Mattes

So in the mornings, part of our tasks are to clean out the cages that the cats are staying in.

You know, scoop the litter, make sure the food and water is full, sweep out any litter that ended up elsewhere in the cage.

Usually, how deeply I clean depends on the cat.

Some cats love to get out of the cage and wander around the enclosure while I clean.

Others prefer to just sit in their shelter and watch me clean, and others still.....just don't like people in general so you have to work carefully around them.

I usually don't try to force the cat to do something they don't want to do.

So if they want to stay in the cage, I work around them. If they want to jump out, I let them wander.

There are cats where it just takes them a week or three to warm up and want to leave the cage.

In this particular case.

We have a big orange and white kitty cat.

She is more of the shy kind. Preferring to sit and watch.

And hiss and growl at any other cats that come too closer to her cage.

For the past couple of days I've been cleaning her cage, she's allowed me to pet her head.

Where I could feel some mattes there in her fur. :(

As she's a longer haired kitty cat.

But as she was a bit temperamental and on edge with other cats, I haven't tried to do anything besides scratch her ears and pet her.

Figuring that those mattes could be easily cut off when she got adopted.

However.

That thought process changed today.

When this kitty cat finally came all the way out of her shelter, so I could see her fully.

-As I haven't tried to take her out before just so she doesn't get stressed out.

Oh.

OH.

The poor thing.

She had this HUGE matte of fur on the back by the tail. It was like eight inches long and at least two inches wide this huge matte.

O.o

I couldn't quite understand it.

How had the adoption group allowed themselves to bring such a matted cat! Usually they have them shaved first or comb them out.

After all, people aren't as likely to adopt a cat that looks ragged and ill-kempt. :(

No wonder people hadn't really been looking at her.

No wonder she was grumpy.

Those mattes probably weren't comfortable at all.

Just then, one of our groomers happened to be passing by.

So I asked her if anyone was working today that groomed cats.

(as not all groomers groom cats, it's a more specialized skill set. You start with dogs then go to cats if you want to.)

Which, she was one of the groomers who actually groomed cats.

So I asked if she would be able to give this orange and white kitty a combing or maybe shave the fur.

She took one look at the kitty and was like. "Oh we're shaving this one."

The mattes were that bad.

So she took the kitty cat into the grooming salon.

Which luckily, I discovered this early in the morning before they were busy with dogs and such.

Ah.

The kitty cat apparently purred the whole time she was being shaved. To which I would be really understanding lol. Get all that uncomfortable fur off.

Now she looks a lot happier if a bit less furry. :)

I'm glad we were able to help her feel better, though I feel bad that I didn't notice more quickly. :( poor thing.

-Sarnic Dirchi