A year has past - time for a new Blog!

Nearly a year ago - I said I would endeavour to blog more regularly! So here is my yearly update! - no seriously, this time, I WILL blog more........watch this space :)

Its actually been quite a sad year, what with losing my red colourpoint persian Sam in July, I lost my lovely tabby moggie, George due to a tumour, in November, and then my dear little chocolate point persian, Sasha in December. 2011 didnt start off that well either, as my blue-cream point persian Zeta, aged 17, became ill and had to be put to sleep. So many losses in such a short space of time, I miss them all terribly.

Also in 2010, my mum was poorly and in and out of hospital, she was no longer able to keep living in her flat, despite daily help from carers, so in May, she moved into a care home nearby, where she is being well looked after.

On a lighter note (I think!) I started fostering for the Cats Action Trust N&W Wilts in May last year, and since I started, I've fostered and rehomed 10 cats (including 3 kittens), and am currently fostering 3 cats who hopefully will all find new homes soon. I'll tell you more about the fostering in another post (soon, I promise!).

Sad news about Sam

Well, I seem to be averaging about 1 blog a year! oh dear, not very impressive really is it? I have had a lot going on lately with my mum having been in hospital again, amongst other things I will tell you about in another blog.

Sadly, my Sam, who was diagnosed with HCM (hypertrophic cardiomyopathy) nearly 2 years ago, deteriorated suddenly on Friday 9th July 2010 and there was nothing more that could be done for him. His breathing had become laboured, similar to how it was when he was first diagnosed. There was a possibility that fluid was building up which could have been drained, but my vet felt that he may not even survive the procedure to do this, so with a heavy heart I made the decision to put him to sleep. He slipped away quickly and peacefully at the vets, with me holding him and talking to him. I've been through this so many times before, but it never gets any easier and I miss Sam so much, he was such a lovely character - a soft and soppy boy who will always be remembered for his little sticky out tongue!

I promise I will update this blog more often than I have been previously!

Cat-Sitting and Cat-Grooming - a busy time!

The blog has been infrequent, to say the least! and its March already, but its been a busy time particularly over Christmas and New Year with my cat-sitting service - I hardly stopped! Many visits to make, and lots of cats needing care and attention while their owners are on holiday, visiting relatives etc. Mum and I managed a quick Christmas day lunch in between my morning and evening visits, sadly no glass of wine for me! The picture above is one of my regular cat-sitting charges, taken back in the summer, who lives with another three cats - known as the Fab Four!

I thought I might be able to catch up with a few things after the Christmas/New Year rush was over - but no, of course January/February time means thick winter coats which will knot and mat in no time. So I got to meet lots of new cat-grooming customers and was pleased to be able to tidy up some coats, while others were left with a few gaps due to intractable knots! Luckily fur grows pretty quickly, so they will soon be looking their best again.

Personally, I have welcomed 2 more rescue cats into my home to join the happy gang, but more about that next time.......

The Importance of Good Grooming

WHY GROOM?

Cat saliva contains natural antiseptics, so cats keep their fur and skin healthy by grooming themselves. As they groom, debris in the coat is removed and skin and surface parasites are sloughed off.
So, it follows that if the coat is very matted or knotty, the cat cannot look after its fur and skin properly.
Also, fur not only provides insulation, but physical protection for the skin as well, so if the fur needs to be cut out because it is matted, this protection is also removed.
Longhair cats cannot look after their own coats on their own - they need our help to keep them healthy and comfortable - and of course, looking gorgeous!

WHY LONGHAIR CATS GET KNOTS

Well, the loose dead hair binds itself to the growing hair when the cat washes itself, causing knots and mats which grow and grow! So, the obvious answer to this is to comb the coat regularly to remove all those loose hairs - sounds simple doesn't it? But read on to get further tips on grooming your cat's coat.

HOW TO GROOM
Its important to set aside enought time to groom your cat, its no use trying to rush through it, you may miss bits and your cat will get agitated.
I normally start at the head and work back, but you can start wherever you and your cat feel comfortable!

Comb around the ruff, under the chin and around the back of the neck, parting the fur as you go and combing right down to the roots. Then comb down the chest. Work your way across the back and shoulders, paying particular attention to the area under the front legs, which tend to knot up. Comb down the sides - remembering to part the fur, taking a section at a time. Next, work your way across and down the sides of the back legs or 'trousers'. Be careful here as it is a very sensitive area for most cats, but it is also an area that needs special attention. Lift up the tail and comb down the back of the back legs.

Depending on your cat's temperament, the tummy can be tackled by turning your cat over on his back. If your cat objects to this, try holding up the front legs - so that puss is standing up on his back legs, and then comb through the fur on the tummy. Next, comb the inside of the back legs, which can be done while the cat is still on his back. Otherwise, stand the cat up, lean over and lift up the back leg whilst combing down the inside of the opposite leg. Do the same on the other side. Lastly, comb through the top of the tail and then underneath.

So that gives you a few tips on good grooming, there will be more soon including how to clean eyes, and some of the best grooming tools to use. See you next time!

Sam is diagnosed with Heart Disease

A new month already! Its been a bit of a worrying time lately, hence the lack of new posts since I started this blog. Sam, my red colourpoint persian had been a bit off colour and I'd noticed he'd been breathing rapidly. As he's nearly 11 yrs old I thought some blood tests would be a good idea and the results showed the start of renal failure, but that didnt account of the fast breathing. So further invesitgations were needed. He had an x-ray and unfortunately that showed fluid in his chest - so he had to have that drained straight away. An ultrasound scan sadly showed an enlarged heart and he was diagnosed with hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM).

Long term prognosis isnt good, but he's on medication, and he's feeling much more comfortable now that the fluid is off his chest. He's a lovely boy and is really good about taking his meds twice a day - in fact he doesnt even know he's taking them, because I just put them in his food and he polishes off his plate every time!

If any of you have a cat suffering from HCM and want to know more about it follow this link to the Feline Advisory Bureau information leaflet http://fabcats.org/owners/heart/cardiomyopathy.html and there is also a wonderful group I would recommend you join where you will find lots of support from owners in the same position with lots of experience and knowledge, its been a godsend for me http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/feline-heart/

New type of site for Scruffy Joe's Cat Grooming

Hi all, this is a bit of departure from my previous Scruffy Joe's website which was looking a bit jaded, so decided to try something different like this blog - so here we are, all new and hopefully it will keep customers past, present and future up to date with new services, info about feline behaviour, and lots of grooming tips. Hope you like this new format - it will take a bit of getting used to, but I'm sure the process will be interesting for us all!

For those of you who don't know, Scruffy Joe's Cat Grooming got its name from my red persian Joe (pictured above). When he was a small kitten his fur used to stick out every which way! His breeder, my friend Audrey, said he's a right scruffy joe! Up till then I'd been planning to call him Freddy, but as soon as she said Joe, I knew that was the right name for him - so when it came to naming my cat grooming business - well it just had to be Scruffy Joe's!