#Grooming for long-haired cats

[herespaaa]

Pamper Your Feline Friend with At-Home Cat Grooming Services | HereSpa

Many cats find traditional grooming salons to be stressful and intimidating. With HereSpa's at-home grooming services, your cat can enjoy a calm and familiar environment, reducing their anxiety during the grooming process. The experienced groomers at HereSpa are skilled in handling cats of all temperaments, ensuring a gentle and stress-free experience for your beloved pet.

[carnybytes]

hello narilamb nation

[coolbeesbro]

Does anyone else have a long furred cat that absolutely hates being brushed? My girl Snail won’t let me without hissing and getting mad, so now the fur around her butt is matting. Before I shave the matts off to relieve the discomfort, does anyone have recommendations on how I could brush her without stressing her out and ending in me being shredded by her claws?

[kayforpay]

imagining nepeta lovingly brushing equius' hair and putting it in a nice braid and making sure it's perfectly smooth and then equius having to bodily hold her down to get just the worst mats out of her hair in return

[eyedelweiss]

I was reading “For The Sake Of A Few Good Felines” by Nellie… and realized I just really, really like to draw not-fully-human arthur.

Also, please mind tags if choose to read!!

[baasthasthezoomies]

Orange Cat AKA Sunshine Update

After he crawled into my lap a few weeks back I had a moment where I was sure he was ready to be picked up. Hoisted him up onto my lap while I was sitting in a chair and he was totally fine.

He’s a lap cat now and he CANNOT GET ENOUGH pets and affection. 🥹

Yesterday we began Adventures in Brushing & Grooming.

Here is a big orange tuft as well as video of Mr. Baby Man discovering his own face on camera:

[batsbirdsandspeedstersohmy]

Op will never see this but please take him to a groomer a professional one a cut with scissors on a cat is not good.

Really really hard to stop vet visit will cost less and your cat will be okay.

had to show you guys. he looks so unbelievably bad. for context he always gets shit crusted in his fur because he doesn’t maintain it so my mom decided to give him a haircut and wanted to even it out

[vimes-boots]

Oh the allure of the long-haired cat. The floofiness. The softness. Every picture is one I want to press my face against.

But the brushing. My god. The brushing.

[rizzyu]

▵▿— Hold Me Close

— Jing Yuan, Boothill, Gepard, Sunday, Phainon, Mydei, Anaxa, Jiaoqiu x gn!reader

Category: Actually tooth rotting fluff

Synopsis: what is it like cuddling them?

CW: none :D

A/N: when u don’t know which one character to write for... also pls let me know if past or present tense would work better for drabbles like these I genuinely don’t know AAAA

JING YUAN —▵▿

Be prepared to not be able to breathe for the next few hours.

The Luofu General would lay on top of you, with all the weight and muscles he had, cling onto you like a massive cat. How could he not? You were just so comfortable, a perfect mattress for his afternoon nap.

“Jing Yuan- darling you’re crushing me…”

The man would only hum in response as he shifted on top of you to get a bit more comfortable, pressing the last puff of air from your lungs as he nuzzled into the crook of your neck. His arms looped around your waist as if you’re a pillow. No matter how many times you tried to peel yourself away from him, it was futile.

“Just let me sleep…” He murmured. His voice was deep and gravelly.

You look down to see the man peacefully asleep. His lashes fluttered against his cheek. It was just part of his charm to be able to have you give in to him so easily. You could only sigh in defeat before bringing your hand up to comb through the General’s wild silvery mane, eliciting another content hum from him.

BOOTHILL —▵▿

Despite being 90% metal, the cowboy was oddly comfortable to cuddle with. Boothill enjoyed having you lay on his chest as he gently combed his metal fingers through your hair. One of the best parts about cuddling with you was being about to yap just about anything with you. What he did on the day… how fun it was to gun down IPC guards… how that secret stash of bullets in his pocket always tasted better with you on his mind.

Boothill loved nuzzling his face against you. It was the one way he could feel you, your body heat, and the smoothness of your skin. Somehow, it all made him feel so human.

“Darlin’… yer’s so soft. Wish I could feel ya all over.”

Often times, Boothill would nuzzle his face into the crook of your neck and kiss all the skin he could come in contact with before parting his lips and just gently bite on your skin with his teeth. Nothing sexual, he just wanted to feel and taste you. You were the one who made him feel whole, after all.

