[RUBLUE]

My cat has very long hair. I try to get her grommed 4 times a year. But I can not afford this being on disability myself. How long will her hair keep growing ? Keeps getting longer & longer & etc.

[orange]

If you can afford it, get a good cat comb and brush at your local pet shop, and groom your cat every day. Long hairs need a LOT of grooming for their coats to stay healthy, and to avoid those awful clumps and knots. Also, if you cat goes outside, you should probably bathe it regularly (like about once a month), as longhairs can get incredibly dirty, and often have trouble grooming themselves. There are cat shampoos, or if you can't afford it, just use mild baby shampoo. Best of all, there is a product I like which requires no wetting of the cat at all. It's a kind of foam which you rub into the cat's fur and then brush out. The cats actually enjoy it, whereas they hate water! Finally, I would keep the cat's fur around it's bottom trimmed, so the cat poop doesn't stick to the cat's bum. That's really a pain to clean!

Regarding your cat's hair growth, I'm not sure what you mean. A cat's fur will stop growing once it gets to a certain length, it won't keep growing forever. Each cat is individual on that point, though. But like I said, if you groom your cat regularly, you likely won't need to worry so much about the hair growth or having the cat taken to a professional to be groomed. Most cats enjoy the brushing and combing as well. :)

[fredg]

Hi,
I have not tried this with a cat, but my little dog (before she passed away at 12 yrs old), use to like having her hair cut by me. I used scissors of all things. She didn't like the electric razors. I bought a pair at a Drug Store, for about $13 US,; the kind used by barbers with thinner blades so I could see more of what I was doing. Her hair would become so matted, even with brushing.
Maybe try some scissors? To shorten it?
Best of luck.

[orange]

Cutting may be okay too, but I'd be careful... make sure your cat sits still for this, otherwise you might hurt the cat if it wriggles away just as you are cutting. Actually the best way, would be to have someone help you. One person holds the cat while the other cuts. Also be very careful not to cut any whiskers... Cats have whiskers not just on their cheeks and head, but also on their legs, close to their feet.

Personally though I wouldn't cut the cat's fur. Unless your cat is very docile it's going to be hard to keep it from squirming.

[RUBLUE]

Thank's to all for good common sense answers. How ever Baby (cat) is a little different from most. She is four years old and a little crazy, odd to say the least. She is a total indoor cat. The main problem she has lived in the same place all her life. My wife passed away two years ago, leaving just baby and I. She has had very little social contact with anybody all her life. There are no words to explain our bond. However with anyone else she can and has totally freaked out on them. She is not a mean cat, just scared of anything out of the norm for her. When I do pay to have her groomed they have to give her ice (gas). Using IV drugs don't seem to work because she comes out of it to fast. Leaving four people with welding gloves to try and hold her down to complete grooming. This is major trauma for her as well as myself to know she had to suffe some. I don't buy she's just a cat and will get over it. Maybe she will but I do not. Anything that hurts her I feel also. THANKS!!

[orange]

Sounds like a sweet cat. Glad you have such a good bond with her. Cats are great company. :) My adoptive mom has a long hair that won't let anyone touch her. She hangs around and "talks" a lot, but if you try to pet her or come too close, she runs away. Luckily though her fur doesn't seem to be the kind to get very dirty or matted.

So I'm assuming then that your cat doesn't let anyone touch her other than you, and maybe not even you? In that case, I would definitely NOT use scissors. I forgot to mention in my last post that the clipping sound of scissors makes a lot of cats VERY nervous.

If you are able to touch her, you should try combing or brushing her every day, even for a very short period, say 2-3 minutes. If you are gentle, she should grow to like it and get more used to having it done... and therefore eventually you should be able to groom her for about 20 minutes a day. It will take a lot of patience though, if she's nervous. One thing I do with a nervous cat and a brush is let them smell the brush/comb and even bite or play with it before I use it on them. Then they're somewhat used to the object, and it has their scent on it as well. I also put catnip in the brush sometimes, and give the cat a treat after the grooming. So then the cat eventually associates the grooming with lots of good things!

The other thing you might consider is a cat spa / self-groomer. These cost a bit of money, like about $20-30, but they are worth the money if you have a cat you can't touch. The "spa" kind of looks like a plate with several different brush-like attachments on it. Usually there's a place to put catnip too. You simply place the spa on the floor and the cat will rub up against it. It's nowhere near as good as a real grooming of course, but your cat will enjoy it and it will help her a bit if she has trouble grooming herself. I've included a picture of a cat spa, so you get the idea.

If you are able to groom her yourself at all, it will likely prevent having to take her in to be clipped 4 times a year, which she obviously fears and hates. It will be less traumatic for her, if you can manage it. Good luck!

[orange]

Oops for some reason the cat spa pics didn't come up with the original post. So here it is!