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Cat Forum / General Topics / April 2005Grooming ?
I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already here two weeks ago and I can't afford to take my kitty in right now. Whiskers seems to groom almost constantly everyday. Is this normal? I know cats groom and I love having a clean kitty, but it looks like he does it too much. What do you think? Thanks! Di >I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already here >two weeks ago and I can't afford to take my kitty in right now. Whiskers >seems to groom almost constantly everyday. Is this normal? I know cats >groom and I love having a clean kitty, but it looks like he does it too >much. What do you think? Thanks! Are you brushing and combing the cat frequently? Most long hairs need a thorough comb out pretty much every day - short hairs benefit from daily grooming during the shedding season (now in much of the northern hemisphere).  SignatureT.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) > >I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already here > >two weeks ago and I can't afford to take my kitty in right now. Whiskers [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > daily grooming during the shedding season (now in much of the northern > hemisphere). Thanks Ted. He's a short haired cat and very timid (from the shelter). I've only been able to brush him twice in 3 weeks. When I brush him, I look on the brush and there's no hair. I probably didn't buy the right brush. I'll get another one. We live in Canada. :-) Di >> >I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already >here [quoted text clipped - 12 lines] >on the brush and there's no hair. I probably didn't buy the right brush. >I'll get another one. We live in Canada. :-) One thing I have discovered that removes loose hair is a special lint brush that looks like it has a double sided head covered with red velvet, but the cloth has short and stiff spines that grab when brushed in one direction and release in the other. Like all brushing, it is not a substitute for combing, but all of my cats like it, even the two who refuse to be groomed normally unless they are bodily restrained will stand in my lap and lean into the brush will purring up a storm. T.E.D. (tdavis@gearbox.maem.umr.edu) SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. > >> >I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already > >here [quoted text clipped - 25 lines] > SPAM filter: Messages to this address *must* contain "T.E.D." > somewhere in the body or they will be automatically rejected. Thanks Ted! I think we have one, but like you said, it's not a substitute for regular brushing. I need to get to the pharmacy some time soon to get a brush one of my friends said her cat just loves. Di > I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already here > two weeks ago and I can't afford to take my kitty in right now. Whiskers > seems to groom almost constantly everyday. Is this normal? I know cats > groom and I love having a clean kitty, but it looks like he does it too > much. What do you think? Thanks! You will be able to tell that she is grooming too much when you find bald spots. Until then, do not fear. Cats do groom a lot when anxious and boredom makes them anxious, so try playing more with her. > > I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already > here [quoted text clipped - 6 lines] > bald spots. Until then, do not fear. Cats do groom a lot when anxious and > boredom makes them anxious, so try playing more with her. Thanks Mary. We adopted Whiskers, a short haired male, from the shelter 3 weeks ago today. He does have bald spots, but the shelter said he's probably just shedding. He did have ringworm twice, but doesn't now. He probably is anxious because he's still very timid, but not around me and he's warming up more to my husband. :-) Di > > > I hate to come here and keep asking questions, but the vet was already > > here [quoted text clipped - 13 lines] > probably is anxious because he's still very timid, but not around me and > he's warming up more to my husband. :-) Dianne, My short-haired shelter cat has allergies and asthma, and something called EGC which causes little bumps to spring up on the backs of her legs. A single shot of Depo Medrol maybe three times a year (at $25 a piece) controls all of these things. I said that because many think these problems may cause her skin to bother her and so make her overgroom at times. However--aside from her "bikini area" which was pink and naked when I got her (I thought, how weird, her fur never grew back after the spay!) the only time she has ever licked her fur off was when our other cat was coming in to her territory too often. Once I solved this, she stopped, and now not only has her fur on her side grown back, but she has let the fur on her tummy grow back in too! So I see this as proof that her overgrooming was due to anxiety. Some people go right to drugs when they see this and I don't think it is necessary. (Kitty prozac.) Your Whiskers will likely calm down and grow his lovely coat back once he is comfortable and feels totally safe. Congratulations for being the kind of fine human being who rescues a cat in need. You will find that his personality just blooms the safer he feels. It sometimes takes these cats a while to understand that you are not going to give them away or abandon them. > Dianne, > [quoted text clipped - 22 lines] > takes these cats a while to understand that you are not going > to give them away or abandon them. Thank you Mary. Oh, your poor kitty! We never know what these poor animals bring to the shelter from outside. The vet checked Whiskers over pretty well, even his teeth. :-) But I didn't ask him about the over-grooming because I hadn't noticed it until the following week and since then been watching him. Even my husband says he thinks Whiskers grooms himself too much. As you said, he'll calm down after a while and feel more comfortable. We both play with him a lot and he's a riot to watch when he's playing with his Mousies. :-) I have a few toys and balls for him without catnip. I also bought some loose catnip which I put on his scratching post and it doesn't work. He likes the couch better although the last few days he hasn't touched it, which is good. We love our new kitty and hope his fur grows back. We'd hate to have a bald kitty. LOL Just kidding. You sound like a very caring person yourself. Di >Whiskers seems to groom almost >constantly everyday. Is this normal? No, and if he is grooming to the point of having bald spots there definitely is a problem which is most likely allergy or stress related. In order to stop the behavior you need to find the cause. One of