Cat question!?

Question

Ok I have four cats (and I love them) but one of them has long hair and I have a problem with gritty stuff in his hair. I think its flea poop but Im not sure. Does anyone have any ideas on how to get rid of the stuff? I cant really bathe him becuase of his long hair (it will knot up). My mom found something that works kindof, she vaccums it out. But it scares the dat really bad and I think its kind of cruel. So if you have any ideas pleasem help. Also any ideas on keeping a kitten out of a christmas tree? Thanks

Answer 1

A very fine baby comb works the best.

Answer 2

Tell your mother to STOP vacuuming the cat! It is INDEED cruel and dangerous for the cat. Your mother sounds like a sadist and no cat should be allowed around such a person! Really, this is NO GOOD for the cat! It can cause many problems both physical and psychological. Take the cat to a veterinarian for the problem and he or she can recommend products that will work to rid your cat of this problem, and the vet can also CORRECTLY identify it. If one cat indeed has fleas they ALL do! Keep the kitten FAR AWAY from the tree. Nothing is foolproof besides keeping the kitten out of the room. All the stuff about aluminum foil and so on that the other poster recommended is not always successful and could prove dangerous for a variety of reasons. I don't think you should add any additional cats to this group. You sound like you have your hands full with those you have. Too many cats is NOT a good thing no matter how much you may love them. Take the long-hair to the veterinarian NOW!

Answer 3

I had a long haired cat too & as much as I love cats I dont think I could go through that again! I would say try using a flea comb & a cat brush both together. Brush first with the brush and then take the comb and run it through. You could even try getting the brush wet a little bit in some warm water and maybe that would help get the stuff out. Try brushing the coat at least once a day every day or every other day then you can keep up with the knots and it wont get so bad that you have to drag out the scissors and start snipping!

As for the kitten in the christmas tree... Maybe some sort of cardboard collar at the bottom of the tree which would be very undecorative but it might work. Or maybe just a spritz bottle of water or a loud rustling of a plastic bag will scare it and it will learn not to mess with the tree. It may seem mean but it will get the message!

Answer 4

Flea dirt can indeed feel gritty if there is lots of it. Get some of the stuff out of her fur and put it on a wet tissue - if it's flea dirt it will turn red.

The flea dirts can be combed out although if there's lots it will take several sessions! But there's no point combing the flea dirt out if you're not going to treat the cat properly for fleas. Presumably you are using something? It has to be something from a vets like Frontline, Revolution or Advantage otherwise it won't work - trust me when I say pet store stuff doesn't work.

I always treat flea-ridden animals with Frontline (make sure it gets completely on the skin of the cat) and then the next day I comb some of the dirts out, and the next day I comb a few more out and so on until they're all gone. It takes a bit of time but if you've treated properly for fleas they will go eventually. Don't let your mom vacuum the cat, you're right that's cruel - anything unnecessary that scares the animal is cruel.

Chalice

Answer 5

Easy test for fleas:
Brush the cat while he's standing over a paper towel. Get some of the "grit" on it. Wad up the paper and get it wet. If the grit turns red, it's fleas.
(fleas eat and poop blood, which "reconstitutes" in water, turning red. Sorry to be gross)
Get a "spot on" from the vet ONLY!!! Over the counter ones you get at pet stores cause burns and can poison the animal and children. (I've seen it with my own eyes)

If it's not fleas, change the cat's diet. Corn and wheat cause skin problems. Look into Innova, California Natural, Wellness, Felidae and Artemis.
Supplements might help too. California Natural puts out one of the best.
Ark Naturals has a good one too.

Look here for ideas on keeping the kitten off the tree:
http://www.drsfostersmith.com/product/pet_supplies.cfm?c=3261+1894
Pay close attention to "scat mats" and noise deterants.

OR, you could just get unbreakable ornaments, secure the tree to your walls and ceiling, and let the kitten have at it.
That's what we did one year. It was SO MUCH FUN!!! That silly kitten kept us laughing so hard we left the tree up until March, we were sad to take it down, but it became a fire hazard.

Answer 6

You'll need to figure out what the gritty stuff in his coat is first. If it's flea poop then he needs to be treated for fleas, which will the eliminate the problem of grittiness. Take a damp, white paper towel and wipe up some of the gritty stuff - if it leaves reddish brown dots that kind of bleed on the moisture then it probably is flea poop (it looks black on your cat's coat, but leaves red/brown marks when it's moistened, because of the blood in it.)

If your cat does have fleas then you should look into a treatement like Revolution, which will kill the adults and prevent the eggs from hatching.

If it's something other than fleas, perhaps just dirt, then you can help your cat keep himself clean by brushing him with a fine tooth comb and wiping him down with some moist wipes. You can buy wipes specially made for cleaning cats from your pet store. They're non-toxic and should help improve the quality of his coat too.

To keep the kitten out of the tree, you should both use a squirt bottle to deter him any time he starts playing in it, and also make it less appealing to him, by removing dangley ornaments from the lower branches and placing them up higher where he can't reach and they won't be as tempting.

Answer 7

You'll have to get flea medication. I think the best is called Revolution. It's something you can get at the Vets. You only have to apply it once a month. That should take care of the flea problem- because the gritty stuff is probably flea poop.

Answer 8

for the flea thing I think that you should take your cat to the vets and ask the vet what to do...for the Christmas tree thing put tin foil around the bottom...they don't like the sound or the feel.Hope both of your problems work out!

Answer 9

hey!
I don't know the exact names of product, but there exist some to make cats go away from a certain place. You should spray it around the christmas tree so they won't go there. For the hair problem, you should cut them a little, brush him more often and/or see in pet shops if they don't have spray conditioners for cats. The best thing is to go to a vet, asking what are the best product, in case some of them are unhealthy for cats.
Good luck!

Answer 10

i agree... your mom should stop tormenting your cat... BRING IT TO THE VET!... the tin foil thing didn't work with my cat, she seems to like it... there are different sprays and pads to keep the cat away, but i tend to use old fashioned yelling and getting pissed, then coming to grips with the fact that my cat has more authority than me and i set the tree up in a way that she likes it... I'm whipped... i don't know if that helps at all...