Maine Coon Won't Let Me Brush His Belly

by Rick Kelso-Davies
(Cheshire, England)

Maine Coon Becomes Aggressive During Brushing

Hi,
I am looking for some advice. We have a Maine Coon, Zeus. He is 3 years old and is not keen on being groomed.



Every evening he sits on my wife's knee and she is able to brush him - but he won't allow her to brush his chest, armpits or belly - this causes these areas to get knots.

When we groom him he tolerates 5-10mins of brushing - this usually keeps on top of his back and tail and legs - after this he then tends to "swat" away the brush if we try brushing any further.

Last summer he got so bad we had to have him put to sleep to be shaved - we don't want to keep doing that as i don't think it can be good for him and it was also very expensive.

Can you offer any suggestions as to how to move forward? The local pet groomers won't go near him as he was aggressive towards them.

Is there maybe something I could give him that might help relax him such that we could groom him properly at home?

Reply:
Zeus sounds like a perfectly normal boy who doesn't have loads of patience for the brush. What you're describing is one of the most common grooming situations we hear about with this breed.

The belly, chest, and armpits are the spots almost every Maine Coon owner struggles with. The fur there is fine and dense and tangles faster than anywhere else on the body.

And because those areas are sensitive to begin with, even a small knot pulling during brushing is uncomfortable. The cat resists, the knot grows, the brushing gets more unpleasant, and the resistance grows with it. It becomes a cycle that's hard to break.

I wouldn't say Zeus is being aggressive, exactly. He's tolerating grooming well for five to ten minutes, which is actually quite good. He's simply telling you he's reached his limit. The swat is his way of saying he's done.

Here's something worth trying, though. Rather than working your way toward the belly and chest toward the end of a session (when he's already approaching that threshold) try going straight there first.

Get to those areas before he's had a chance to build up any tension about being groomed at all. A lick mat with a little wet food or something he loves on it can help keep him occupied and relaxed while you work quickly through the spots he dislikes most. You may only get a minute or two in those areas (or at first, just one stroke), but it could be a start.

As for sedation, I completely understand why you're hoping to avoid it. It isn't something any of us want to do routinely. That said, I'll mention something you may not have considered.

Some veterinary offices, particularly ones with experienced vet techs, can do a quick mat-shave with an electric razor with no sedation required, just four calm and practiced hands. It might be worth calling around to ask.

If Zeus could get a tidy-up every few months this way, it may take the pressure off entirely and let you focus on maintenance rather than mat removal at home.

A lion cut is another option some owners land on when home grooming becomes a real battle. It removes most of the coat and simply eliminates the problem for a season. It doesn't sound like this is what you'd be needing.

Some owners find that calming aids make a real difference. CBD products formulated for cats and medications such as gabapentin are often mentioned by owners facing similar grooming challenges, though those are conversations to have with your veterinarian. For additional owner experiences with these and other calming strategies, see this discussion.

I hope some of our community members who've been through the same thing will weigh in for you below. You're certainly not alone in this one!

All The Best,
Carrie

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