GEPARD —▵▿

Great at cuddling, especially after one long, tiring day of work.

The Captain of the Silvermane Guards would just haphazardly remove his armour, not even bothering to change out of his uniform before flopping into bed and cuddling you. With his face buried in your chest and arms wrapped around your waist, the man was finally able to let himself relax in your embrace.

Stroke his hair, pepper him with kisses, whisper sweet nothings to his ear, he’d let you do anything to him while cuddling. No words were needed to be exchanged either. He loved the peaceful silence shared between the two of you. But of course, if you wanted to talk, he would listen. If you asked him how his day went, Gepard would undoubtedly share all the wonderful and not so wonderful things with you.

SUNDAY —▵▿

Although being together for so long, Sunday still couldn’t help but feel flustered and giddy all over whenever receiving attention form you. Cuddling wasn’t an exception.

Sunday would be blushing and everything as you hold him close. His legs were tangled with yours and his face was buried in your chest as you idly groomed his wings. He could feel your fingers gingerly fixing every individual feather. He couldn’t help but let it flinch in your hands, and every time it did, he could hear you snicker softly. It was such a lovely melody, he would listen to your laugh for the rest of his life.

You would sometimes tease him for his adorable blush while you were cuddling, peppering his cheeks and making his cheeks heat up even more until the Oak Family head was all putty in your arms.

“Must you tease me so much? Ah… dear, please, this is so humiliating…”

PHAINON —▵▿

Phainon patiently waited for you on the bed. His armour was already removed. Upon seeing you enter the bedroom, he outstretched his arms, an adorably wide smile hung on his face as he gave you the puppy eyes.

“Cuddle?”

You swore he was going to be the death of your poor heart.

The moment you get into bed, he would cling onto your waist and bury his face in your stomach. You didn’t even get the chance to properly lay down yet and the man would be shamelessly attached to you, molding his body with yours. The feeling of you against him was everything that he could ask for.

The cheeky man would sometimes tease you out of nowhere, pinching your side or tickling you, just to make you flinch and giggle. You weren’t about to let him off the hook so easily. A cuddle session would all of a sudden turn into the two of you rolling around the bed, trying to tickle the living daylights out of one another.

By the time you two laid panting, Phainon would pull you close and bury his face at the crook of your neck before finally letting you fall asleep.

MYDEI—▵▿

Mydei was perfect to lay on top of. His body was broad and warm, your perfect heater. Not to mention, he would let you rest your head against his ‘pillows’ (ahem ahem).

Mydei gently traced random shapes on your back as he felt your chest rise and fall against him with every breath you took. The feeling grounded him. It reminded him of your comforting presence. Mydei let you trace his red markings as you cuddled. Your feather-light touch would send tingles down his spine.

You would sometimes prop you chin in your palm as you silently admire the Kremnoan prince. Your gaze would trace every feature of his handsome face, a smile gracing your lips, until Mydei adverted his gaze to hide his blushing cheeks.

“HKS…” He mumbled.

You could only giggle at his reaction before leaning down to pepper kisses all over his face.

ANAXA —▵▿

Anaxa was never the first to cuddle you, but he would always wait for you.

The moment he felt the mattress dip and your arms wrap around him, he would put away the scroll he had been reading and reciprocate, slipping his arms around your torso, letting you tangle your legs with his, and bury his face in the crook of your neck.

Anaxa lived for the feeling of your hands gingerly combing through his hair. It calmed him from one long day of dealing with his annoying students. The professor would rant on about his new theories, or how his students wouldn’t stop calling him atrociously ridiculous names.

“’Prof ‘Nax?’ Tsk. The sheer audacity of those children.”

Anaxa could feel your chest moving against his as you laughed, and he hugged you closer. The feeling of you by his side grounded him. He let his eyes droop as he relaxed against you. You were his solace, his sanctuary, the only deity he would devote himself to.

JIAOQIU —▵▿

The purpose of a fox’s tail was to keep itself warm. Jiaoqiu’s tail was for letting you hug like a pillow. He didn’t mind as long as he could feel your warmth around him. The two of you would lay side by side, you back against his front and his tail could curl to the front of you for you to hold.

