[Miss Dixie]

I have a cat that is almost 8 years old. Simon weighs in the neighborhood of 20 lbs. and can't really groom himself that well. He is long-haired and has ALOT of mats in the hair. I took him to the vet for his check-up and the vet said that Simon would have to be sedated and shaved because he bites. Simon will let me brush his back, but only while he's eating slice beef and gravy...

My question is...does anyone know the effects sedation would cause? Has anyone else gone through this? I'm kind of worried because I had a cat about 10 years ago and took her in to be spayed and she died during the procedure.

My vet said not to worry, but Simon is like my child.......

Any info (pros/cons) or alternative methods would be appreciated..........

 

[Chuck]

Sedated cats

Satisfactory feline sedation depends on two important factors: choice of sedation tools and velocity. I have always chosen the softer mexican made bricks thrown with a tab bit more velocity rather that the hard fired bricks being made today. And if you are forced to use concrete chunks, please use much lower velocity since the embedded rebar will add an unknown amount of kinetic potential that is hard to judge except in the most experienced hands. And might I suggest, when your loved kitty is fully sedated and prior to shaving, a good feline dentist can fix that pesky biting problem pretty quick. Just be sure you own a good blender for that tasty sliced beef and gravy! :d :d

Good luck with your kitty......i luv 'em too!
(I just couldn't resist!..rofl)
Chuck

 

[allicat]

wendi, i have alway just used sizzors to cut matts out. i just try and do it gradually when i catch them in a good mood. i do know one thing....if you go at a cat with an electric shaver, the cat had better be sedated. my vet tried that one time, to shave around a small cut my 17lb boy had and it was trouble, im telling you. there were 6 of us trying to hold him down, and we all got it! i have had mine sedated at one time or another for different reasons, and havent had any trouble. thats terrrible what happend to yours, so i can see why you are hesitant to do it again. i supposed theres always that risk when you sedate animals, just like people. but i would think the risk would very minute, especially if you have warned your vet what has happened to you before. sorry i cant help more. you can call me if you want to 281-3 31-8991, i breed himilayans with long hair. if you wanted me to come over and help you do it yourself with sizzors i could. but your vet probably knows best, you gotta follow your instincts on this one i think.

are you going to the beach today? we could talk there if you want to.
trudy

 

[Miss Dixie]

I have managed to cut several of the mats out with scissors while he's eating, but I can't get to the underside of him. I have a mask that fits over his head and covers his eyes and keeps his mouth closed, but he won't let me hold him and I'm afraid it stresses him out too much.

I am planning on trying to make it down to the beach. We are having our family reunion today. I told Darrell that we could go to the reunion and then drive down there. Rosie is working today and I'm not sure what time she's getting off.

 

[MikTheKnife]

You'd be surprised....

at how tough cats are. We (Jan) has a 19-year-old cat who is on the brink of death. He has been on the brink of death for 6 months. We have four other cats who won't go near him for fear of getting their tails kicked. Coco is the poster cat for cats who used up all nine of their lives.

Anyway, as old and decrepit as he is I decided to give him a bath the other day. That cat put up one heck of a fight but we all lived an no blood was shed, but the bath did involved me the 12-year-old from across the street and our two little ones.

Bottom line is that vet techniques and procedures have come a long way. If you trust you vet and feel he has the best interest of you and your cat in mind then I wouldn't be worried.

Take Care
MIK

 

[ShadMan]

We just sedated our cat to fly him out to Denver and he reacted well. I won't get into the all the mishaps that occured, but at one point, he fell out of the pet carrier onto the floor in the airport, and he just laid there! He was definitely sedated, because this cat is scared of the slightest noise or movement normally and would have run for days if he wasn't sedated! Once he got here, it took about a day for the sedation to wear off. We never noticed any ill effects.

 

[WT427]

I'm pretty new to keeping cats and I took in a stray boy that was 3wks old, 2.5yrs ago. Long story short I didnt know how to take care of a cat and I had to put him down about a yr. ago because of struvite crystals. His name was Chief, and it about killed me to watch him go. I thought I did everything right. Regular vet visits and even a littermaid. I have another one now that I call Chubs and I really don't want to go through this ordeal again. Does anybody have any good tips on keeping male cats?

 

[Aunt Joyce]

Miss Dixie....

You're having the same dilemma as am I.

Our Vet wants to clean my Yorkey's teeth again. (last done in 2002). This requires sedating, too. My son Eric had Arthur scheduled for May 29th. (which was my birthday so Eric cancelled). I told Eric how I remember how Arthur was the last time. He looked and acted like a very sick pup afterwards.

The Vet gave us anti-biotic as a "follow up" the last time he went through the procedure. The anti-biotic made him sicker. Each time it was given to him he threw it up. He spent a couple of days hiding under my bed.

I posted here asking for opinions and I received some good ones.

But...I couldn't shake off my feelings about it...and the Vet is still waiting for us to reschedule.

Everything I've read or heard about anesthesia says "caution". One of the reasons doctors consider surgery a "last step measure" is because of the risks of anesthesia.

At the moment I am going to a Doctor who is a Specialist in Pain Medicine and Anesthesiology. I'll send him an email about this and see if I can get a reaction.

If it were me, I would simply keep my cat carefully wrapped in a towel to prevent biting and scratching....just exposing where matting is so I could work with it bit by bit.

If I didn't keep after Arthur's coat (which comes in two layers for his breed) I would have big time problems and he would be very uncomfortable. Even though I have to do most things laying flat, and Arthur realizes this, I make sure that I brush him and occasionally groom him with Barber Shears at least once a week.

