Cat Question?

[oldgrandpajack]

I have always brushed my cat from stem to stern. Read in a dog magazine, last week, that some dogs have a double coat. The article discussed how to brush out dogs with a double coat. Thought I would try it with my cat.

The vet said my cat is a domestic short hair. Fancy words for Heinz 57. I brushed him backwords, and you wouldn't believe the snags. You wouldn't believe the fur that came out of him. He liked what I was doing so much, he kept head butting my nose, while I was snagging this bottom coat. I did it very gently, just a little at the time, working from the head, towards the tail. The only spot he objected to the reverse brushing, was his tail. Zoro looks great and is asking for the brush a lot now.

Is this common, for cats to have a second coat? This is my first cat, so I have no previous experience.

oldgrandpajack

EDIT: Since I reverse brushed Zoro, he is grooming himself a lot more.

 

[Lurker]

I have been around cats all my life and have never heard of anyone brushing one backwards. Maybe you are the first. I'm glad you found it to be a good method.

My mother made the mistake of vacuuming a cat once. Every time she started the vacuum after that, the cat came running and stood in her way until she vacuumed it again.

[Disclaimer: my mother has the oldest, weakest vacuum in the world. I wouldn't try this with a good vacuum]

 

[matt_j]

Same with my dog and vacum. Once I was taking care of my friends pup and when I started vacuming she took off and hid under the bed, when my dog just stood there waiting for his turn.

Matt

 

[metalhed]

We have four cats, and they all love being petted from back to front. I think my wife brushes them both ways, too. Don't know if it has to do with a double-coat or not...but they seem to love it.

 

[Size15's]

My parent's cat has a thick inner coat for the winter that be brush out as she starts to loose it for the summer. She loves being brushed and sometimes being brushed backwards.
She's scared of the hoover like you wouldn't believe - the high pitched high volume noise I guess.

Al

 

[markdi]

I have a shark cordless sweeper.
I used it on the back of my cat a few times
he loves it you would think the noise would scare
a cat away.

I got him used ( 7 years old ) he had 2 short term owners
that could not stand his constant need for atention
and he meows and makes a lot of other sounds constantly.
he gets mad if I do not let him in my room at night.
he makes a low piched moop type sound while he open and shuts the kitchen cabnet doors very loudly.

he is pretty good sized cat not fat
but he is over 15 pounds

H really likes the hot dorito chips
If he smells them he begs for one
I only give him 1 small chip

 

[PlayboyJoeShmoe]

Sounds like the cat version of my dog, Bart! (except he HATES a brush with a passion). Not sure what he thinks of a vacuum...

Craves attention, likes people food best!

A cat named Wrangler owns us, and likes to be petted, even back to front. He is also quite tolerant of stomach petting!

 

[Sub_Umbra]

My wife always brushed our cat backwards to remove loose fur.

Our vet told us to only brush him every other day. He said that sometimes brushing can irritate the skin slightly and if you only do it every other day it has time to heal between brushings.

 

[oldgrandpajack]

Thanks for all the input, guys. My cat disapears, when the vacumn comes out. Don't even have to turn it on. I will definately only brush Zoro every other day now.

oldgrandpajack

 

[js]

oldgrandpajack,

Yes, cats have two "coats" of fur. On some breeds they are different enough to create a heather, highlights kind of pattern. e.g. short haired abyssinians.

Brushing back to front need not be done very often, but if Zoro likes it, hey, do it that way every time. Have any pictures of Zoro?

 

[idleprocess]

I have a maine coon mix, and he definitely has a light gray undercoat to contrast with the almost-black outer coat.

Half of that cat's energy production must go into growing fur...

 

[oldgrandpajack]

Jim:
Sorry, no pictures. Couldn't put them online, even if I did. My scanner hasn't worked in ages. He is tall, long and black. Weighed 14 pounds 12 ounces, in February. He's not fat either. He can check out what's for dinner, standing on his hind legs, by the dining table. Taps me on the shoulder, when I'm sitting at the computer, and I'm 6'2".

idleprocess:
I know what you mean about fur production. It is all over everything. Sometimes, when I pet him, I see it wafting in the air. One thing for sure, my cat is prepared for our winters in Upstate New York. Don't know how he can stand the summer though.

oldgrandpajack