Jiaoqiu wrapped his arms securely around your torso. He tended to slip his hands beneath your clothes to gently trace your skin as you cuddled. He loved how you soft you felt, and he’ll be damned if he wasn’t able to feel you for even a second. He would trace invisible shapes and rub gentle circles on your stomach or waist, or gently massage the muscles of your body.

“Your muscles are too tense… may I help you, my dear?”

The foxian would brush your hair to the side and litter your neck and nape with tender kisses and teasing bites, leaving little red marks over your skin. Every sensation of his lips and fangs on your skin sent shivers down your spine.

“Jiaoqiu… people are gonna see those marks…”

“Hmm…? Was that not the idea?”

OH GOD MY HANDS

[yanderedrabbles]

Yandere YouTuber

Short drabble request for @labodabi

I see him as a commentary YouTuber. Always on podcasts talking about the latest fashion or TV sensation. A good looking guy, always perfectly groomed and styled. Falls into that soft boy category - fluffy hair, lots of sweaters, a rescue cat that's always in the video out-takes. Approachable, comforting.

You interact for the first time when you make a video response to one of his controversial takes. You're no established youtuber, your channel doesn't even have any videos before you post about him. You don't add any fancy graphics or music. Just you and your slightly busted ring light, ranting at him for totally misrepresenting your interest.

But people are totally into it. You're passionate. You're funny. You're a breath of fresh air compared to the over produced, over budgeted videos that crowd the homepage.

He invites you on his podcast. Secretly, he expects you to back down. Be camera shy. You're just a no name with a phone camera and he's a guy who gets a million views within a day of uploading. It's got to be intimidating, right?

Nope. You're just the same in person as you were in your video. Not scared to challenge his opinions, not afraid of the lights and team of editors. When the video finally goes out, people eat it up.

User17899: OMG THE CHEMISTRY

sakura blossom: theyre so cute together im putting money on a hard launch in a week or two

YouTube Daddy 69420: he's so into them. just look at his eyes

And with such a great response, it's only natural that you get invited on again. That you start featuring in his full length videos. That he starts tagging you in every Instagram post.

You have no intention of being an influencer. But damn if the money isn't good. If the PR packages aren't sweet.

You move to the same city as him. Let him teach you the ins and outs of the biz. And he eats it up. Takes every opportunity to be your 'internet big brother.'

Yeah, right. Some sick big brother he is, going home and jerking it to pictures of you together. Shooting all over his screen just so it lands on your face. A real great guy.

It's only when you start build your own following that the toxicity really comes out. He wants you reliant on him, on his fame. Having your own channel blow up is just annoying. It gives you too much leverage - you don't need him for views anymore, you can walk away whenever you want. He can't stand it.

That's when he starts being sneaky about things. Starts hitting your videos with copyright infringement and DMCA takedowns the second you go live. Starts contesting your monetisation. Starts using bots to mass report your posts. All anonymously of course. Or through a shell company. Hey, he's been in this biz too long to make a rookie mistake.

And when you're at your wits end, when rent is due and you're broke from trying to get your videos back up, that's when he steps in. Says you guys can collab and he'll give you more than half of the sponsorship money.

Smiles all sweet and charming when he leans in and says, "There's lots of ways to pay me back, so don't worry about it."

You naive thing. He was never going to ask for money in return. No, what he wants is much harder to come by and all the sweeter for it. You think just 'cause he seems like a good guy that he's nice all the way through? That wearing nail polish and doing mud masks on cam makes him any less of a man? Any less hungry? No way baby.

And when it's time to pay up and he's pushing you to your knees, fingers practically ripping his belt buckle loose, you think he's going to stop just because you ask him to? When he has you exactly where he wants you? No matter how polite he is on the surface, he's still just a man.

[navydoves]

Bunny!Xavier and his strange affectionate habits

there’s always something new with your bunny boyfriend. his habits are so strange!

