arthritis that involve an autoimmune > >response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), and there's growing evidence that > >more cases of arthritis than we thought may be due to infections. > > I hadn't heard of that. What kinds of infections? Can we avoid or > prevent that kind of infection to avoid arthritis? We aren't completely sure, although there are some reasonable guesses that they are ureaplasma or mycoplasma, very primitive bacteria that will not show up in normal cultures. The clue came from an observation that people with arthritis, who had been on long-term antibiotic therapy, sometimes had their arthritis improve for no obvious reason. Tetracyclines are one class of antibiotics that is given long-term for an assortment of reasons. There's also some very recent data suggesting that a member of the tetracycline group, doxycycline, may have a chemical effect on the arthritic process. From www.medscape.com (an excellent free site intended for medical professionals) and Reuters Medical News, "July 1, 2005 -- Doxycycline may slow progression of osteoarthritis (OA) of the knee, according to the results of a randomized, double-blind trial published in the July issue of Arthritis and Rheumatism. **** now it gets technical. Bottom line -- doxycycline may have a direct effect on the inflammatory process that breaks down knee joints. "Selection of doxycycline as a potential disease-modifying OA drug was based not on the premise that OA is an infectious disease, but rather on results of in vitro studies showing 1) that doxycycline inhibited the degradation of type XI collagen, one of the minor collagens of articular cartilage, by 72-kd gelatinase; 2) that the presence of doxycycline during activation of procollagenase resulted in generation of low molecular weight, catalytically inactive fragments and marked reduction in the levels of active enzyme; and 3) that doxycycline inhibited messenger RNA for inducible nitric oxide synthase, an enzyme present in large quantities in OA cartilage, the activity of which results in secretion of matrix metalloproteinases (MMPs) by the chondrocyte," write Kenneth D. Brandt, from the Indiana University School of Medicine in Indianapolis, and colleagues. >> >There are much more rare forms of arthritis that involve an autoimmune >> >response (e.g., rheumatoid arthritis), and there's growing evidence that [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >Tetracyclines are one class of antibiotics that is given long-term for >an assortment of reasons. Thanks, Howard. Your knowledge is vast and helpful, as always. -- CATherine >> Well, maybe you will be so tired from packing and moving that you >> might fall asleep anyway. I know you will miss them anyway. I wonder [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] >time. Some days he's just more subdued than other, and I can tell even >though he spends most of his time sleeping. Yes, we do get to know the body language of our furkids. Weather is well-known to have an adverse effect on arthritis. So the next tiem the weather is changing to nasty damp cold stuff, see if he is more lethargic or tender to touch or bad-tempered. And of course, stiff-jointed. -- CATherine This is so funny, CATherine, thank you for posting it. I too have a ladycat of a certain age who - shall we say - is not attending to her coat like she used to. I thought I was the only one who got slashed doing this to make her feel more comfortable. Like your girl she starts off agreeable. but not for long :-) I always envy people who say their cats will allow them to groom them all over. I think I could cope with the Robin scenario. He sounds like such a nice cat. So does Djoser, what a lovely chap to be no trouble for you like this! Boyfriend is young and cares for himself coat-wise on his own but I want to get him used to brushing especially since he is shedding quite a lot at the moment. I would rather he didn't get a hairball. I cannot say that he likes it really. I have a nice soft bristle brush. I have to wait until he is particularly relaxed and have to speak to him in a really stupid voice, high and soft, over the top praisey voice. "Oh, WOW, Boyfs, dis is going to make you feel GREAT!" Applies the brush gently and strokes down his back. "Isn't that just WONDERFUL? Don't it just make you feel good?" Sometimes he will turn over then and let me groom his tummy very gently. If I keep up the silly voice with a constant commentary he sometimes purrs. He rarely purrs and when he does it's almost inaudible. Now, you see, because I was previously a multiple dog owner with no experience of cats until the last 4 years except from childhood (all fierce ex-ferals) I am still learning how they must be approached. The difference is this. If I wanted to groom any of my dogs, cut their claws, clean their teeth, clean out their ears I could as I had trained them from puppyhood to be examined. My vet once said that mine were the only dogs that he would be prepared to stitch up under a local anaesthetic and did on several occasions. My two cats have arrived here as adults in need. It ain't so easy! If I had got them as kittens would they have been easier to manage? Could I have trained them to be handled like I did with the puppies? Tweed > When a lady reaches a certain age (or is it because she is a queen?) > she doesn't groom herself since she expects her admirers to do it for [quoted text clipped - 55 lines] > -- > CATherine > The difference is this. If I wanted to groom any of my dogs, cut their > claws, clean their teeth, clean