Bad, bad, bad cat. Really bad.

I have been hesitating to tell this because it is long and I did not have an ending to the story, but now I do!

My neighbor, two streets over, brought his long haired outdoor black cat to be shaved. The cat is only two years old, but does not groom it's self, ever. So, it was matted head to toe.

Last year, he brought it to have a turtle shell shaved off it's back. I should have remembered how bad that was and said no this time.

Anyway, the cat was pretty calm while I was shaving it and I knew my helper would be there soon to hold for the tummy and legs. I uncovered countless healed battle scars and believe this cat has won many scuffles, I bet even with mountain lions and black bears and any other wild animal that may have crossed into "His" territory.

I know he won our battle. When my helper got there, I told her to scruff him while I get him wet. The second the water hit him, (and I was very gentle with the spray) , he tightened his neck, went straight up got away from Rachel, scratched both of us cause we were in his way and shot out of the tub to under the counter.
Hissing, spitting growling, no way was I gonna try to reach for him. So, we decided to wait to se if he would calm down. He didn't after 10 minutes, still all the warnings from under the counter. (understand, therer were no dogs in there at all, only him and me and scared to death rachel who was almost crying and dumping out the first aid kit.

So I called the guy and said come get yuor cat, he's under my counter.

He came, he's a fireman, and brought heavy fireman gloves. Gee, did he know his cat is mean???

Waht happened to my shop after that took a half hour to get back to where it was. He got the same treatment from the cat that we did, he almost made ALL my blades hit the floor, my clippers were rescued, midair. Wahat a mess! He finally got a grooming loop around it's neck, dragged it OUTSIDE and let go!!!!
The loop is the coated plastic kind and I was pretty sure it cannot get tighter and tighter if you know what I mean, The cat jumped a 5 foot fence and ran off into the woods! With my loop!

OK, I'm at work and gotta go clean up the cafeteria, part two later!!!

Oh my goodness that is awful!!...Are you guys ok?? Well it will be hard to forget that experience to allow a NEXT time to happen again...Poor cat though that it is so feral makes you question how it was raised? Hope you and your helper are ok and recover psychologically really quickly

That's why I don't like grooming cats. I had him 2 years back. No shaving, just bathing. Nasty SOB. Hope you get your loop back cuz that cat is gonna hang himself with it. Hope Rachel is ok, I know you are.

BTW, I have a big cat coming in a few minutes. B/O and a little dematting. Still no camera.

Lorie.....you dont need a camera...We could picture the event every step of the way!!!!So Scary.!!!....Hope your cuts arent too bad and that you get your loop back cat/or no cat!!!

just posted the rest of the story and lost it tomorrow..

Oh I hate that! What did you charge? The very big orange tabby shorthair I did today, and he was at least 20lb, was very good. I dematted, bathed and got him pretty dry and then boy did the fur come out. Carded him with my 40 blade. I do that alot with cats. I charged 50. He was sooooo big. His tail looked tiny compared to his body.

No pictures necessary your description was enough. You poor things, thats why I won't even attempt a cat. Hope your get your grooming noose back.

yeh that is y all my cats that i bath are all in a harness and they can jump around the bath as much as they like they are still getting bathed. and i have huge cat handling gloves. I got bitten soooo bad once (had to go to hospital) and im am not letting that happen again!
yeh cat should of been shoved into a carrier or something, they are easy to lose. hope u got the cat back.

We all watched the cat dissapear in the woods mostly my bright pink loop flipping up here and there.
i wasn't worried too much about the loop strangling, it can't get tight like that. Piece of cake to get out of for a cat like this.

I may have mentioned him last year when I put him in the Cattyshackvac. He went nuts in there ,,bonking his head on the top several times then he shot out the armhole and went under teh same counter. I dragged him out by his tail that time.

I told him he owed me 60 bucks and when my friend, Jonna , came up we'd get the bath done. Haha, JK! I never want to see that cat again.

I have to tell you, two years ago after buying the study packet from the NCGIA (National Cat Grooming Institute of America, I think) I took the "safe Handling" test and got 100% Danielle said I was the first person to ever get 100% on any of her tests!
This test included when to call it quits on a cat. That should have been after the shvdn on this cat, because once he was free from his matt prison he was able to move again. I shoulda anticpated that.

Anyway, guy called to say the cat came home a day or two later, probably after terrorizing every wildlife creature in MY woods.
Lesson learned on that one, won't be having him over next year.
Rachel has recovered, she has never even had a pet cat so it really freaked her out , she thought pet cats behaved like this normally.
I neer found my loop, altho Michael went out looking for it.

So Lorie, when do you call it quits. I would have charged him 80 even if he wasn't finished. Psycho cat. Would've given Rachel 20 of it.
Share your cat knowledge with us. If they were all like the big guy yesterday I would enjoy cat grooming. Reminds me, gotta vacuum the bathing area....
Courtney has her first Plaq client tomorrow. Not sure about the price cuz I have been on the email with this lady for a few weeks. She has been waiting for us to be ready. Well we are ready, just not that skilled.

Not sure if I can take you up on that cat grooming offer....my fee is very high and I take no crap. I'm like you, out the door they go.

Panting is a biggie. If a cat pants, stop. Cats don't pant normally like dogs. If they do, it's because they are stressed.
I sent a huge fat cat home because of that last month. I stopped and started several times to give him a break but in the end, I did know when to stop that time. I don't want any cats to die in my room.
Scruffing doesn't always work if tha cat learns how to tighten it's neck muscles. (See: above cat)
I'm not giving up on cats but I think I will not second guess my instincts again, beccause that's what I did. I knew it from last year. I told Danielle about that time and she said she would have charged 172.00 $ for what I did that time..
I really gotta finish the rest of those tests but no time. I would love to go to the school and get it all done, I have to see how my other job goes..

definally need to be sedated