✎ᝰ a/n: i guess this is a series now lmao. if i were to do zayne or caleb, what animals would they even be. cat and dog? we’ll have to figure this out >_>

dragon sylus version

mermaid rafayel version

𖤐

❥ he nibbles on you! it’s gotten to be a little bit of a problem, but xavier can’t help himself. he’ll nibble on your skin and hair until there are tiny little red marks painted on you. at first you thought these were little hickeys, but the real explanation is much more innocent.

bunnies nibble to groom you! he’ll especially groom you when you’re bed rotting or are too lazy to get up. he wants to make sure you’re clean and if you’re not taking care of yourself — he will! but he also nibbles to get your attention. xavier is known to be pouty and clingy, so if he’s low on your love today he’ll forcefully sit on your lap and nibble on your face until you give in.

❥ he hides in your hair. whenever xavier feels overwhelmed or stressed, he’ll go straight to you and dig his head in your hair. it’s a combination of your scent and your shielding hair strands that gives him a sense of safety. he likes the way your hair feels against his skin along with the way it keeps him warm.

but still — wet, dry, tangled, brushed; he really doesn’t care what your hair is looking like, as long as he can bury his nose in your scalp and close his eyes. this also makes for a good cuddling session!

❥ he eats everything. xavier has the appetite of three elephants and then another three elephants. whether he can cook or not is irrelevant, even if he burns something to the point of it being inedible, he’ll still eat it. snacks you’ve saved for later or baked good you’ve left out gets gobbled immediately by him, and it was only ‘til you scolded him that he stopped. stopped taking you food that is, he’ll still beg.

if he smells a meal in the house he’ll quickly sit next to you and smile silently, hoping that you’ll spare him a piece. he’s learned to be less greedy, go easy on him — but he’ll become extremely elated if you give him a quick nibble. he wouldn’t even ask for a full piece of chicken or bread, just a little slither is enough to keep him happy. he thinks of eating together as bonding.

❥ he mimics you. sometimes consciously, mostly unconsciously, xavier will pick up and mimic your habits. if you have a habit of playing with your hair, xavier will also start playing with his hair to mirror you. if you touch your necklace in thought, xavier will also touch his imaginary necklace while he thinks. it wasn’t until he picked up on your manner of sneezing that you realized you left an impression on him.

you didn’t say anything at first: finding it rather endearing how xavier unknowingly imitates you. but once you brought it up in passing xavier tilted his head in confusion. did he really mimic you that much? he was a little oblivious to that fact, apparently. but even with that realization, xavier doesn’t try and stop himself learning from you. in fact, he tries to tease you by imitating you even more. he loves being like you because he simply just loves you.

❥ he teases you with his ears. xavier knows how much you love his ears, so he’ll use them to his advantage to play. when you’re asleep and he wants you awake, he’ll climb the bed, lean into your face, and move one of his ears over your cheek to stir you awake. in a similar fashion, he’ll use his ears to wrap around your head or wrist as another way to embrace you. the fluffy feel of his ears was always welcome on your skin, it felt like a hug from a pillow.

but by far his favourite way to use his ears on you was when he lightly traced your midsection and thighs with the very tips of his fluff. it tickles you slightly, but the purpose of this tease was to get you riled up and beg for a little more contact. he obliges, of course, but slowly. he loves taking his time with you. by the end of it all, his ears around wrapped around your thighs as he satiates his hunger in a different way this time.

❥ he claps when he’s happy. this can be mistaken as a normal human habit, but xavier does it much more often and eagerly than any regular person. his hands will patter together rapidly to create a very quiet but joyful sound. he has no “normal” way of clapping, he only does it in one specific way to show how content he is. if he thinks the sound is too distracting for the moment, he’ll hide his hands behind his back and pitter-patter them there.

even over small things like finding his favourite ramen in-stock at the store, he’ll clap very quietly to himself before putting it in the cart, and later on, when he gets to show you what he got from the store, he’ll start clapping again from how happy he is to share his excitement. as reserved as he is on the outside, xavier is very chipper on the inside.

𖤐

[shroompette]

Maine Coon Cat!König living alone in his den, generally unbothered until Bunny!Reader shows up during a storm, seeking shelter under the overhang of his home. Wet, cold and with an injured leg, König takes pity on her and brings her inside.

MCCat!König who doesn't really have many veggies lying around, but he does have some fruit. He watches Bunny!Reader's cheeks grow chubby as she stuffs them with bananas and canned nectarines. Poor thing, she must have been starved. He gives her a can of strawberries as well, which she neatly tucks away in her raincoat. He does not question her about it.

