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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
Bonjour,
I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche |
#2
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
In article . com,
mich wrote: Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche Hi When I first got Bubba http://www.sonic.net/~claudel/Bubba/Bubba.html his fur was so matted on his belly that I had to have him shaved. In order to not have him associate that bad experience with *me* I took him to a groomer and had him shaved. Bubba does not care for travelling either and definately does not like being in his carrier. That presents one of the rare occasions when I have to go against his wishes and force him into the carrier for the trip. He's big & strong too, and weighs 25 Lbs and is quite a handful to get into his box. He cries and whines constantly while in the box, but I reward him for his poor behavior with a few treats anyway. Nothing works quite like food to get Bubba's mind off an unpleasant situation. It helps to have a large carrier with a large enough door to push him in. It also seems to help to take a firm tone and let him know that that is just one of those times when something is going to happen whether he likes it or not. Fortunately he seems to have a short memory for these events. After I got him cleaned up I've only had to brush & comb him out once a week or so to keep the mats under control. Unfortunately that seems to be one of those occasions, like nail clipping time, that he would rather not participate in. I generally brush him out as best I can and then use a medium toothed comb to get the budding mats out before they get a chance to get too bad. He reacts to this about as well as if I was pulling out his teeth with a pair of pliers, but again this is another of those times where the servant has to be the master. He seems to like the brush OK, but doesn't like being dematted. As always, a few treats afterwards and a few minutes for him to realize how much better he feels without matted fur and all is forgiven. I wouldn't begin to guess how to get him to walk on a leash. He absolutely hates the idea of going outside to begin with and if he didn't choose to like the idea of being in a harness it would probably be just short of World War III to get him to behave. Good Luck |
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
Mr Bonkers reacted very strongly to the type of brush used. He would not
allow himself to be touched with a what I would call a hair brush (synthetic bristels, not unlike a human hair brush), One day I bought a "slicker" brush because it was on sale for a buck and its been "please brush me" ever since. ITs all metal with short metal tines and does it pick up the hair. 2 or 3 strokes with it and you have stop to uncloog it it. "mich" wrote in message ups.com... Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche |
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
I have the same problem with Tiger. He likes to be brushed with the
Zoom Groom but he resists combing. He doesn't like to travel but I am able to get him in the carrier. Then he hyper-ventilates all the way to the vet. He has to be sedated for the vet to clip him. His mats are starting to develop now so I expect a trip will be in order soon. ---MIKE--- In the White Mountains of New Hampshire (44° 15' N - Elevation 1580') |
#5
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
"mich" wrote in message ups.com... Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. -------- Wrap her in a towel and plunk her in the carrier with the towel. She will be confused and busy trying to free herself from the towel. By the time she succeeds (about 10 seconds later), the door of the carrier will already be secured. Alternately, you can put her in a pillowcase and plunk her in the carrier. She will be busy trying to get out of the pillowcase and while she's busy doing that, close the door of the carrier. Best regards, ---Cindy S. |
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
On Jun 10, 12:59 pm, mich wrote:
Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche Hi Miche--Maine Coons are prone to matting. The only way to keep her from matting is to thoroughly brush her *every day*. If her fur does start to mat, get a wide- toothed comb, with steel tines that swivel. My daughter has hers shaved every spring. We live in a hot climate, and they seem to enjoy their haircuts. The best way I've found to get a cat in a carrier is to use the element of surprise, gently pick them up when they're asleep or not expecting it. Don't let them see the carrier. Get a large carrier, stand it on end, and put the cat in it feet first. If she'll let you, there's nothing wrong with buying clippers and learning to trim her fur yourself. If she *really* hates it, it's probably best to let a professional do it, and she may need to be sedated. Cats are pretty forgiving. She'll forget about it in a day or two. One tool that I really like for long, thick fur is the "Furminator". It gets all the loose hair out and seems to thin the coat too. They're pretty expensive, over $30 USD, but it is my favorite grooming tool. Good luck Sherry |
#7
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
In article . com,
Sherry wrote: On Jun 10, 12:59 pm, mich wrote: Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche Hi Miche--Maine Coons are prone to matting. The only way to keep her from matting is to thoroughly brush her *every day*. If her fur does start to mat, get a wide- toothed comb, with steel tines that swivel. My daughter has hers shaved every spring. We live in a hot climate, and they seem to enjoy their haircuts. The best way I've found to get a cat in a carrier is to use the element of surprise, gently pick them up when they're asleep or not expecting it. Don't let them see the carrier. Get a large carrier, stand it on end, and put the cat in it feet first. If she'll let you, there's nothing wrong with buying clippers and learning to trim her fur yourself. If she *really* hates it, it's probably best to let a professional do it, and she may need to be sedated. Cats are pretty forgiving. She'll forget about it in a day or two. One tool that I really like for long, thick fur is the "Furminator". It gets all the loose hair out and seems to thin the coat too. They're pretty expensive, over $30 USD, but it is my favorite grooming tool. Good luck Sherry I occasionally consider getting Bubba a Lion cut for the summer, but it somehow just doesn't seem right. :^) Thanks for the tip on the Furminator. |
#8
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
