Cat Grooming or 'What Fresh Hell Is This?"

[Gingersnap]

Xena is 16 years old. She is a large Rag Doll cat. Elderhood has made her skinnier but no less spry, agile, and disgusted. It has, however, made her less diligent on cat grooming.

To avoid the bizarre, random fur clumps she now leaves everywhere, I attempt to groom her periodically.

When she's in a good mood. Kind of sleepy. Less savage.

I get it done but if there's a trick or tip to this - I'd like to hear it.

I've groomed many defiant dogs over the years but that experience is apparently not useful here.

[scott]

Cats are cute. I pet them when I'm around them. I have a dog and she hates cats so I don't have cats on my property. That's one of the great parts of having a dog, no cats.

I and sympathetic to your struggle but you chose the cat life.

[Adam]

Xena is 16 years old. She is a large Rag Doll cat. Elderhood has made her skinnier but no less spry, agile, and disgusted. It has, however, made her less diligent on cat grooming.

To avoid the bizarre, random fur clumps she now leaves everywhere, I attempt to groom her periodically.

When she's in a good mood. Kind of sleepy. Less savage.

I get it done but if there's a trick or tip to this - I'd like to hear it.

I've groomed many defiant dogs over the years but that experience is apparently not useful here.

Catnip. Get her stoned before you start and she'll be much more pliable.

[gary m]

Having been in this position a few times over the years, this is not a one person job if the cat is at all conscious.
DW and I have the scars to prove it.

What tools are you using to groom it?
I suggest a 12 gauge with rifled slugs.

[Celeste Chalfonte]

Take her to a groomer who does only cats. I had one in the SF Mission who spoke to my crazy long-haired cat in some Caribbean patois and she rolled over and let him do anything he wanted. If I tried to brush her, she took off for the top shelf of the closet, screaming bloody murder all the way.

[Gingersnap]

Having been in this position a few times over the years, this is not a one person job if the cat is at all conscious.
DW and I have the scars to prove it.

What tools are you using to groom it?
I suggest a 12 gauge with rifled slugs.

That could be it. I ended up using a chef's knife in a Mexican standoff. I figured that if she wanted blood sports, we'd have a dance.

Sadly, cats don't seem to understand escalation of force.

[gary m]

That could be it. I ended up using a chef's knife in a Mexican standoff. I figured that if she wanted blood sports, we'd have a dance.

Sadly, cats don't seem to understand escalation of force.

Wahl pet clippers do well for matted hair. You can get down to the skin if need be.

Unfortunately, cats understand the escalation of force all to well.
If you have not killed them in 16 years, you won't do it now.
If they draw enough of your blood, you will give up.

Assuming that you ended up bleeding and she is still alive, she was right.