MCCat!König who, after he feeds Bunny!Reader, carefully rolls up the fabric of her pants to inspect and disinfect the nasty cut on her calf, taking the opportunity to give a closer look to her as a whole. He finds himself enchanted with the long, fluffy ears that droop around the sides of her head. Even wet, they still look enticing, cotton-soft and he wants to brush them, rub his cheeks against them, kiss them, pull them, bite them-

MCCat!König who manages to make Bunny!Reader a little nest to sleep in out of spare pillows and blankets, the crackle of the flames dancing in the fireplace lulling her to sleep. He watches her for a while and nearly purrs with delight when she rolls over in her sleep and reveals the round little scut that he'd like to use as a stress ball.

MCCat!König whose big ears twitch as he hears the sound of his front door opening in the morning, knowing Bunny!Reader must have slipped out into the woods again and it makes his heart pang just a little before he resumes his everyday life.

MCCat!König who is absolutely flabbergasted when a week passes and there's a knock on his door behind which stands Bunny!Reader and her three little buns. Without a word, she ushers them inside before disappearing into the woods. He isn't sure what to do. He has half a mind to run after her, but he fears leaving the buns alone would give them an opportunity to cause mischief and he'd rather not come back and find his den on fire. He stays, letting them sit in his big lap and play with his tail that sometimes tickles them on their twitchy little noses, so similar to their mother's. They're very messy eaters too - they seem to love strawberries, little fingers and cheeks sticky with their juice.

MCCat!König who is equally relieved and enraged when Bunny!Reader finally shows up hours later with a satchel of herbs and veggies for her babies who are currently bundled up in the nest he reassembled. He is about to tell her off, inform her that he isn't a babysitter when she stands on her tiptoes and nuzzles his nose ever so gently, difusing his anger completely. He barely blinks before she's off to check on her buns, satisfied with the state she finds them in - alive, with full bellies and sleeping.

MCCat!König who slowly gets used to Bunny!Reader dropping off her kids at his doorstep and watching them for a day or two before she comes back and expresses her gratitude via soft gesture such as nuzzle or a cheek kiss.

MCCat!König who sometimes makes Bunny!Reader stay in the den with the buns to go on a veggie/herb hunt himself, just so she can spend some quality time with them. He can not pinpoint the exact moment he became so whipped for her.

MCCat!König who starts leaving the nest out permanently because he knows Bunny!Reader won't stop coming around and neither will her buns anytime soon (he'd miss them greatly if they did).

MCCat!König who lets Bunny!Reader sleep in the spare cot (that he built just for her) in his room until she decides one night that sleeping beside him would be more comfortable. He does not try to object this in the slightest, not when he can finally feel her fluffy ears against his face.

MCCat!König who regularly grooms the buns' hair and furry ears and Bunny!Reader's as well with his coarse tongue, thinking he's displaying dominance over her. He has no idea she thinks she is the one in charge by letting him groom her.

MCCat!König who's suddenly not alone anymore. The quiet days of his den are over as it's now filled with laughter and chattering of the three little buns who have began to call him "Papa". He never knew two simple syllables could bring him so much joy...and then there's Bunny!Reader, with her genius manipulative tactics that involve licks, kisses and adorable tiny stomps of her feet when she wants something done her way. He would not trade her for anything in the world.

MCCat!König who slowly starts thinking his den is too big for just the five of them...and that perhaps he and Bunny!Reader should start working on some kitten siblings for the buns.

masterlist • pt2

[pyrrhiccomedy]

This is my cat.

His name is Eddie Potato.

Eddie Potato came home with us from the animal shelter in January (so about 9 months ago, now). He was around five years old, and had been living on the street before he was picked up by the cops and brought to the state run shelter (my boy was arrested for loitering). When we met him, he was sick, mite-infested, and covered in matted fur, scratches, and bites: but he was also very sweet, and very friendly, and he was already fixed, so we knew he must have once had a home with some loving humans.

[Eddie at his first vet appointment, trying to hide behind a paper towel.]

We'll never know what Eddie's first family was like, of course: but within a couple of weeks of adopting him, we were able to make a few guesses. He was happy to be pet, and calm about being picked up: but the only way he had to let us know that he'd like us to stop petting him was to swat our hands away, claws out. He'd then watch us, very closely, a little tense; like he was either expecting to be scolded for scratching, or expecting us to try to touch him again.

