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Conference misery::feline

Title:Meower Power - Where Differing Opinions are Respected
Notice:purrrrr...
Moderator:JULIET::CORDES_JA
Created:Wed Nov 13 1991
Last Modified:Fri Jun 06 1997
Last Successful Update:Fri Jun 06 1997
Number of topics:1079
Total number of notes:28858

893.0. "What's a zoom groom?" by AYOV10::KKEARY () Mon Jun 05 1995 08:48

    Can you describe a zoom groom to me please.  My two tolerate being
    brushed for a couple of minutes then attack the brush and my hand!
    
    I may be able to get an equivalent here.
    
    Kirsty (Scotland)
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893.1how is this for a description?POWDML::CUNNINGHAMMon Jun 05 1995 11:2215
    I'll give it a try. It is made of a rubbery plastic material. Mine is
    in the shape of a kitty. It's about 5 x 3 inches and is quite
    comfortable in the hand. One side has lots of teeth. It looks like a 
    brush, but doesn't feel like a brush to a kitty. When the zoom has
    collected a lot of fur, it is very easily taken off by flexing the zoom
    a little bit. It is very easy to wash and keep clean unlike a regular
    brush.
    
    My two do exactly what yours do with a regular brush or comb, but with
    the zoom, it is a sight to see. This is a magical kind of thing. I'll
    get the company and address for you. If no one in Scotland has it
    or can get it,you will be able to contact the company directly. 
    
    Linda
    
893.2I'd like to have one!LJSRV1::MARXMon Jun 05 1995 11:265
    I have seven kitties and this zoom groom sounds interesting.  Where can
    I get one?
    
    Donna
    
893.3POWDML::CUNNINGHAMMon Jun 05 1995 11:586
    I got my zoom at Petstuff. I've also seen them at Just for Pets. I am
    sure other pet stores have them. I think I paid $5.95 or something like
    that. Mine is blue, and I have not seen any other colors yet. Good
    luck.
    
    Linda
893.4I can't find it..SALEM::SHAWMon Jun 05 1995 13:0910
    
    I just went out at my lunch bread and checked the Petsupply store in 
    Salem NH couldn't find it. I also checked Walmart to no avail. Are they
    actually called Zoom Groom? Would the Mall Pet Stores have 'em?
    One of our three will *not* allow a comb or brush on her. She does a 
    good job herself but still.... The other two will occassionaly allow 
    the tommy area, everywhere else is ok but it's their chest and tommy 
    that needs the most grooming. 
    
    Shaw
893.5Zoom Groom SuppliersPOWDML::CUNNINGHAMMon Jun 05 1995 13:5718
    yes they are really called Zoom Groom. What town do you live in? Are
    you anywhere near Nashua, NH or Burlington or Woburn MA? I don't know
    where all the Petstuff's or Just for Pets are, but perhaps you could
    call one of them and see where the other stores are. While your on the
    phone, ask who the mfg is, and maybe you could get another store near
    you to get some, or better yet call the mfg and ask where they sell
    them. I got one in Burlington and one in Nashua. I don't
    recall walmart having them. If I get a chance I will get more info and
    post it here during the week.
    
    If your kitty does not allow a comb or a brush, you should see an
    incredible change with this thing. Not to mention the great job it does
    of getting the fur out. It is amazing the handfuls of fur I get out of
    the really short-hair "former stray kitty who gets quite indignant at
    even an approach to assist in her grooming". They both used to bite the
    brush and try to get it away. The stray would bite me. Not any more!
     
    Linda
893.6Or go to her stores: Portland ME/Sudbury MAPCBUOA::FALLONMon Jun 05 1995 16:543
    Martha of Haddeleigh House has them.  You can pick them up at shows
    when she is vending.
    Karen
893.7Mail order ?SALEM::SHAWTue Jun 06 1995 08:069
    
    re:-2, 
    
    I live in the NH seacost, so I'm close to Hampton, Portsmouth and 
    work in Salem NH. So if anyone knows anystores in these areas I'll 
    appreciate a pointer. Nashua is an hour's drive from my house. 
    Is there any mail order for these? 
    
    Shaw
893.8Yes, ButLJSRV2::FEHSKENSlen - reformed architectTue Jun 06 1995 10:246
    
    I saw the Zoom Groom in the Drs. Foster and somebody catalog; if no
    one's got their address and phone number handy I'll post it tomorrow.
    
    len.
    
893.9AYOV10::KKEARYTue Jun 06 1995 10:3310
    Thanks for the description Linda.  I think we can get them here.  There
    is a large pet shop near Glasgow and the last time I was in it they had
    different coloured rubber type brushes.  They had a cat on the side you
    would hold and very thick teeth which narrowed to the end.  I haven't
    described this very well but does it sound the same.
    
    I am going to London next week so I am going to look for a zoom groom 
    while I am there.
    
