Isabelle's Diliema

Isabelle aka Izzy

Remember Izzy?  My daughter Emily's cat?  The one that doesn't like me even though I took her in when Emily moved into an apartment that wouldn't let her bring her cat(she will take her back in August)? The one that after I feed her, clean her litter box, "try" to be lovey to her, she hisses and swats at me? But will purr and love on my Hubby?  Also will be sweet to my younger daughter.  The only cat I have ever met that didn't love me back... That Izzy.

She has a dilema.

She had a little mat in her fur on her hip.  She doesn't let me brush her. Although I tried. Emily and I even tried to cut it out. Also Hubby tried.  The mat, instead of shrinking or getting brushed out... it grew. Make that multiplied.  Over the past week or so, it is migrated across both hips and spread wider. AND now it is to the skin.. I can't get a comb between the hair and her skin. It also seems to be uncomfortable (she is sleeping flat on her tummy now instead of the kitty curl).

We decided she needs help. Professional help.
It's a Cat Grooming Emergency.

So...we franticly searched for someone that will see her ASAP.
Do you know how hard that is?  Groomers want you to make appointments 2 weeks in advance.  Some don't even want to touch cats (hmmm, I can imagine why). I finally found a Vet clinic that will take her Wednesday, but they didn't even ask her name, and wouldnt give me prices. They want me to drop her off at 7am, and they will call me when they look at her to give me an idea what it will cost... Not feeling good about this...  I also found, through the magic of Facebook and networking through a friend of a friend...found a Groomer, that not only took the time to call me back (and on her birthday!) she was honest and upfront about her thoughts about the situation.  We scheduled for Tuesday morning. If she doesn't think she can handle her (let's face it Izzy is a bit of a mean cat), then she will send me along. Then I will have to make the scary appointment.

We are thinking since she must be shaved...
might as well make her somewhat cute with a lion cut.

Have you seen them?
Let me show you what I am talking about...

Now, even though I think these are hilarious... I would not have this done to one of our cats, unless they HAD to get shaved. I think the natural hair, long or short looks best.  We had an elderly cat that got mats and I tried shaving with a razored letter opener. I thought I was so smart, zipping this through his mats and doing it myself.  He was a sweet old cat and flinched only once....
WHEN I ACCIDENTALLY SLICED HIM OPEN WITH THE RAZOR AND HAD TO TAKE HIM TO THE VET TO BE "GLUED" BACK TOGETHER.

Bad memory. Bad, bad.. Also why I refuse to try that again...

So, you see our diliema.
We have no choice.
She has to be shaved... might as well try to make her somewhat cute instead of having her hips alone shaved as if she had surgery.
Right?