the most common cases of allergies is corn, so if you are feeding dry food it would be wise to eliminate that completely, feed your cat a high quality canned food with no grains and see if that improves things. One brand that fits the bill and is available in Canada is Wellness. I would start out with the plain Turkey and Chicken flavors as fish can also be problematic for some cats. It can take many weeks for things to get better so be patient and don't give up too soon. Your cat would be better off eating a canned diet regardless and you can read more about that here: http://catsincanada.com/articles/feeding.html There is also a book titled Pets At Risk: From Allergies To Cancer, Remedies for an Unsuspected Epidemic that is quite good: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0939165481/qid%3D1112507877/702-7930222-6648857 Another part of this problem could also be stress related. Try to eliminate anything that you think may add stress to your cats life. You can try putting a Feliway diffuser in the rooms he frequents most.Turn the radio to a classical music station and leave it on at a low volume. It has a calming effect on most animals. Develop some simple routines that you can revolve around the cat and do every day at about the same time. Feeding your cat on a 12 hour schedule is an easy one that is positive and you can make a part of your own morning/evening routine. You could also pick a time for attention/play. Cats like to have things they can count on (and I think this is even more true of animals that have at some point been abandoned) and they find routine comforting. HTH. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > >Whiskers seems to groom almost > >constantly everyday. Is this normal? [quoted text clipped - 14 lines] > There is also a book titled Pets At Risk: From Allergies To Cancer, > Remedies for an Unsuspected Epidemic that is quite good: http://www.amazon.ca/exec/obidos/ASIN/0939165481/qid%3D1112507877/702-7930222-6648857 > Another part of this problem could also be stress related. Try to > eliminate anything that you think may add stress to your cats life. You [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] > > Megan Thanks for the info, Megan. I do believe corn is in his dry food. When we adopted him he had bald spots, but I don't think they're getting any worse. I check him regularly. He gets a lot of attention from me because I'm home most of the day and from my husband after he gets home from work. I really don't want to give him canned food. I use Performatrin Maintenance, but may switch to Performatrin Ultra. I'll have to see if corn is in that one. Thanks again. :-) Di >I really don't want to give him canned >food. Why? Canned food is the closest thing you'll get to a species appropriate diet for cats and is very beneficial in many ways, especially for males who are more prone to urinary blockages. Cats are obligate carnivores and do best on a high protein, low or no carb diet with little or no grains. Dry food, which is high in carbs, grains the cat does not digest properly, and a low moisture content which results in chronic dehydration, is a poor diet for cats and is related to skin allergies, kidney failure, IBD, diabetes and urinary tract issues. Dry food also does not offer any benefits to teeth and is more likely to cause dental problems ude to the high sugar content. You really should take the time to get educated on this subject, read the article I posted a link to and check out the articles at http://www.catnutrition.org as well. If you are truly interested in taking measures to ensure your cat gets some relief (and the fact that he is licking himself bald warrants IMMEDIATE changes because it's not fair for him to be miserable) you need to stop thinking about what *you* want and do what's in the best interests of your cat. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray > >I really don't want to give him canned > >food. [quoted text clipped - 20 lines] > > Megan No Megan, you misunderstood what I said. He's not licking himself bald. He's bald from the ringworm he had, but doesn't have now. A few people I know who have had cats for 30+ years told me the dry food is better for their teeth. I don't want to argue the point, but his stools are fine and he goes everyday. :-) I may give him half wet and half dry, but if he gets runny stools I'll stop because he doesn't have that now. Di >A few people I know who have had cats >for 30+ years told me the dry food is >better for their teeth. I've had cats for 25+ years and have done the research. Your "few people you know" are wrong and credible veterinary resources say otherwise: http://www.allourpets.com/holistic/dental-care.shtml Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray >I may give him half wet and half dry, but if he gets > runny stools I'll stop because he doesn't have that now. Diane--I just want to add that although my first cat, who lived to be 20, did get "the runs" on canned, when I added canned food to my current two cats' diet, their stool did not change at all and their coats became shinier and they just seem more energetic. Also, my Cheeky's allergies and asthma got a lot better. Buddha is now on an all-canned diet (because she is overweight from eating that starchy so-called diet catfood) and her stool has not changed. So maybe give it a try. | >I may give him half wet and half dry, but if he gets | > runny stools I'll stop because he doesn't have that now. [quoted text clipped - 10 lines] | | So maybe give it a try. Dry food is better for tartar control, wet better for the water intake and for allergies. I leave out dry all the time and feed wet in the morning and in the evening. That works out about 1/2 each. To me this seems the best solution, also to the cats. They usually want both during one meal, and then they walk to the water bowl. They don't like it though when I mix dry and wet together. Carola >Dry food is better for tartar control This has already been disproven. Try to keep up. Credible sources were provided. Megan Signature"The only thing necessary for the triumph of evil is for good men to do nothing." -Edmund Burke Learn The TRUTH About Declawing http://www.stopdeclaw.com Zuzu's Cats Photo Album: http://www.PictureTrail.com/zuzu22 "Concerning all acts of initiative (and creation), there is one elementary truth the ignorance of which kills countless ideas and splendid plans: that the moment one definitely commits oneself, then providence moves too. A whole stream of events issues from the decision, raising in one's favor all manner of unforeseen incidents, meetings and material assistance, which no man could have dreamt would have come his way." - W.H. Murray
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