This told us that he had an affectionate family, but maybe not one that respected his boundaries. Maybe it was a family with kids, or maybe just a loving but pushy owner.

He's a medium-to-long haired cat, so he needs a bit of grooming to stay hygienic around his, let's say, pants area. I bought some quality clippers and a pet grooming electric razor. The clippers he was completely calm about: he let me trim the mats out of his fur very calmly, even the ones behind his ears.

The razor terrified him. I mean, he knew what it was on sight. He was sitting next to me on the couch when I took it out of the box, and the moment he saw it, his ears went back; he crouched low and fearful; and then jumped down and ran out of the room.

Okay; so his first family groomed him, or took him to a groomer, that was obvious: and it was probably a 'hold him down and get it over with' kind of experience, given how frightened he was.

He was very sweet, and very gentle - except when he wanted you to stop petting him. This was a cat who expected kindness, who believed that the humans around him were his friends: but he'd learned that his friends wouldn't listen to him when he told them to stop unless he drew a little bit of blood.

We just thought: wow, this cat is a really good communicator. He is being, like, so clear.

Eddie Potato is a very stupid boy - uncommonly stupid, even for a cat - so we prepared ourselves for it to take a while for him to learn that things had changed. We paid very close attention to him while we were petting him for the signs leading up to that swat, and we got better and better at stopping before the swat ever came.

I let him get used to the razor very slowly: for the first week, I just set it next to his food bowl at dinner time, about a foot away, so he could see it while he was at his happiest. For the next week, I'd pick up the razor, and move it around while he ate. The week after that, I turned it on for a few seconds, so he could start to get used to the noise. The week after that, it went on for most of his meal time, and I moved it around his body while I pet him: so he could start to associate the razor sound with nice touching.

Then I groomed him. And he was - fine. A little bit antsy, but fine. Happily munching away at his dinner while I neatened up his pantaloons. I usually only had about a minute before he made it clear that he wanted it to stop, but that was okay: I just groomed him for a minute or so for two or three days in a row, until the job was done.

After four months, Eddie Potato wasn't scared of the razor at all anymore.

And it broke my heart a little bit, because his first family had clearly loved him. And Eddie is a cat who needs to be groomed! And it had obviously always been a scary and stressful experience for him. But it didn't have to be! He just needed patience! Surely, if the people he had lived with before had known that he could learn to not be afraid in just a few months, they would have tried.

Teaching him that he didn't need to swat didn't take much longer. It was so clear that this was not a cat who wanted to hurt us. Once we got the hang of stopping before he got tired or stressed out by petting, the swatting went away completely.

What was so sweet was what he learned to do instead: when he was done with being pet, he started placing his big paws on my hand, and gently but firmly pushing it away.

"Oh, okay!" I'd say. "We're done!" and take my hand away. And he'd watch me, for two or three seconds: and then he'd start to purr like crazy, and push under my hand again.

He wanted to be pet. He just wanted to know that he could make it stop if he wanted to!

It's been months now since the last time Eddie swiped at either of us. Sometimes, he likes to play his little push-away game for ten or twenty minutes at a time! He rolls onto his back for a belly rub, and I do for a few minutes; then he pushes my hand away, and watches to make sure I listened; then he rolls onto his back again for more belly rubs. The whole time purring, purring, purring. Eddie loves his belly rubs, and he loves being listened to just as much.

I'm just so proud of him! He's had such a hard and scary year: losing his family, living on the street, ending up in a kill shelter, going to a strange new home with strange new people. And he still extended his friendship and trust to us, and let us show him that he doesn't need to be scared anymore, of razors or hands or thunderstorms or the sound of traffic. He's so dumb and so small and he's had so much happen to him, and now he gets exactly as much petting as he likes, and he isn't afraid to get his pantaloons trimmed.

Like. That's my little guy. I get to make sure he'll be okay from now on.

[thecattitudecentral]

The Majestic Persian Cat: A Comprehensive Guide to This Regal Breed

The Persian cat, with its flowing coat, expressive eyes, and serene demeanor, is often described as the epitome of feline elegance. Known for their luxurious appearance and affectionate nature, Persians have captured the hearts of cat lovers worldwide for centuries. Originating from ancient Persia (modern-day Iran), this breed has a rich history and a unique place in the world of feline…

[hellenhighwater]

Ho sorry to bother you

I’ve been lurking for a while loving all your sculptures and your kitties!

