How to Groom a Temperamental Dog or Cat

Get Thee to a Cattery!

• Step 1:
  Take little Fluffy or Toto to a good dog or cat groomer or your local vet's. This is highly advised for a number of reasons, all of which start and end with your not getting permanently maimed.You can choose either your local vet, with whom you are familiar, or go a little fancier and choose a place specializing in giving Persians a good cut or comb and German Shepherds a bath.
• Step 2:
  Restrain the animal. This does not mean a straight-jacket (necessarily) but rather the help of a friend (if done at home which, again, is not advised) or fellow veterinary technician.One tech can work on cutting the nails while the other tech holds the animal down. Sometimes "restraint" can mean more than a physical restraint, though.Hiromi Karagiannis, a technician with Manhattan Cat Specialists, advises the use of medication about 50 percent of the time - depending on how hyperactive the animal becomes."We use some form of sedation, explaining to the owner that it's humane to do this," she says. At Manhattan Cat Specialists in the city's Upper West Side, they drug the animal with a Pfizer product called Domitor.
• Step 3:
  Do the job. For dogs, this means a bigger job -- usually. For the temperamental pups out there, consider playing soft music and performing the job outdoors in the sun. The more relaxed you can make little Fido, the happier everyone will be.Massage the dog's temples and hum a tune.One advantage with dogs over cats: The former love the water so, generally, washing will not be a problem.For cats, it means deciding what exactly must be done. Many vets, for example, may recommend the "Lion" cut for a Himalayan or Persian when it's become impossible to comb out the animal's mat. However, you, the cat owner may be against this: After all, you bought the little Mucky Muck because of his long, shiny coat.
• Step 4:
  Waking up the animal. In the case of the cats at Manhattan Cat specialists, this is done with an un-drugging medication that apparently works very well, made by the same company that makes the drugging agent. If you are doing this at home, don't drug the animal.
• Step 5:
  Give your pet a cuddle and a "good boy!" treat of some sort, whether it's his favorite chewy toy, bone or cat treat. Some people swear by catnip.