Grooming Aggressive Cats
It’s not easy grooming cats and as a Cat Behaviour Practitioner my extensive knowledge comes into play on every groom. Not all cats like being combed. Some cats have an aversion to be handled and touched resulting in the long haired breeds becoming extremely matted. Cats do not take kindly to being held on a grooming table and also are not submissive by nature so the groomers job, if one is to do the grooming as stress free and humane as possible, is a balancing act. The thing to remember is that once a cat experiences pain, whilst being wrongly combed (either by using in-correct grooming tools or being to hard and pulling on the skin) a cat will tolerate no future combing. Some cats display their intolerance by becoming aggressive and my job is to, first of all, decide what type of aggression the cat is displaying and why. There are many factors to consider. Is the cat showing learned status dominance so displaying aggression as a means to control the situation so the groomer stops, Is the cat fear aggressive from a past traumatic experience, has the cat an intolerance of being touched. Once I can determine the personality of the cat, whilst being groomed, I can then put a plan of action into place. Some grooms have to be done over time with counter conditioning playing a heavy role, some can be done working with the cats tolerance level and taking into account the level of aggression displayed and some cats have to be groomed under sedation as the kindest way forward.
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I never stop learning handling techniques and have realised that it’s never about me completing a job within a time frame but about the cat and the future of the cats grooming. Educating clients is at the forefront of every grooming session. They must understand that a lot of cats, especially breeds such as Chinchilla Persians, hate being confined and held against their will so this, obviously, makes grooming difficult. Owners need to understand the signals their cats are giving them. Cats who start manically licking themselves whilst I am grooming them are stressed, not helping me out as one client thought!! Most aggression is born through fear and is a defensive mechanism. Gathering information about the past helps me to understand why a cat would react this way and a cat behaviour modification plan will be personally designed by me for that individual cat. I am a specialist at grooming aggressive cats so please do not hesitate to get in touch if your cat is of a challenging nature.
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I have loved my six years grooming cats because I have learnt so much about them from the most bizarre circumstances. From cats that have nearly taken my arms off to the sweetest of cats that love water and being bathed. I have appreciated every experience, however frightening, difficult or seemingly impossible. Every cat has been my greatest teacher. I’m happy to groom your cat if they are fine with the process but the clients who really need help are the ones who have long haired cats who are aggressive or phobic to the whole grooming process. Many clients contact me at the end of their tether, when they are searching for a groomer who is used to grooming aggressive cats, begging for help as nothing can be more distressing that constantly having to sedate your cat when their fur gets matted.
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Once your cat is old then specialised handling needs to be considered because many areas of your cats body will be delicate and joints may be arthritic. I understand totally what you are going through and feel I am equipped to help you with the most severe grooming cases. Please don’t suffer alone. Email groominghelp@catbehaviourist.local and I will do all I can to assist you.
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