out their ears I could as I had trained [quoted text clipped - 7 lines] > > Tweed Every dog or cat I've had since it was young could be handled for treatment. I saw them working with young tigers years ago and explaining that they trained them to accept being examined from an early age. Figured if it worked for tigers it would work for dogs and cats. So I can bathe all of mine, and check their teeth and nails etc without a problem. Except for the ferals. Part of it is training the pet. Part of it is learning to restrain them without hurting them or letting them hurt you. Jo > > The difference is this. If I wanted to groom any of my dogs, cut their > > claws, clean their teeth, clean out their ears I could as I had trained [quoted text clipped - 24 lines] > > Jo Personality is part of it. Of mine, Mr. Clark was about 3 years old when adopted, but is extremely relaxed and has never fought me, for example, when I've had to put medication in his eye or ear. He'd jump a little when it went on. In fact, I can't ever remember him hissing or scratching at me. One of the household's little mysteries involves Rhonda, who, with Ding, was adopted as a kitten at the same time as Mr. Clark. All three of us were on the bed, the two cats facing one another, about 2 feet apart. She had been chattering assorted noises, to his mild interest. Then, she made a slightly different sound. Mr. Clark, who is BIG to begin with, rose up, back arched, hair on end, hissed, and batted her off the bed. He then relaxed again, lying down with a sort of HARRUMPH grunt, and started licking my hand. I wish I know what she said. >> The difference is this. If I wanted to groom any of my dogs, cut their >> claws, clean their teeth, clean out their ears I could as I had trained [quoted text clipped - 19 lines] > > Jo Yes, I realise this, Jo. My cats came as semi-ferals. I have to handle them for any sort of treatment on my own. It is not easy for two reasons. Firstly, KFC will slash me to pieces if restrained even through gloves and towels. Secondly, worse than that, Boyfriend is absolutely terrified if I need to take hold of him firmly to medicate him. He is such a sweetie that it would never occur to him to slash or bite. He just almost faints with fear. That's not okay with me either. Tweed > This is so funny, CATherine, thank you for posting it. I too have a ladycat > of a certain age who - shall we say - is not attending to her coat like she [quoted text clipped - 32 lines] > > Tweed I think you can. I was not as vigilant as I should have been with Sugar on claw clipping. But especially if you establish routine from an early age, you probably encounter a lot less trouble. >This is so funny, CATherine, thank you for posting it. I too have a ladycat >of a certain age who - shall we say - is not attending to her coat like she [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] >I always envy people who say their cats will allow them to groom them all >over. Robin is such a good boy and so very loving. But he is a nuisance in his own way. He is determined when he thinks it is loving time. He also has a bad habit; he positions himself against my legs and stops--while I am walking! I have to grab something to keep from falling over him. That is his way of getting immediate attention. If I bend over, he reaches his arms straight up to grab my shoulders. Guess what! It is loving time! The exasperation I feel melts as he nuzzles my throat with his arms around my neck. Djoser is such a love. He will strop my legs a couple times as I am walking but then leads the way to where ever I am going. Any time I sit in the living room to watch tv, he thinks I might as well do something important. Like pet him, vigorously. Usually when something exciting is happening on the show. I can almost "hear" you talking in your gushy voice to Boyfriend. I used to do that with Amber (RB). But he had a loud purr and an almost inaudible voice. My son has our dog trained like you do. She will let him do anything he wants. But she only recognizes my authority once in awhile. Jeff got her trained even to come running and to sit and beg for her meds! I am glad you enjoyed the story. -- CATherine >Sometimes he will turn over then and let me groom his tummy very gently. If >I keep up the silly voice with a constant commentary he sometimes purrs. He >rarely purrs and when he does it's almost inaudible. Boyfriend is such a gentle cat. I've wondered if other people have tried to brush kitty bellies. With Betty, it occurred to me that I'm always brushing her back, so maybe I should do her front too, and I flipped her over and tried brushing her soft tummy. She didn't seem to like that, and kept sitting up, so I decided to abandon that idea. I can't brush her belly vigorously anyway, because the fur is more multidirectional there, and there are sensitive (I assume) nipples hidden among the fur. >>Sometimes he will turn over then and let me groom his tummy very gently. >>If [quoted text clipped - 9 lines] > brushing her soft tummy. She didn't seem to like that, and kept > sitting up, so I decided to abandon that idea. It might work better if you let it be her idea. Groom her gently and croon and she might want to roll over? >I can't brush her > belly vigorously anyway, because the fur is more multidirectional > there, and there are sensitive (I assume) nipples hidden among the > fur. I don't brush vigorously on any part of my cats as they are not so used to being handled as Betty and it would definitely freak them out. I have a nice bristle brush and use it gently