My long-haired cat hates grooming. How can I make it more enjoyable?

Question

We just adopted a long haired cat and she isn't enjoying grooming at all. I've tried the furminator and deshedding gloves. Do you have any tips for making it more enjoyable for her please? Pet's info: Cat | Domestic Longhair | Female | spayed

Jessica Desrosiers · Accepted Answer

Time and patience! Some cats don't like being groomed, or can become easily overstimulated from the tines of a brush. There are some self-grooming tools out there that may be less overstimulating and more interesting to Florence, such as arches with bristles on them the cat can rub against, or even plastic brushes that attached to wall corners to all your cat to rub up against it. A softer rubber brush such as a Kong brush, or even a grooming glove rather than a deshedding glove may also be gentle enough to avoid irritation while still getting mats out. If Florence is really nervous about the brushes, start slow. You can find a treat or snack she likes (such as a smelly piece of chicken or tuna) and then just brush her ONCE and give the treat. Once she is OK with that, you can move up to brushing a few spots in between treats, and then finally grooming mats or more problematic areas until she is more used to it. If she has some very bad mats that are affecting her health and she won't let you groom her at all, speaking with your vet about sedation so that she can be groomed thoroughly and all mats removed may help until she is more comfortable with being brushed.

My long-haired cat hates grooming. How can I make it more enjoyable?

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