tigereye, black leather & silk, cool Route 66 button
I didn't want to top this post with a cheesy photo of Purrmeister (it's below the fold), so I'm showing a couple of new pieces from my new cuff series. This has been a grand adventure as I practice and practice to get good at this new form AND have a lot of fun putting together new stones with silk and leather color combinations...and best of all, very cool buttons.
I'm wearing one of these cuffs every day now. As you can imagine, as one that works with her hands, I'm really hard on my hands so rarely wear rings. I'm a little better with watches...and so wearing a cuff seems very comfy and unobtrusive. I'm glad I've decided that cool buttons were the way to open and close these because you know how a bracelet tends to sort of circumnavigate your wrist? Well, when the button lands on the "up side" it looks just a good as when it's on the down side. Wear testing is important, though, to check durability and other aspects of how my new design holds up...so far, so good although I'm still tweaking the attachment of the button and loop--but more for looks, not for function.
brown goldstone, sienna silk, goldenrod leather, antique bronze button
So now that I'm below the fold, I will put the spotlight on Purrmeister and his little problem. It's kind of embarrassing--well, not for him maybe, but for me.
You see, I'm still learning to care for a long haired cat and mostly, it's going very well since I started using a cat brush on him when he was small, so he's becoming quite tolerant of this. But down near his "groin," mostly out of sight until he engages in "back sleeping", two pretty big mats of really downy, fine fur have formed. There is just no way I can ever hope to pick, brush or comb them out. They feel like big knots and when I first noticed them, I freaked because I thought they were tumors, yikes! I made a photo of him here to sort of show the area--hard to see the white on white mats, but you can imagine their placement is rather, ummm, delicate.
So do I cut them away? And if so, what's the best tool and technique to do this so I don't hurt him? He doesn't seem concerned with them...but I am. I think it may have happened as he was shedding fine baby fur because he's definitely growing heavier, thicker fur as he grows up. I seriously need some good advice here because I'm clueless about cat mats...and I know many of you are cat lovers so I'm hoping for ideas. So many cat lovers, surely his "problem" isn't too unusual, right? Thanks in advance for any advice!
8 comments:
Hi Karen,
First of all, your new bracelets are just beautiful, love the first one in black.
Concerning the sweet Purrmeister, as he seems to be tolerant whith brush, don't hesitate, cut them the most rapidly you can, because on the little belly, the fur will continue to make knots. I have Purrmeister's sister at home, and this spring, Mlle Poupette had this sort of problem.
I took little scissors and very very carefully, i cut the knots one by one, until she said, STOOOOP ! The result was just a little down instead of her long hair, but not for a so long time in fact.
Don't worry Karen, i know you are able to do that for him.
Go on !
Cuddles to him and kisses from France to you.
Oh dear, I was afraid it might take a scissors. I guess I was/am hoping for some magic potion or technique or something I can just rub on? His soft little belly makes me so nervous....so if I must clip him, I guess I need the right tool....Thank you for the advice and the encouragement, my dear, and to know that Mlle Poupette has experienced this and has survived is encouraging too!!
Small buzz clippers are good for this - not pointy scissors! You may need another person to help. Our Zeke is not only long haired but it is curly and forms dreadlocks and he will not tolerate being brushed - so we do the best we can and once a year we have him shaved by a groomer - he actually has to be anesthetized for this - he gets his annual check-up at the same time because that's the only way the vet can examine him.
Angel gets knots in her fur like that sometimes. I've had another cats that have had it in the past, too. We normally end up using scissors for them. Some cats are more tolerant of this than others (Angel is not so much haha). Work slowly. It may take several attempts to get it all. Best of luck!
Hoo boy, a clipper, eh? I wonder if I can get the boy used to that when he hides from the vacuum cleaner? It makes sense, though, because then he can't get cut or poked. Your Zeke does sound like quite a handful for care, though...heck, I could be headed that was with the Purrmeister but I hope not...he only likes me so far, though, and I will need help w/ these grooming jobs.
Dear Karen,
There are special blunt scissors to cut infants'/babies' fingernails. If you don't have a good pair of sicssors that are blunt, just send me your postal (snail-mail) address in an email and I will mail you a pair. (Children's play-scissors are not sharp enough.) Embroidery-scissor are sharp, but too pointy and you can stab him. These scissors for infants fingernails are very small, sharp, but with blunt ends, and are made of stainless steel. The ones we can buy here in Sweden are better quality than the ones I have seen in the stores in the US.
Then see if you can get someone (or even two people) to hold Purrmeister while you do this hair-cutting-operaton. Someone who Purrmeister trusts. Let them wear garden gloves. You need free hands to control the cutting.
Do just a little at a time. And stop instantly if he starts to squirm too much.
Sorry, but shipping will take seven days. But I will get it off in the mail as quickly as I can.
Contact me through my e-mail address to Annas Adornments. You may still have it, since we have corresponded before.
Best wishes & hugs
Anna
LOVE the new cuffs. Wearing them is a great way to test them, yes. Plus, it's always fun when people ask you about it and you get to respond, "Oh, actually I made it." Sometimes they are really shocked and that's funny to see too.
I would (and perhaps you already have by now) cut them out. I think I'd cut them midway down though, if the mats start near the skin. Then I'd hope they kind of work themselves out from there. OR, if you're feeling more adventurous, go a little close while he sleeps. Maybe he'll never notice? If you leave them they'll just get worse and worse.
Hi there... I came upon your blog, because you have a kitty that looks a LOT like mine :) Did you fix this matting problem for him yet? My Dorian has this a lot, but not as much when I keep up with grooming and combing him.
I usually need another person if I'm going to go in and clip a mat like that off, esp in a sensitive area. My cat scratches and bites and tries to get away, but if I have help, I just use a scissors and cut them about halfway down. After that you can often work them out with a grooming brush or fingers... Plus, the cat might work them out on his own once they are manageable.
For future reference, I have a comb for my cat that has completely changed how hard it is to keep his long hair tamed. It has special teeth that rotate as you comb, so that they don't pull hard but they do get at the fine fur!
Good luck!
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