But the matting itself can be very painful for your precious cat. If it's pulling on his skin, you can just imagine how it must feel. Wouldn't that feel pretty much the same as the old fashioned "Dutch Rub"?

Anyway, you travel with some pretty cool people. You might ask their opinion.

Good luck Miss Dixie.

 

[ShadMan]

WT - Cats are very hearty...they require minimal effort. Just food, water, and a clean litterbox (to keep them from using your carpet as a litterbox). Your previous experience sounds like a freak occurance. I've had cats my whole life, including one that spent as much time outside as inside and lived nearly 21 years. She was shot by a pellet gun three times (by a neighbor), bit by a snake, and tormented by two young kids for several years. She was still active and playful up until about a month before she died. Cats are very independent and require very little care, unlike dogs.

 

[Badhabit]

Cat sedative : 180grains of 40cal hydrashock..... works every time....LOL

 

[Crossroads]

I have used a half tablet of over-the-counter Benadryl for our 14 pound kitty. Makes her real sleepy and docile. We have used this method when travelling long distances. Now she doesn't need anything, 15 minutes on the road and she's sound asleep for hours.

 

[69HEMI-R/T]

We had a male cat that died at 3 years old because of the crystals in his urine. Switched to Iams or Eukaneuba (dry food only) and the problems disappeared with our other cat. He lived to be 19 before he died of cancer! Have a female that is 24 years old that eats the previously mentioned foods and she still has all her teeth and gets around pretty good. Give her tuna about once a week. Do not feed them Purina Cat Chow!!! Bad Stuff!

 

[Dolphin]

Miss Dixie, to your immediate problem â€" the mats of hair. Have only had three long hairs in my life, however have had cat’s my entire life. The first cat â€" Snagelpuss (Snag for short) was a calico, outside cat. She matted really bad. We would cut the mats off as we could, however she pretty much took care of them herself by chewing them off. Yes, sometimes it would leave raw, bleeding skin, however it was just skin wounds and they would heal â€" she did this every summer (in Oregon, where it was not very hot). She lived many years and don’t know how she died as she just disappeared one day. I think she was at least 16 years old at that time. The second long hair was a kitten me and a girlfriend rescued on the night before Thanksgiving (this was in the Rio Grande Valley â€" extremely hot). We then decided to become roommates and moved to a small house that was not equipped with Heat/AC â€" this poor cat (Vincent), well, we thought he was going to die from heat exhaustion. He was a strictly indoor kitty, so we took him to the vet and asked that he be shaved â€" the vet flat out refused. Said that the hair kept him cool as well as warm and that he would be just fine (and he was). He finally was put down at 14+ and was blind and had diabetes, however he too lost the ability to groom and was matted the last year of his life â€" we never worried about it. The current kitty also has long hair, however he has a lot of the Maine **** breed in him. His long hair does not get tangles at all. Have never had a cat that has hair like this one. Ok, enough reminiscing , why do you feel that it is necessary to remove the mats? Is it causing kitty problems? Is he an outdoor kitty? If so, yes you do need to worry about at least keeping them trimmed up so that there are none hanging off him/her that can get hung up on brier, etc. Is this the first year you have had this problem? I am a cat lover and owner and fully understand about them being “our kids” Ultimately it will be your decision and only you can decide. Sorry to not be of much help â€" just hope that it gives you some other options and some things to think about. Also, take him to another vet and get a second opinon â€" we do for ourselves, why not our pets?

 

[Fishnut]

I know your worry but we have sedated ours recently

and this guy is 16 years old. He needed a teeth cleaning and the only way to do that on a cat is sedate him.

He should be fine as long as you have a good Vet.

Fn

 

[bill]

Hey Matt

Have you heard anything about the dog? Hows she doing in the training? We think of her still. I really hope they can help her adjust.

 

[ComeFrom?]

LOL @ Darrell. That's A Good Load....

however, I have found 41 grains of Hogdon 4364 in a 22.250 Remington 700 BDL with a Zeiss 3X9 power at 100 yards is quick and most humane. j/k I'll ask Doc Davis at church in the morning. His cat (my cat 'cause I feed him) "Hurculeeezz" is 2cool for comfort. Healthy as I've seen him since they picked him up 7 years ago. He just looks at the dogs from across the road when they come over as if to say, "come on a little closer you dumb @##$$^&^! ." I really like cats believe it or not. They are great to have around. My ex- taught me that one! LOL! CF?

 

[Badhabit]

I got a kitty too CF.... I have got attached to him also... He always brings me his kill just to show off..... Birds, mice, big rats from the vacent lot next door... A real hunter...LOL

 

[flatsfats]

i knew some old timers

that would put a cats front feet and head inside a work boot and have somebody hold em while they worked on em. cat might not appreciate it much tho.

by the way i love em too

 

[Miss Dixie]

Simon's appointment was for tomorrow, but I called and cancelled it...still have my reservations.
Dolphin, Simon is an indoor cat. The mats have been there for some time. He can't reach where they are. I think they bother me more than they bother him though.
There are regular groomers that will groom cats, but since he has bitten in the past they won't do it without sedation. I have managed to cut several of the mats out myself. I think I could do all of them if there was someone here to help me.
I appreciate the info given...except the bullet grain to use or what kind of bricks are best....lol.

 

[Badhabit]

Bring Simon over, we'll give him a vicodin, you can clip away...LOL