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Old April 23rd, 2013, 11:19 AM
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Bart_Man Bart_Man is offline
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Brushing and Combing Resistance

Hi folks,

I have a black and white cat and his shedding is getting out of control now that summer is on the way. He hates to be brushed and combed and whenever I brush him he bites and scratches my hands and draws blood. Mind you, Tux is NOT an agressive cat and he doesn't have any behavioral problems, the only thing he really hates is getting brushed, even though I'm not hurting him.

Now my question is: have any of you ever tried giving your cat a quarter of a crushed Gravol pill (I'd put it in his wet food) to calm them down before brushing? My vet told me to give him a quarter Gravol if he's going to be in the car for several hours, but I have never actually given him any. Does anyone know if this helps?

Cheers,
B
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Old April 23rd, 2013, 11:27 AM
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Quote:
Originally Posted by Bart_Man View Post
He hates to be brushed and combed and whenever I brush him he bites and scratches my hands and draws blood.
Is Tux short-haired? What kind of brush are you using? Maybe you could just wipe him down with a damp cloth instead, and very slowly, using positive reinforcement (ie: lots of tasty treats) get him gradually used to brushing?

Quote:
Originally Posted by Bart_Man View Post
Now my question is: have any of you ever tried giving your cat a quarter of a crushed Gravol pill (I'd put it in his wet food)
Not a good idea. For starters, Gravol tastes nasty and I doubt you'd actually have any luck getting him to eat it like that. Might make him suspicious of his food in the future. I also don't think it's a good idea to unnecessarily "drug" a cat when there are better options.

What does Tux eat? Maybe part of the shedding problem is a diet issue? Vitamin E and/or Omega3 supplements could help, if he isn't taking any already.
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Old April 23rd, 2013, 11:32 AM
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Here's an article that talks about how to get kittens used to being touched and groomed: http://www.catbehaviorassociates.com...being-touched/ The technique applies to adult cats as well.
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Old April 24th, 2013, 12:11 AM
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What type of comb/brush are you using? How soft/flexible are the bristles? Are the tooth/bristle ends capped or pointy?

Have you tried using a Zoom Groom by Kong? It's entirely flexible rubber feels more like getting a massage than a brushing but the result is both.
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Old April 24th, 2013, 08:33 AM
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I was going to suggest the exact same thing as growler.

They also have 'mitts' made of the same material and 'petting' your cat with that mitt will remove the hair as well if your cat will tolerate it.
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