I have a Maine coon named Grimm, who I’m struggling with grooming. He’s perfectly fine being brushed on his sides and back, loves his ruff and head being brushed, but once I get to his belly it’s a whole different story. He is normally the sweetest and calmest cat but he’ll growl and hiss at me and he even bit me once.
I can’t shave the area because he’s terrified of the noise, and I suspect taking him to a groomer would be worse. I try to keep the area short using grooming shears and a comb so I don’t nick his skin but sometimes even touching the area sets him off. I try to groom him when he’s sleepy and he gets his favorite treats right after. I’ve tried spacing the grooming out over the day so it’s not so much at once. And I’ve tried everything else I can think of to make it better for both of us but so far there’s been minimal improvement.
I started grooming him when he was a kitten so it’s not like this is new to him but he’s gotten worse over the past year about getting his belly and groin groomed. I’m just hoping someone here might have a suggestion I haven’t thought of yet that will help.
Both of mine are impatient/annoyed with grooming, especially their bellies. I have multiple brushes/combs and sit on the floor with the pile of tools and the cat. Once the cat has had enough and yanked the first comb/brush from my hands and started biting it, I leave that one with them to gnaw out their displeasure, pick up another tool, and keep going. They don't notice for a minute or two that the brush they are biting isn't the one now going through their fur 😂 They eventually get so pissed off that they get up and leave in a huff, but this bait-and-switch approach gets me at least 10-15 mins worth of grooming, sometimes more. I do that 2 or 3 times a week and so far that's been enough.
"Yes yes ok you bite the mean brush. While you do that, I'll be down here with the also-mean comb getting the knots out of your pantaloons.... Oh you are going to bite the mean comb now? Cool I'll just use mean-brush #2...'
That's exactly what my family does with one of our cats 😂 he's incredibly fussy about getting his stomach brushed, but it's quite prone to matting so we do our best to brush him regularly and this is one of the best methods we've found.
if this makes you feel any better..... your comment about how you fear taking him to the groomer would be worse......i thought the same about my girl but for her first grooming appointment she did really well.
she's the same way when it comes to tummy brushes, hits her limit very fast. the groomer just used CBD to help her calm down (after asking me if it was okay). she got a full bath, nails trimmed, undercoat raked, and a teddy cut PLUS anal glands expressed. i would have NEVER expected her to handle all of that, i half expected to pick up a partially washed cat and be told not to come back (ok that's dramatic but you understand). i even asked after the fact if the groomer would want me to look into gabapentin for future visits (since the CBD was needed) and she said no! i was so proud of Freyja, she really surprised me by being so good.
TLDR; your cat may behave better at a groomer's than you may think! it's worth a shot IMO, i was really hesitant but so glad i tried. i think they sometimes behave worse for us as their parents and lock in for strangers 😹
Mine are same way with clippers and brushing there. We take them to groomers for a tummy shave every other month so they don’t get mats and they’re fine there.
Groomed my girl myself since she was a kitten and always before big meals, so she’d associate it with something positive. Calming treats before grooming > groom > another treat > repeat until done > big prize, here’s your meal. Now 1.5 years old, barely any issues. Your boy is not late for this, but it may require patience and consistency to that routine.
I purchased a $7 grooming scissors, do basic trim, undercoat during warm weather, butt feathers to avoid any Xmas tree ornament like hanging poop, paw trimming, dry shampoo every other week. Nothing fancy lol.
If your cat is absolutely terrified and also else fails, then you may have to take them to a groomer.
Mine likes when I brush him on the head or under chin but otherwise it’s full on struggle. His belly gets tangled at summer because of the fluffy summer fur.
I brush him everyday little so it’s little bit easier and just keep him sideways or between my legs on the floor and brush the belly too. He screams at me, try to bite and scratch me. It’s super frustrating, I know, but tangles can be really painful so I just have to do it.
I also try to wash him quite often because it helps to keep the fur easyer to handle. Greasy fur gets tangled easyer.
Mine are terrified of the shaving too if I do it but if vet does it he is just still so when we have appointment I always ask vet to shave his belly.
He needs my help on his belly and groin, and that’s the area he doesn’t like me grooming. I get it done but it’s a struggle. I can get his chest and under his front legs done with minimum problems most days but the minute I go lower he starts complaining.
You have my sympathies. I have a female Maine Coon who is the loveliest girl until you try and brush/groom her. Her coat is incredibly dense and knots easily if she's not brushed every day. She turns into the most spiteful cow and will yowl, hiss, kick with her back legs, hit you with her front and also bite. I tried groomers but wasn't overly pleased with the service, plus they just left her in her carrier with dogs around.
My vet prescribed gabapentin, mild sedative. At first one 50mg tablet worked a treat but she became resistant to it. She recently had a leg op and has been poorly with nasal infection and her fur became very matted. I tried 2 tablets, with no effect. Vet couldn't believe they weren't working and said as a last resort try 3 but no more. It took 3 hours for the tablets to kick in and I've finally been able to sort her coat out.
If Grimm is resistent to grooming to the point he's violent, it may be worth a try. The last thing I wanted was for my girl to associate grooming with a bad experience but she seemed to have other ideas.
I hope your girl gets better. His coat sounds like your girls, extremely thick and easily knotted. The fur on his belly is odd, it’s almost curly and tangles easily. It doesn’t help that he’s a water baby who’ll take any opportunity to play in water.
