Q abt long hair cats

ensoul wrote:

large cats, are last one Sam was only 9 lbs...Moe weighs in at 16lbs
also has longest fur, he gets crap stuck around the butt area...we try
wrapping him in a towel and trimming all the hair around that area, try
washing it, and brushing....we can't hold him down long enough to do a
proper job...I called several on the pet grooming places around here
prices start at $65 we can't afford that on a regular basis

any suggestions???


Several years ago, my mom found a cat by the side of the road, injured.
He had surgery to fix his broken jaw, and he was neutered at the same
time. When he got diarhea a week later, I took him back to the vet, and
they did a quick shave. It was much easier as I didn't have to keep
cleaning him while he was so sensitive. In that case, we had already
spent over $700, so they didn't charge anything for it even though that
was the sole purpose of the visit.



I've had Jay Jay for just about a year now. He is large and long haired
also. When I got him, he was changing foods and homes, so his system
had trouble adjusting. He had some really bad diarhea, and that meant a
mess in his pantaloons.

I tried to clean him up, and while being a gentle cat in general, he
took great offence, and bit my hand. Not bad enough to hurt me, but he
did rip my glove. He also kicks.

So, when he was at the vet, I asked them to shave his rear. They took
him back to get a sample to make sure it was just stress or food
change, and not something more serious. While they were back there,
they shaved just enough to keep him clean. It looked really good. It
wasn't obvious that he had been shaved unless you knew to look. But he
didn't have any more messes. The vet said it took 3 of them, but they
didn't charge for it; just the exam, fecal exam, and medicine to stop
the diarhea.

Several months later, he did get some softer poo stuck in his
pantaloons again. I had my mom hold him while I snipped off the area
that was messy. He kicked a lot, so it took some patience. He
definitely objected. If gets diarhea again, I'll take him to the vet.
Simple exam and shave.

You might call that groomer again and ask what it would cost for just a
shave on the rear. They had to be quoting you a complete grooming job.
I had my dog professionally groomed last summer. They got out all the
undercoat of a very poofy dog, gave her a great bath, trimmed her
nails, and really had her looking awesome. They spent a couple hours
working on her, and it was $40 something. It was a serious overhaul due
to her extreme undercoat. I normally wouldn't spend that much for
grooming. I'd rather do it myself, but Jenny bites if you pull on her
hair at all. It's not a good experience. Now that I have seen the
groomers at work, I know to use one of those plastic collars. Then she
can't bite, and I don't spend the whole time trying to defend my skin.

Anyway, if they could get out all the undercoat of a seriously puffed
sheltie (think fluffy porcupine), and do a bath, and trim nails for $40
something, they ought to be able to shave a cat's rear end for less
than $20. It only takes 5 minutes (and 2-3 experienced people). Either
that groomer was quoting a full grooming session, or they are seriously
overpriced. Try calling around, or just take him to the vet.

I would also add that some foods make a difference. Even after his
diarhea ended,
Jay Jay still had very stinky poo. I changed his food, and that solved
the problem. In his case, I switched to Royal Canin's Maine Coon Food.
He isn't a Maine Coon, but he is 18-19 lbs, so the food is ideal for
him. Larger kibbles so he eats slowly rather than inhaling (he was
gaining weight on the old food), and it is intended for larger built
cats. If you having problems with your food, it might be worth a try.

wrote:
snip

You might call that groomer again and ask what it would cost for just a
shave on the rear.

Should run $10-12 or so. You can also ask them to take more off of the
"pantaloons" if you would like that done. Most people only want the
perianal area clipped.


They had to be quoting you a complete grooming job.
I had my dog professionally groomed last summer. They got out all the
undercoat of a very poofy dog, gave her a great bath, trimmed her
nails, and really had her looking awesome. They spent a couple hours
working on her, and it was $40 something. It was a serious overhaul due
to her extreme undercoat. I normally wouldn't spend that much for
grooming. I'd rather do it myself, but Jenny bites if you pull on her
hair at all. It's not a good experience. Now that I have seen the
groomers at work, I know to use one of those plastic collars. Then she
can't bite, and I don't spend the whole time trying to defend my skin.

Anyway, if they could get out all the undercoat of a seriously puffed
sheltie (think fluffy porcupine), and do a bath, and trim nails for $40
something, they ought to be able to shave a cat's rear end for less
than $20. It only takes 5 minutes (and 2-3 experienced people). Either
that groomer was quoting a full grooming session, or they are seriously
overpriced. Try calling around, or just take him to the vet.

Just FWIW, you got a good deal on the Sheltie, if she was in serious
need of grooming. Here (PDX) they run about $55-60, especially if they
are a snapper. I pay $22 just for bath and nails on my Basenji mix
(non-snapper).

-L.

"-L." wrote in message
Anyway, if they could get out all the undercoat of a seriously puffed
sheltie (think fluffy porcupine), and do a bath, and trim nails for $40
something, they ought to be able to shave a cat's rear end for less
than $20. It only takes 5 minutes (and 2-3 experienced people). Either
that groomer was quoting a full grooming session, or they are seriously
overpriced. Try calling around, or just take him to the vet.

Just FWIW, you got a good deal on the Sheltie, if she was in serious
need of grooming. Here (PDX) they run about $55-60, especially if they
are a snapper. I pay $22 just for bath and nails on my Basenji mix
(non-snapper).



A seriously good deal on the Sheltie.

And we won't touch a cat for less than $40 no matter how little you want
done.
It's not just the time needed to get the job done but also the 20 minutes it
takes to arrange the appointment, give directions, rebook when you don't
show, then when you do get there you have to tell your story, disinfection
between animals, etc.

If you were a semi regular client I might do a quick butt shave for less,
but why go to all the trouble of taking the cat in if you don't get at least
a complete comb out and a few minutes of lessons on how to do simple
maintainence?

-Toni

-L. wrote:

Just FWIW, you got a good deal on the Sheltie, if she was in serious
need of grooming. Here (PDX) they run about $55-60, especially if they
are a snapper. I pay $22 just for bath and nails on my Basenji mix
(non-snapper).

Yes, we expected it to be more. The groomer was advertising at a booth
at a pet expo in our area. I had to work that day, so my mom went with
the dogs. The owner looked at Jenny, cringed, and said it would be
about $40. We actually got lucky. My mom and my sister signed up for a
free drawing, and my sister won. She has 3 cats, none of whom need
grooming, so she took Jenny in. They did an awesome job.

We took her in again just before Christmas. It was a much easier
session since the undercoat was all gone. Just a basic bath, brushing,
and nail trim. That was $25. They didn't use the collar that time, and
she was better behaved. I was surprised that they didn't charge extra
or seem concerned about it. She's not a large breed, so they probably
weren't worried about her being dangerous. She only broke my skin once,
the first time, when I wasn't expecting it. I do tell them (and vets)
as she does have that tendency.