I’ve had cats my whole life, but they’ve always been short-haired. I rescued a long-haired stray not too long ago and unfortunately had to get most of his fur shaved off due to matting.

Now it’s grown back to a decent length and I was wondering if you had any tips or tricks to keep his fur from matting again.

Malice, Vice, and Mayhem always have the prettiest looking coats so I was curious if you used any particular brush for them and how often do you groom them?

Thanks so much for giving us awesome kitty content! Hope ya’ll have a wonderful day!

Brush regularly! I mostly use an undercoat rake, a slicker brush, and a regular hairbrush. Mayhem and Vice don't actually need help with their coats (that may change when Maybe outgrows her baby fluff) but Malice absolutely does. She's got incredibly dense fur that she doesn't do a great job with on her own. The undercoat rake is going to do the most to prevent matting near the skin.

Malice is very, very prone to matting, more that any other cat I've had. And she haaaaates being brushed, even when bribed. She does prefer a wet brush, though-- it's less staticy. I just dunk the brush in a container of water intermittently, which does also make the shed fur easier to gather up.

I've tried a lot of different brushes with her and haven't come across any she prefers, so I'm sticking with the effective undercoat brush and bribing her. I should note that if a mat does form, I often cut it out instead of trying to brush it. I'll brush out what I can, but she doesn't mind the little round-tipped fur scissors at all and it's less stressful for her. Sure, it'll occasionally result in a little short patch, but it's less stressful for her and that's a higher priority than her looks. I try to finger-comb knots out too, which is also less hated than the brush.

It may be that now that your cat is in better living conditions, he'll be able to keep up with his coat without help-- it really does depend on the individual and the coat texture.

[lologoinsolo]

Part 6, Part 7

Cats and Their Men Masterlist

“ACHOO!”

You sneeze hard enough your ears ring. Sinuses have been acting up ever since the weather went from cold to hot in a matter of days. It’s been muggy and warm and bending over the grooming tubs is not helping that headache of yours. You’d call out if you didn’t need the money. You sneeze one more time, the husky in the tub tilts its wet head and then flicks off the water.

“Aw, Princess, no!” Covering your face from the splatter of water, your smock soaked with wet hair now. Princess barks happily and wags her tail. Sighing loudly before drying her off as best as you can with a towel to let her sit in the kennel’s blow dryer for a bit. You take a seat near one of the grooming tables, rubbing your temples of the ever increasing headache you’ve got. Getting sick does you no favors and when you get sick, you get sick badly.

“Hey, girlie,” one of the other bathers come around. She pats at your back, “you doing okay?” Marlisa’s, a short woman of Mexican heritage with long, black hair, she’s older than you by ten yours but runs absolute circles around you. You wish you had her energy right now. “You look tired,” before you can make mention of a headache she places a hand over your forehead, “and warm too.”

“That’s new,” pulling back, you touch your own face, patting away at your cheeks and you do feel warm. “I’m,” covering your nose as you sneeze into your elbow, “I’m fine.”

“Nah,” she snorts, grabs a grooming lead and gets Princess out of the kennel. The husky prances along and you stand up, “come on,” Marlisa motions for you, “I’ll help dry her up and then you can get a break. You’ve got another one right?” You nod as you go the drying station. Princess jumps up immediately on the table and you clasp the grooming helper around her neck like a collar so she won’t jump when the blow dryer turns on.

Your next dog is a chihuahua and maybe you can ask a manager to go home, your roommate came home sick two days ago. You blamed the weather then and you’re blaming the weather now. “You don’t have to help, Mars.” Turning on the dryer and you get to blowing the tufts of wet fur. She decidingly ignores you and turns on another blow dryer. Princess gets blow dried, brushed out, and finished being groomed in record timing since two bathers are working on her.

You’re feeling hotter and hotter by the time she’s all ready to go home. Just as your chihuahua is coming around, Marlisa is already asking if she can do the dog for you. Normally you’d tough it out but your eyes feel like it’s burning and watery, and you feel sicker than this morning. Jess isn’t here so you had to speak to the next manager at the store, thankfully they saw your sorry state and allowed you to leave.