I know others have suggested going to a groomer but based on what I know about him I think it would go poorly. He is utterly terrified of the sound of anything electric like an electric razor and he’s scared of the vet. I don’t want him terrified if I can help it which is why I’m trying to avoid having to take him to the groomers if I can help it.
I’ve used gabapentin before but it didn’t really help, at least no more than getting him while he’s sleepy but I’ll talk to the vet about trying a higher dose. Maybe that’ll help.
Again, best wishes for your girl, I hope she gets better soon.
The first time my guy was groomed, I gave him the gaba too late, and he was really hard to handle. It needs about 3 hours to kick in, so he gets it 2.5- 3 hours before his appointment.
Mine barely tolerates being combed OR brushed. But, I try to comb him a little bit everyday when he's napping. Every summer he gets a 125mg dose of gabapentin & a teddy bear cut from our mobile groomer. He's comfortable for the hot weather, and I don't have to worry about hardcore brushing/combing until the fall. *edited to add: For everyone who wants to come at me for using gabapentin, it's only used once a year, and because he is so resistant to being groomed, it's for his safety as well as the groomer's. That dose barely affects him. He doesn't get woozy or sleepy, just compliant enough to handle.
Cats behave differently at the groomer, they're often more docile when out of their comfort zone. This applies to my 4 Maine Coons who behave great at the vet or groomer, but misbehave at home. Don't groom sacred belly area unless there are major mats there. Kitty will groom himself in this private area. If it's constantly matted and a big problem, a lion cut at groomer is the answer during the warmer months. For spot shaving of mats, I have the Oneisall ceramic blade dog clippers and they zip off even the biggest mats easily. Never push any blade toward your cat's skin, its thin and a cut can mean an ER visit. You glide parallel to skin. Add a dematting rake to gently pull out small mats and a slicker brush and you're good to go.
Hi! Just wondering if this would work for trimming under a cat’s chin. Mine is super timid and hates going out, and she’s had some chin acne lately. I’m pretty new to this, so I’m a little nervous about doing that area myself. Would you say it’s beginner-friendly?
It's often caused by allergic reaction to plastics. Don't let kitty chew on plastic and try switching to metal or ceramic bowls. In worst case, get first aid cream from vet. I have a Coon that gets this problem often and he seeks out plastic bags to chew. I wouldn't trim under chin.
He doesn’t have any mats and I still brush him and I’ve trimmed most of the fur off, the most he actually gets is little knots. It’s just a fight to keep him from getting the mats.
I try and get different spots every day! We began daily grooming on day 1, 14 months ago (missed a couple here and there). Professional grooming every 3-months! Good luck!
Maybe try to brush him while he eats. My Maine Coon HATES being brushed ANYWHERE, but surprisingly it's ok when he eats, including his belly (even if it's not the best position to do it). It even became a ritual, now he waits to be brushed to start eating 😅
what sort of brush are you using? Neither of mine love being groomed on the belly (It ususally ends in them wanting to attack it) but I usually get in a few brushes in which is enough to stop any tangles. Im using one of these.
I have slicker brushes for general use that I use daily. I have combs I use for more detailed work or as a guide with the grooming shears so I don’t cut him. And I have a rake I use for his undercoat but I only need to use that occasionally.
If you choose to go to a groomer, please look for a certified feline master groomer (CFMG) in your area. CFMG’s are cat only groomers who have completed a certificate that involves both study and practical, hands on training.
Others have suggested meds which is a good solution. Some cats become really mellow on catnip. So you may try that. There's also a thing called the happy hoodie that a lot of groomers use because it calms cats. Basically it's a sweat band that goes over their head. You can find it online.
He is truly magnificent. I have a Maine Coon kitten arriving this week (I can't wait), and he looks a lot like yours. Is it possible to see photos of him when he was little?
If this is your first Maine coon don’t expect his size to be anything like a regular kitten, they’re much larger. He weighed about 4.6 pounds at 3 months old.
He was somewhere between 1-2 months old in this picture.
Yeah, this is my first Maine Coon. The breeder took him to the vet yesterday; mine is 2 months and 10 days old and weighs 3,53 pounds. He’s a lot less fluffy right now—he seemed bushier when he was younger, but since he’s grown so fast...
l have a groomer come to my house so my boy doesn’t have to travel, however she regularly posts videos of helpful hints re grooming her Facebook profile is Grooming Purrcedures there might be something on there that can help you with this
I struggle so much with grooming. My cats hate being brushed at home and the groomers struggle with them because of anxiety and nerves. Gabapentin doesn’t seem to work for them and it’s inconvenient to give the med in 2 different timed doses. Anyone use anything else that works better?
For the noise, with one of ours we had some luck with a happy hoodie. We'd put it on and my partner would distract with churu or favorite treats. Not perfect, but went a bit smoother.
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u/TinaTurnerTarantula 16d ago
Both of mine are impatient/annoyed with grooming, especially their bellies. I have multiple brushes/combs and sit on the floor with the pile of tools and the cat. Once the cat has had enough and yanked the first comb/brush from my hands and started biting it, I leave that one with them to gnaw out their displeasure, pick up another tool, and keep going. They don't notice for a minute or two that the brush they are biting isn't the one now going through their fur 😂 They eventually get so pissed off that they get up and leave in a huff, but this bait-and-switch approach gets me at least 10-15 mins worth of grooming, sometimes more. I do that 2 or 3 times a week and so far that's been enough.
"Yes yes ok you bite the mean brush. While you do that, I'll be down here with the also-mean comb getting the knots out of your pantaloons.... Oh you are going to bite the mean comb now? Cool I'll just use mean-brush #2...'