but persistently and a d*g comb as well. (please don't tell..) I stop as soon as they have had enough. This has good results for me. However, KFC's underside remains unexplored ;-) I know it's okay and needs no grooming, as I have seen it frequently when she rolls on her back on the path in the garden and tries to trick me into tickling. I only fell for that one once. So much blood appeared on my hand and arm in a second or two..! Tweed >>Sometimes he will turn over then and let me groom his tummy very gently. >>If [quoted text clipped - 3 lines] > > Boyfriend is such a gentle cat. He has totally changed my mind about what cats can be like. I always got fierce ferals before since childhood, and thought cats were all like that, that you would always get slashed by them if you took liberties like trying to stroke anything but their head. BF has such a wonderful temperament. If he ever tried to scratch or bite me I would be sure he'd got rabies or was in extreme pain. Bad temper just isn't in him. Unlike KFC ;-) I really love him. He's amazing. Mimi, you picked well! Tweed >> Boyfriend is such a gentle cat. > [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >isn't in him. Unlike KFC ;-) >I really love him. He's amazing. Mimi, you picked well! They can be such surprisingly gentle little creatures. I fortunately haven't been slashed by a cat yet. I've only met one that wanted to slash me, but she was inside a cage at the shelter, so she couldn't get to me. That, and maybe Suz's Spice, who I think wanted to have me for dinner. :) >>> Boyfriend is such a gentle cat. > [quoted text clipped - 4 lines] >at the shelter, so she couldn't get to me. That, and maybe Suz's >Spice, who I think wanted to have me for dinner. :) Tak, you seem such a sweet person; do you think the cats maybe have a sweet tooth? ;-> -- CATherine Tak said: I've only met one that wanted to slash me, but she was inside a cage at the shelter, so she couldn't get to me. That, and maybe Suz's Spice, who I think wanted to have me for dinner. :) ============================================= I'm never shure with Spicey. She doesn't like tuna or shrimp, but likes coolwhip dessert topping and pumkin ice cream. So you never know what she will eats:) Plus you weren't here at her preferred mealtime. If you wish we could scedule a tasting. Please be fileted or sliced she doesn't like minced. Suz& her Spicey Guardcat >>Sometimes he will turn over then and let me groom his tummy very gently. If >>I keep up the silly voice with a constant commentary he sometimes purrs. He [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] >there, and there are sensitive (I assume) nipples hidden among the >fur. I usually just hold Sheba around the neck, massaging to distract her, and use the right hand with soft bristle brush to brush her belly as she stands. But her belly usually bows up as I do it, so I only get a little brushing done at a time. I usually stroke from front to back. -- CATherine > This is so funny, CATherine, thank you for posting it. I too have a > ladycat of a certain age who - shall we say - is not attending to her > coat like she used to. I thought I was the only one who got slashed > doing this to make her feel more comfortable. Like your girl she [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > you like this! Boyfriend is young and cares for himself coat-wise on > his own but I want to get him used to brushing especially since he is > shedding quite a lot at the moment. I would rather he didn't get a > hairball. [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > The difference is this. If I wanted to groom any of my dogs, cut > their claws, clean their teeth, clean out their ears I could as I had > trained them from puppyhood to be examined. My vet once said that > mine were the only dogs that he would be prepared to stitch up under [quoted text clipped - 5 lines] > > Tweed I got Vino as a 6 1/2 week old kitten and trained him. He lets me clip his claws, front and back, in one session with not so much as a twitch. He lets me groom him but he seems to enjoy it in a weird way where he has to keep walking back and forth a lot, so it takes some time. He also lets me inspect his chin for kitty acne and lets me squeeze his zits. I am happy to report that due to daily sqeezings and chin washes with soap and water, I have cleared him of is latest acne attack :-) -- Britta "There is no snooze button on a cat who wants breakfast." -- Unknown Check out pictures of Vino at: http://photos.yahoo.com/badwilson click on the Vino album >Brushing Robin is a challenge. He loves it. He loves me. He doesn't >bite. But it is really difficult to brush a cat that is trying to >plaster himself to the front of my shoulder and expect me to hold him >up there, all 150 pounds of him! Alright, 15. Your description of brushing your kids is cute, and sounds familiar. Cats usually shed plenty, but it's altogether different in the middle of the summer! Betty enjoys being brushed too, but can't leave the brush alone while she's being brushed, and sometimes gets her nose accidentally bonked by the brush. >>Brushing Robin is a challenge. He loves it. He loves me. He doesn't >>bite. But it is really difficult to brush a cat that is trying to [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] >brush alone while she's being brushed, and sometimes gets her nose >accidentally bonked by the brush. Yes, Sheba is a veritable hair-making machine! I get two double handsful every time I brush her. -- CATherine |
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