Last weekend, I discovered that my neighbor's cat has some matted fur. My neighbor and I do not have a great relationship, and I'm a little scared of her. So rather than just saying, hey, your cat's getting older and it looks like he's not able to groom himself very well, I decided to work on brushing him myself.
He LOVES brushing until he doesn't, and I've already worked out three mats on his sides. But this also means I have to stop after a few minutes. Were this my cat, I'd go at him with a clippers (or take him to a vet or groomer) and be done with it. But he's not my cat, and he scratches me if I don't stop, so I have to go slow.
After he goes back home, I freak out for a while. What if he never comes back, what if the neighbor notices what I'm doing (there some evidence that she already has), what if he has fleas or ringworm and passes them to my cat. As with all my OCD and life in general, I want things to be certain, to be fixed, to be done, and I want it now.
Leo says no to that plan, though, so slowly it is.
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You are stronger than you think!
1 year ago
I can relate to this! Our Waddles was half-Persian and would get so matted. But, as you say, she was OK with brushing until she wasn't OK with it. It's a slow process. Kudos to you for caring about your neighbor's kitty and trying to help!
ReplyDeleteWaddles was a gorgeous kitty. Love that photo. Leo's pretty handsome, especially right after a brushing. He looks so pleased with himself. He's gray with a cute white nose and paws.
DeleteMy OCD would have made me avoid that cat like the plague. lol ;)
ReplyDeleteBUT, I can definitely relate to the desire to have things certain, fixed, done, and right now. That is SO me. :)
Fingers crossed that your neighbor doesn't have a problem with it.
oh, boy, I hear you! I think because this cat has been my neighbor for 8 years now and has always liked my backyard, he feels like he's partly mine already. Although like I said, I'm still a little worried about "catching" something. Mostly I'm just a crazy cat lady at heart, and that apparently overrides OCD. :)
DeleteMy Anna hates it when I try to comb her. Let's just say the claws come out (and teeth!). Luckily, she's a Ragamuffin, and they have very little problem with matting, even though they are semi-longhaired.
ReplyDeleteI think if Leo bit me, OCD might win out. Strange cat! Rabies! I can handle a scratch or two, and I'm getting better at knowing when they're coming.
DeleteI can relate to your bio pretty well. I'm 19, so I've only had it for ten years so far but I am struggling in treatment as well. Sometimes it feels like this OCD curse is going to hang over me for the rest of my life. I've been checking into blogs lately because I thought it might help me, or maybe someone else. Check it out sometime if you'd like:
ReplyDeletesoyouhaveocd.blogspot.com
Hang in there,
Kristen