By the time you clocked out, chucked your smock off and started walking out the door, a familiar man with a beard comes a walking into the store.

“Miss?” He calls to you this time, granted your ears feel like it’s stuffed with cotton and he has to walk right up to you to gain your attention. “Hey?” His hand on your back when you sway, “you okay?” Those blue eyes of his deepen with worry when he then places his other hand on your forehead. “Burning up, sweetheart.”

Smacking at his hand on your face, you groan. Why is everyone touching your forehead? “M’fine,” standing a little straighter to prove it to yourself as well, “just tired is all.”

“Looks like you’re more than that.”

Your lips pull to a pout, you can’t find it in you to say something witty or tell him to talk to someone else. He’s probably needing help with his cat and you’d jump at the chance to help but… your head hurts and feels heavy enough to mimic a bowling ball. “I can’t help you today, John.” There’s a twinkle in his eyes when you remember his name. “I’m sorry,” his hand stills on your back. Not able to push that one away when he guides you out the door.

“Need a ride home?” He offers, subtly adding after, “I’m sure one of your friends can drive your car for you later to your place.” You lean against him, nearly tripping over your feet had he not stayed firm beside you. His hand settling more on your waist to give support, “best get you home, yeah?” He doesn’t give you a chance to protest as he steers you to his car. Plopping you in and asks for directions, you mumble as you give them. Typing them in his maps despite there already being a star next to it.

You’re in and out of it by the time he gets you home, any other time and you’d be screaming at yourself for getting into his car or even letting him know your address. In your delirium state you manage to text your roommates to let them know you're heading home with a guy. One of them is bound to be home, probably the one that may or may not have gotten you sick. And you don’t want them to panic when they see him. You pocket your phone and close your eyes for a second.

“Up you get,” hands are under your armpits and it takes a while for you to realize he’s already parked, opened your door, undid your seatbelt, and is helping you stand. “I’ll make you some soup,” you hear him say, you merely nod your head against his shoulder. His arm anchored around your waist as you wobble like you were drunk. He’s so sturdy against you, doesn’t even blink when he does most of the lifting as he helps you to your door.

You’re pulling out your keys and twisting it in when he’s helping you through the walkway of the unlocked door. No one’s in the living room and it’s a small mercy that you don’t have to deal with any unwanted questions. You just want to sleep and maybe down enough Tylenol to kill a horse. You don’t bother to change out of your work clothes and he doesn’t press on it as pulls the covers over you. His thumb brushes away at the strand on your hair, he murmurs something you can’t quite catch. You’re dozing off by the time he comes back with water and some pills, he leaves them on the counter and takes a keen look around.

He takes a pen and rips a piece of paper from your notebook by the time you’re snoring. He’d rather ask for your number but this is the next best thing. Scribbling his number alongside his name, he takes mental note of the inner workings of your apartment. Noticing the back door, the amount of windows, and counting the shoes on the shoe rack by the door. Just as he’s finished putting it all in his head, “evening,” he nods when one of your roommates gives a weak, unsure hello to him. He didn’t think they’d come out but it’s good that they did. “I’ll come by with soup and food for her,” stepping towards the door, “make sure she eats it.” He orders, leaving no room for an argument either.

“And you are?” A woman pointedly asks, probably the one that got you sick since she herself sniffles.

He turns to her, “John,” making it short and to the point when she gives him a look. He shuts the front door behind him before she can ask more questions. Taking a quick look around the apartment complex and his brows furrow. It’s not up to his standard, that’s for sure. The gate to the entrance is wide open, anyone can walk or drive through. The bus stop you take doesn’t put you directly in front of the apartment building either. You’d still have to walk a good 10-15 minutes to get to your door. And god only knows what could have happened if he didn’t take you home today.

He’ll need to check the surrounding areas and run a background check on your roommates as well. John’s glad you were sick enough to let him take you home, he would have rather a different reason for you to do that. Maybe somewhere along the lines of a nice dinner, expensive champagne bottles, and a pretty rose bouquet meant for just you but this will have to do. For now at least.

He sneezes softly, “son of a bitch,” pinching his nose in annoyance. He’ll need to make two soups, he gets a text that pings on his phone, he gives a quick read and sighs.

Three soups…