Dear Sinéad and Siouxsie,
I really enjoy your column very much and thought that you might be able to help with a problem. Muffin, whose story is at http://www.midcoast.com/~boba/, is a very loving cat most of the time. When his long hair must be combed, he turns into a monster. He glares at me the whole time and tries to scratch and bite, succeeding in drawing blood on occasion. He is especially difficult when his belly is being combed. Attempts to comb when he is wide awake always fail. When he is in a deep sleep and if I am fast enough he is a little easier to handle. A couple of minutes after the finish, even if he has succeeded in drawing blood, he is back to his loving self.

Our other cat is just the opposite. He is far more aloof most of the time, though he enjoys lap sitting on HIS terms. Combing is a breeze with lots of purring and an occasional verbal complaint when I pull his fur too hard. I hope you can help.

Bob

Siouxsie: We loved reading Muffin's story, Bob, and we think it's a great reminder to people that domestic cats can't just go out and live on their own.

Sinéad: Yes, we're very sad to think that some people believe it's okay to abandon a cat just because they don't want to take it back to their winter home, and besides, "cats are made to be wild, so they'll be fine." That's not true at all for cats that have been raised as house cats!

Siouxsie: But on to your question. Grooming can be a touchy subject for some cats. It's not that we don't like it necessarily, but that some cats just get a little bit . . . overstimulated . . . from all that touch on the skin.

Sinéad: Like Siouxsie, for example! When Mama grooms us with the Big Pink Mama Kitty Tongue (which she calls a slicker brush), I could sit and enjoy it for hours, but Siouxsie gets overexcited and starts lashing her tail around after just a few minutes. And if Mama doesn't stop brushing her, then Siouxsie will claw and bite her.

Siouxsie: But I sure do enjoy grooming you, Sinead. Especially when I get you nice and relaxed and then put you in a headlock and make you cry! Hah!

Sinéad: This isn't about us, Siouxsie, this is about Bob's cat. Mama tells us that most long-haired cats love to be groomed. In fact, long-haired cats need to be brushed and groomed every day because they'll get big, painful mats if they don't get this kind of care.

Siouxsie: Mama even said she once had a long-haired cat friend named Purr Bear, a Maine Coon cat cross, who liked to take baths! Can you imagine? She says he just stood in the sink and purred and purred as she shampooed him and rinsed him off.

Sinéad: There are a couple of reasons why Muffin may be reacting so strongly to your combing. First, he may be one of those cats like Siouxsie who's just a little oversensitive. Second, your combing technique may be causing him discomfort. Finally, if this behavior just started, it may well be that Muffin is in pain and he's trying to tell you so.

Siouxsie: If Muffin is an easily overstimulated cat, then you're going to have to comb him a little bit at a time. I know I can only stand a few minutes of grooming before I start feeling overwhelmed. Mama knows that, too, and she's usually very careful to make sure I get a break between grooming sessions.

Sinéad: You might also try some things to help Muffin relax. Play classical or ambient music at a low volume. There's a kind of therapeutic touch called T-Touch, that's really helpful for animals who are stressed out. I love it when Mama does T-Touch on me.

JaneA: T-touch, developed by Linda Tellington-Jones, is basically the art of drawing small circles with your fingers on your animal companion's fur. Using two or three fingers, start at the "6 o'clock" position, make a small clockwise circle, pressing lightly, and then go another quarter-circle to the "9 o'clock" position. Lift your fingers away from the animal's body, move to another random spot, and repeat the motion. It's important to move to random locations, and not on a line, and it's also important to use very light pressure. Make about one circle per second at the beginning. You will notice the animal relaxing after a few of these touches; when that happens, your circle making can get slower, maybe about one per two seconds. There are videos and books on how to do T-Touch, and seminars are taught in various places around the country, too.

Siouxsie: See, that's not so hard, is it? I've never met an animal that didn't like T-Touch.

Sinéad: I know it also relaxes me a lot when Mama rubs my ears. Oh, I love that! I get drowsy and purry just thinking about it.

Siouxsie: I like having my ears rubbed, too. Gently, though; you're not milking a cow! It's funny, even when I get overstimulated, I can stand having my head stroked and my ears rubbed. It's just my back that gets all skitchy and stuff.

Sinéad: If your grooming technique is causing discomfort, it may be because you're not holding the comb properly. Hold the comb so it's standing straight up from your cat's body; don't tilt it forward to comb far ahead.

Siouxsie: It's also possible that the brush or comb you're using is causing static to build up, which would be quite uncomfortable for a cat. Mama says long-haired cats should be groomed with good-quality metal combs, not plastic people-combs or hairbrushes.

JaneA: If you think your grooming technique might be causing a problem, there's a very good, and very detailed, section on how to properly groom cats in the book The New Natural Cat by Anitra Frazier. She has been a professional pet groomer for many years, and if I were a cat, I'd love to be groomed using her technique!

Sinéad: Also, make sure Muffin doesn't feel extra-vulnerable while he's being groomed. Don't put him on his back to groom his tummy; cats have the instinct to claw and bite when they're on their backs, not only because they're vulnerable with their soft bellies exposed, but because their teeth and claws are fully available for use in that position.

Siouxsie: I feel most comfortable when I can stand on a stable surface while I'm being groomed. When Mama wants to brush my tummy, she puts her hand under my chest and lifts my front paws off the ground a couple of inches, and then brushes me with the other hand. I like that, because I feel safe that way.

Sinéad: Don't comb too hard any place, but especially not on the belly. We've got tender parts under there! How would you feel having metal comb teeth scraping across your nipples?

Siouxsie: If Muffin's anti-grooming feelings started recently, or if he reacts more strongly in one place than in another, he may be trying to tell you he's in pain. If this is so, take him to your veterinarian and get him a checkup. If he has a hernia or something, it would make his tummy especially sensitive to being touched or groomed.

Sinéad: If Muffin has a bunch of large mats that are causing him pain, you may need to take him to a professional groomer or have your vet do the grooming and mat cutting while he's under anesthesia. He'll be a lot better about being brushed or combed if he doesn't have mats that are pulling his skin too tight.

Siouxsie: We hope this helps you and Muffin improve your grooming relationship, Bob, and we applaud you for being such a good papa to your cats. We also applaud Muffin for going public with his story, to help raise awareness about the issue of abandoned cats and their struggles.

Got a question? Need some advice? E-mail Sinéad and Siouxsie at advice@paws-and-effect.com. None of the advice in this column is meant to be a substitute for regular veterinary care.