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I don't think there's any way you can groom 29 cats in one day and do a proper job of it. I do a lot of cat grooming at the Humane Society, and I spend anywhere from 15 minutes to an hour on each cat, depending on how much brushing they need and will tolerate.

Fortunately, only the long haired cats really need to be groomed every day, and baths should very rarely be required, unless the cats have gotten into something really messy or something that they should not be licking off.

I'd set up a schedule for yourself, so that you have a plan for your week. Groom these cats on Monday, these on Tuesday etc, or go, "this weekend I'm going to clip all the cats' claws". That way you will be able to better manage your time and all the cats will get the attention they require.


You might be able to save some money on cat litter - I've seen ground corn (not corn meal), horse bedding and rabbit feed suggested as a cheap, healthy and environmentally friendly alternative to clay litters. You'd probably have to look at a feed store or farm supply place for the first two, but might be worth the try.

I don't know that there's really a way to save money on food while still ensuring that your cats are getting a balanced diet. I definitely wouldn't recommend feeding a cheap cat food, as what goes into them is pretty important. My girls eat all raw, so I frequently find good deals on meat and there are some cheaper cuts out there, but if you're feeding a commercial cat food your pretty much limited to what is available and the prices they set in the stores.

Unfortunately, having pets comes with significant cost and responsibility. If you're unable to afford your cats, you may need to consider finding new homes for even more of them. Vet and food bills are unavoidable.

What are you using for litter right now? Is it actually sand or are you using a clay litter?

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It's entirely up to you as to whether or not you want to feed meat. Personally, I'm an advocate of feeding a prey-model diet, which is meant to be as close as possible to what cats would eat in the wild (meat, skin, fur, bones and organs of small animals, like rabbits, mice etc). If you're planning on switching to a raw diet, you might find this site helpful: http://www.rawfedcats.org/ It contains a lot of good info on raw feeding and how to do it properly. There's also a very good and active mailing list on Yahoo groups if you're interested: http://pets.groups.yahoo.com/group/rawcat/

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Clipping claws can be a challenge, and if you have someone to help you with the more difficult cats that would be the best.

For cats that are well behaved or just a little wiggly and not inclined to bite, I usually sit on the floor cross-legged and place the cat's rear end on the floor between my legs. I hold the clippers in my right hand, the paw in my left hand and use my left arm to hold the cat against my body, then carefully but quickly clip each claw.

Some cats will let you hold their back paw while you clip the back claws. For ones that don't, I'll hold them in my left arm and have the cat put its weight on the rear paw that I want to clip. The pressure on the cats foot will make the claws stick out, and it also keeps the cat from moving the paw too much. Then very, very carefully, I clip each back claw. If you do this method you need to be extremely cautious that you don't cut into the quick. Because you're not restraining the paw the cat can move. I repeat, be very, very careful.

If you have a cat that is very difficult and won't tolerate claw clipping, you may have to just do it a claw or two at a time - sneak up while they are sleeping and clip as many claws as you can before they wake up fully and start biting or thrashing.

You might also try wrapping the cat in towel with just their head and the paw you are working on sticking out.

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You can use a blow dryer on a cat, but the sound might scare them and you need to be very, very careful that you don't injure their skin.

If you are going to use a blow dryer, keep it a good distance from the cat's skin, use the lowest or cool heat setting and keep the blow dryer moving, so you're not focused on one spot ever.

Personally, on the rare occasion I've had to give a cat a bath, I just towel dry them and then keep them in a warm room till they've air dried and licked themselves clean. Less chance of the cat getting injured and less stress for everyone.

I agree with the above statement. o.O

Well, in general, even if you have one or ... twenty nine cats, they're going to be "expensive" to take care of and they're going to require a lot of time.

I'm not really sure how you would do all that in one day. In fact, I just don't groom my cats at all. They do it themselves. Sometimes, however, I brush my never ending shedding cat, and whenever I go to the vet, they clip their nails. But please don't think that my cats are uberly dirty, they're very clean.

If you don't mind me asking though, why did you have forty cats? And now twenty nine? Are you a ... omg. I forgot the word.... err. A ... AHHH. Never mind. sad My brain just went berserk. Are you someone who sells cats to owners? A cat dealer? Lol, I just thought of a car dealer.

Sorry. Not helping. sweatdrop mrgreen

Good luck!

I agree that 29 cats is too many, for you and them. You also said something about cages? do you keep your cats in cages? I can't think that is very healthy for them.They need room to play and exercise.My 2 cats totally rule the house and are alot of fun.They are part of the family and need a lot of attention. Keep a couple you are really close to and find good homes for the rest of them. Good Luck!