Friday, October 20, 2006
The 30 Second Guide to Grooming a Maine Coon Cat
Maine Coons are a semi-longhaired breed and have a heavy thick coat. Frequent grooming is required to prevent the fur from matting and knotting.
Common places where knots can develop are around the front and back legs on the underside of the body.
Things you will need:
1. Mild cat shampoo
2. Empty bottle for mixing water with shampoo
3. Rinsing jug and/or shower spray
4. Steel comb
5. Fur brush
6. Clippers (“rounded” type)
A Maine Coon breeder shared with me her method for bathing her 7 Maine Coon cats!
Add part cat shampoo and warm water to an empty bottle (amounts according to directions on bottle) and mix thoroughly.
Run the bath, without your cat knowing it’s for him/her!
Gently lower your cat into a filled bath (2-3 inch depth of water approx), feet first and gently pour bath water over body with a jug.
Add shampoo/water mix on a section of the fur and lather steadily.
Be as flowing and speedy as you can without any sudden movements. Offer reassurance and praise throughout.
When fully lathered, rinse as thoroughly as you can. Again be gentle and try to avoid fast jets of water or too much splashing.
Place the cat in a large towel and dry as much excess water out the fur as quickly as possible.
Soon after, get the first brush onto the coat and continue to groom at regular intervals until the coat is dry. I have heard of some owners using hair dryers, although we have never used this method so can’t comment on its effectiveness.
Pay particular attention to the tail, and be careful not to catch the tailbone with the brush. This can be painful and can cause to discomfort if extra care is not taken.
TIP: You can wear gardening gloves if your Maine Coon has a tendency to scratch whilst he is being groomed. We don’t tend to wear these ourselves as Henry has been groomed since he was a kitten and is quite used to this routine. He also knows he will receive treats once the trauma is over!
Claw Clipping
If you do not feel confident with this, you may ask your vet to carry this out, or a professional groomer. However, if approached carefully, it can be done quickly and without discomfort to the cat.
The most important thing is not to cut too far down the claw into the “quick”. This looks like a pink pointed claw within the claw.
My advice when starting out with this is to just clip the points off the claws regularly, rather than leaving long periods between clipping.
The other thing to remember is not to cut “across” the claw. You must cut with the clippers facing down in the same direction as the claw is pointing.
In My Next Life I Want to Come Back as My Cat!
Cats have a great life for sure. When you call your dog they come immediately and are glad to pay you the attention you seek. They even follow your commands as obedient servants knowing that you are their best friend and you feed them. Cats on the other hand when you call them simply look at you like; Yah, what do you want. Basically they take a message and will call you back when it is convenient or time to eat. Your basic fluffy answering machine. Look their interests are free-food, a great place to kick back and cuddling on their schedule not yours.
Nevertheless, cats are extremely useful creatures and humans have grown accustomed to them. They keep rodents away and the place free from bugs and serve their keep, well when they are not sleeping that is. You know it must be a good life being a fluffy loved cat, pampered and fed and sleeping all day.
In fact when I get to my next life, well I think I would like to come back as my cat. Because my cat does absolutely nothing, gets fed great and basically owns the place. It is like I bought the entire house for the cat instead of myself. No wonder my cat could careless what I say or come when I call him. Why should he, he knows he owns me and the house and he will get fed either way. Consider all this in 2006.
I've Never Seen A Cat Drag A Turd Like That
The other day, I was leaving for work when I heard a strange, watery sound. I thought it was our camel of a cat, Bender, gulping down water, as he is oft wont to do. Unfortunately, it was our other cat, Neko, puking. In one of the puddles of cat vomit, I found a small piece of purple ribbon, about one inch long, and figured that's what had induced the vomiting.
The next morning, my wife and I walked into the kitchen to find Neko walking about with several inches of purple ribbon hanging out of his bum with a lovely bit of well-digested cat food stuck to the end. The considerable turd had smeared lovely brown streaks all over our kitchen floor.
My wife got the privilege of mopping while I got the privilege of removing said ribbon. Neko didn't much care for that. I pulled the ribbon out and, much to our amazement, it was at least a foot long. How on earth does a foot of purple ribbon fit into the intestines of a rather smallish cat without killing him?
My wife continued to mop. I kept an eye on Neko for any signs of bleeding or continued discomfort. Much to our amazement, another piece of ribbon soon became visible. I pulled on the end only to discover yet another foot of purple ribbon lurking in our poor Neko's intestines. As soon as the second piece had been removed, Neko was back to normal, running, pouncing, eating our feet. And we don't leave ribbon out anymore.
Why Does My Cat Bite My Hand When I Stroke Her?
You have settled into your favorite armchair, perhaps reading the final chapters of a gripping novel. Suddenly you are aware of the imploring stare of your cat sitting at your feet. You invite her onto your lap. Gently you begin to stroke her and your cat signals her appreciation with an audible purr.
One hand holding your book the other hand continuing to pet your mouser, you again get lost in your novel. All is well in the world with you and with your cat.
Suddenly your cat bites your hand!
Why did kitty do that? Why did she bite the hand that strokes her?
The experts don't agree on exactly why it is that some cats enjoy being petted, but end up biting. One thing that they do agree on is that when kitty bites at you, it's a sure sign that she has decided that she's had enough stroking.
Cats differ in the amount of petting they will accept, and not all cats respond by biting when they have had enough. Some cats simply jump from your lap and saunter off to investigate interests anew. But many cats will nip you and your animal is one of them.
Could you have known that a bite was on its way? Yes, there are often signs that cats give before biting. And, if you had not been so wrapped up in reading your novel, you may have paid heed to your little pets warning.
If kitty's tail begins to twitch, in a rolling flick, watch out! She's getting ready to chomp at your hand.
If your cats ears start turning towards the back of her head, or flatten against her head, that's a warning a bite is coming.
If your cat suddenly becomes restless, or stiffens and stares at your hand, she could be about to nip you.
If you noticed any of these signals, simply stop stroking your cat. Your pet will either stay on your lap or jump down and walk off, whichever happens you don't get bitten.
What you should not do is punish your cat for biting your hand. That simply does not work. Cats are more likely to identify the punishment with you rather than with their bad cat behavior. If you miss a warning sign and kitty manages to get her jaws around your hand, try to resist the temptation to pull your hand away or push your cat away. Simply freeze. Chances are that your cat will not sink her teeth in, she has got her message across, and you have stopped petting her.
If you try and push your cat away it is likely that she will fight with your hand resulting in skin punctures for you. (An animal bite can become infected quite easily, if your cat does draw blood clean up the wound scrupulously and seek the advice of your doctor.)
Why do some cats behave in this aggressive way? The degree of tolerance to petting may be genetic, or it may be learned behavior. If when your cat was a kitten you allowed her to chew on your hand in play, she learned that biting human hands was an OK thing to do. So, when she feels that she has had enough stroking (she's the boss remember,) she will bite at your hand to let you know - if you ignore her warning signals.
Some experts recommend the use of healthy tidbits, as a reward, in order to increase the time your cat will tolerate stroking. At the first warning signal offer kitty a treat, continue to stroke your cat gently for a time and offer her another reward. It is said that your cat will learn to connect petting with the tidbits and may, with patience, allow you to pet her for longer periods.
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