"Sherry" wrote in message ups.com... snip The best way I've found to get a cat in a carrier is to use the element of surprise, gently pick them up when they're asleep or not expecting it. Don't let them see the carrier. Get a large carrier, stand it on end, and put the cat in it feet first. ------------- Yes, I also have the carrier open and standing on end in preparation for putting the cat in, and I also put the cat in feet first. Usually if the cat is sleeping, though, he wakes up when he hears me rattling around with the carrier. So, another thing I do is confine him in a small room (like the bathroom) where there is no bed or sofa to hide under. Then, once he is secure in the bathroom, I get the carrier, and stand it open and on end right outside the bathroom door. Then, I go in the bathroom, grab the cat and put him in the carrier feet first. This works with all my cats except one. She hadn't been to the vet for years since it was totally impossible to get her into the carrier no matter what I did. Then, someone told me about the towel/pillowcase technique. It worked like a charm. I wrapped the cat in the towel and had her secured in the carrier in a matter of a few seconds, easy as pie. Best regards, ---Cindy S. |
#9
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
On Jun 10, 11:45 pm, (Claude V. Lucas) wrote:
In article . com, Sherry wrote: On Jun 10, 12:59 pm, mich wrote: Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche Hi Miche--Maine Coons are prone to matting. The only way to keep her from matting is to thoroughly brush her *every day*. If her fur does start to mat, get a wide- toothed comb, with steel tines that swivel. My daughter has hers shaved every spring. We live in a hot climate, and they seem to enjoy their haircuts. The best way I've found to get a cat in a carrier is to use the element of surprise, gently pick them up when they're asleep or not expecting it. Don't let them see the carrier. Get a large carrier, stand it on end, and put the cat in it feet first. If she'll let you, there's nothing wrong with buying clippers and learning to trim her fur yourself. If she *really* hates it, it's probably best to let a professional do it, and she may need to be sedated. Cats are pretty forgiving. She'll forget about it in a day or two. One tool that I really like for long, thick fur is the "Furminator". It gets all the loose hair out and seems to thin the coat too. They're pretty expensive, over $30 USD, but it is my favorite grooming tool. Good luck Sherry I occasionally consider getting Bubba a Lion cut for the summer, but it somehow just doesn't seem right. :^) Thanks for the tip on the Furminator.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I know. The only reason I finally got Biskit a lion cut was because her fur was terribly matted, and she hates to be brushed. Now I do it every year. She prances around like she's a little princess. I don't know if she thinks she is beautiful, or if she's just so much more comfortable. And it grows back so fast. I get her trimmed in the spring, and by fall it's pretty much grown back. A nice added bonus is....so much less hair to shed on the furniture, and on me! The only negatives are, you can't shave cats who go outdoors becuase of sunburn, and if your kitties are prone to scrapping with each other, they have no protection from claws/bites with their fur gone. Sherry Sherry |
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Main Coon - Needs help with her fur
On Jun 11, 9:30 am, Sherry wrote:
On Jun 10, 11:45 pm, (Claude V. Lucas) wrote: In article . com, Sherry wrote: On Jun 10, 12:59 pm, mich wrote: Bonjour, I would like to start by saying that I am new to this type of communication. I am bilingual so if you prefer to answer in French, please do so. I have a Main Coon named Missy. She is 1 year 6 months old. Even though I brush her everyday, many times, she is quite matted. What doubles my problem is that Missy is quite shy and she does not travel at all. I have tried many times to bring her to the veterinary for her annual shots but to no avail. She is very strong and she will not get in her cage. I also tried training her on a leash - it has been 2 months and we have made no progress. I have had many cats through the years and this is the first cat I have not been able to either bring outside or travel to the vet or anywhere for that matter. To resume, my questions a 1. How can I keep her fur from matting? As I cannot bring her to a groomer, how can I cut her fur or shave it? 2. How does one train a Main Coon to walk on a leash? Any help is welcomed and will be much appreciated. Many thanks. Miche Hi Miche--Maine Coons are prone to matting. The only way to keep her from matting is to thoroughly brush her *every day*. If her fur does start to mat, get a wide- toothed comb, with steel tines that swivel. My daughter has hers shaved every spring. We live in a hot climate, and they seem to enjoy their haircuts. The best way I've found to get a cat in a carrier is to use the element of surprise, gently pick them up when they're asleep or not expecting it. Don't let them see the carrier. Get a large carrier, stand it on end, and put the cat in it feet first. If she'll let you, there's nothing wrong with buying clippers and learning to trim her fur yourself. If she *really* hates it, it's probably best to let a professional do it, and she may need to be sedated. Cats are pretty forgiving. She'll forget about it in a day or two. One tool that I really like for long, thick fur is the "Furminator". It gets all the loose hair out and seems to thin the coat too. They're pretty expensive, over $30 USD, but it is my favorite grooming tool. Good luck Sherry I occasionally consider getting Bubba a Lion cut for the summer, but it somehow just doesn't seem right. :^) Thanks for the tip on the Furminator.- Hide quoted text - - Show quoted text - I know. The only reason I finally got Biskit a lion cut was because her fur was terribly matted, and she hates to be brushed. Now I do it every year. She prances around like she's a little princess. I don't know if she thinks she is beautiful, or if she's just so much more comfortable. And it grows back so fast. I get her trimmed in the spring, and by fall it's pretty much grown back. A nice added bonus is....so much less hair to shed on the furniture, and on me! The only negatives are, you can't shave cats who go outdoors becuase of sunburn, and if your kitties are prone to scrapping with each other, they have no protection from claws/bites with their fur gone. Sherry Here's a couple of pics that are perfect illustrations. First one is Biskit sitting in front of a picture of her bedraggled, matted self in the condition she was when we first found her: http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/makeover.jpg Second is Bikkie with her haircut the next spring http://members.aol.com/jjrich0523/bikkiehaircut1.jpg She does look weird and otherworldy, but she is so happy. Sherry |
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