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Grooming A Cat Under Sedation
by Anita Kelsey – expert cat groomer and cat behaviourist (MCFBA – CIDBT)
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It’s the 5% of cat types that all groomers dread. A deadly combination of:
- Aggression
- Severe stress and
- A heavily pelted coat.
Entering my clients home, one evening, I was greeted by a huge silver coloured Persian with a face like a large moon and as hairy as a bear. His name was Kajal and he seemed really sweet natured…Well, he was until….
I took a deep breath. I knew that it would take me a while to comb out the dead hair from K’s coat, and to shave out several ‘assumed’ matts, but I only understood the severity of his coat condition once I picked him up in my arms. This was one rare time whereby I had failed to actually ask the client how matted their cats’ coat was!
Kajal’s coat was matted all over under the top layer of grey fluff. From his neck down to his paws Kajal was heavily pelted. (A pelt is a matt that has been left to gather more hair to the point whereby it becomes too tight to the skin to comb out. It causes bruising to the skin and can cause a lot of discomfort and pain). Only the central fur along his back was clear of matts due to the fact that this was the only place on his body he allowed his owners to comb. I was already warned that he hated being groomed but entered the home with confidence that my expertise in handling cats like this would shine through and Kajal would be manageable.