Cat not grooming herself??

Question

I have a cat around 12 years old, she is still as active as she ever was which isnt a great deal, she only has about three teeth and has a gum problem, i just wondered if this could affect her grooming herself? she cleans her underside but the rest she doesnt touch, we try to do it for her which isnt easy as she growls and hisses on a good day, when there aint a brush near her, i just wondered if it was normal? or is there something wrong?

Answer 1

It really sounds like she needs a trip to the vet.  With my cat, she stopped grooming herself when the arthritis got too painful.  There is a cat pain medicine that you can add to her food to give her comfort.  It can be hard on their kidneys though so only a vet can decide if it is worth the risk and prescribe it.  Whether arthritis or mouth pain, that should help and perhaps she'll be able to groom herself again.

Aside from that, they do make grooming gloves and wipes which she may be more willing to accept.  The gloves have rubber dots to help brush the hair and to her will feel more like petting.  The wipes really help a lot to remove dirt.

Answer 2

Dental problems can cause a cat to groom themselves less and this is not uncommon.  You can try to just to a little bit everyday, working in sections.  Start with sessions of no more than 2 minutes.  Be as patient and loving as you can.

If you find you cannot groom her, contact your vet.  Many vets will provide basic grooming for older cats who have problems with grooming.

Letting her coat get out of control will eventually cause lots of problems.

Good Luck!

Answer 3

She's getting too old and loosing her "tree".

Answer 4

You should take him to a cat spesialist (how ever you spell it) there realy good with them or mabye you have to give the cat time