    Kirsty
893.10Thanks Len, please include phone#...SALEM::SHAWTue Jun 06 1995 10:381
    
893.11POWDML::CUNNINGHAMTue Jun 06 1995 12:1710
    Yes Kirsty, you added to the description well. I was looking at the
    zoom groom last night - and they both came running thinking it was time
    - and the teeth are very thick and narrow down to the end. 
    
    I'm taking tomorrow as a vacation day and going to stock up on kitty
    food. While there will do some zoom groom research and post it here on
    Thursday.  I thought I saw a similar item for dogs and will get that
    info as well. 
    
    Linda
893.12A Satisfied CustomerTAPE::FEASEAndrea Midtmoen FeaseWed Jun 07 1995 09:5511
         Pet Warehouse has them for $4.98.  Of course there's a $4.75
    handling fee, but if you order more than one you can make up for that
    fee.  They have a lot of nice stuff for cats, d*gs, birds, bunnies and
    small animals and fish; ask for their catalogs.
    
         Pet Warehouse
         P.O. Box 310
         Xenia OH 45385
         (800) 443-1160
    
         Zoom Groom - #195150
893.13Drs. Foster and SmithLJSRV2::FEHSKENSlen - reformed architectWed Jun 07 1995 10:268
    
    The Drs. Foster and Smith catalog lists two models (soft action, item
    #5426; firm action, item #5427) of Zoom Groom for $6.99 each.  Shipping
    and handling is another $5.99 (up to $20 worth of merchandise).  This
    is from the Fall 1994 catalog, I'm sure there's a more recent one but I
    couldn't find it.  Looks like Pet Warehouse offers a much better deal.
     
    1-800-826-7206.
893.14Getting closerSALEM::SHAWWed Jun 07 1995 11:237
    
    
    Thanks Len ;-) I found out one of my coworkers lives in Nashua
        So I have asked him to do me the favor and stop by PetStuff for
        The Zoomer...I hope they still have them in stock. 
    
    Shaw
893.15You may want to call firstWMOENG::NEUVONENWed Jun 07 1995 13:2011
    Hmmm...  I looked for one in PetStuff in Nashua and couldn't find one.
    This was about a month ago.  They may have just been out of stock.
    
    The other pet super store down by Home Depot may have them if PetStuff
    doesn't.  I'd recommend calling first.
    
    FWIW - our long haired cat LOVES to be combed (with anything).  The 
           shorthaired cat HATES to be combed, but tolerates and sometimes
           even seems to like the zoom groom.
    
    Sharon
893.16Zoom GroomRDVAX::TOIVONENWed Jun 07 1995 14:462
    I found the Zoom Groom at Especially for Pets on Rt 2A in Acton.  It
    was 7.99 plus tax.
893.17Tangent - long vs. short hairHOTLNE::CORMIERWed Jun 07 1995 17:246
    re.15
    Sharon,
    I have noticed the same thing - my long-haired cat likes it, but the
    short-haired has to be held with the free hand to keep him from
    escaping.  Anyone else notice this, or is it a simple coincidence?
    Sarah
893.18Both?CHORDZ::MISNERTue Jun 13 1995 09:599
    I bought one, after reading about it here, and it works like a champ. 
    It gets out an incredible amount of loose hair in a very short time,
    and the pussies LOVE it!  I had three around me last night, all wanting
    to be zoom-groomed at the same time; one long- and two short-haired
    ones.  Better than yummies?
    
    Sunni
    
    
893.19try a plain comb or the mittenUSCTR1::TRIPPWed Jun 21 1995 16:5125
    I know this is a little late, but I picked up one of those grooming
    mitts advertised on TV, it's a mitten with rubbery teeth.   They were
    selling them for $1.99, couln't resist.  I found it will at least
    stir up the dead fur, but I still end up with fur flying everywhere,
    and end up with a brush or comb ultimately.
    
    Fluff is so long hair it's too messy, Barney has been coming in with
    ticks this year, first time ever, and it' too sparse to get the bugs. I
    have reverted to an ordinary fine tooth comb, a "rat tail"
    hairdresser's comb I bought at Facemakers, a beauticians' supply place
    in Shrewsbury.  The comb is ok, I have a "slicker" type wire brush but
    I think it scratches them, it's tolerable but no one seems to really
    enjoy it.  
    
    I've also gotten Fluffs (long hair maine coon we think) to agree to
    combing by lifting him up so he can see outside.  He doesn't realize
    he's being combed.  If he starts to fight or bite I simply tell him in
    a very firm tone NO! STOP!  and he really does.  FWIW, try a firm voice
    and see if you get any changes.  I;ve also been seen chasing a cat or
    two on my hands and knees as they chase a catnip container or toy.
    
    By the way, the mitten was for my left hand, I wonder if that's why it
    was so cheap.
    Lyn
                                                                      
893.20Got OneBSS::MESSAGEMy name is Bill & I'm a head case...Thu Jun 22 1995 12:484
    We went and got a Zoom Groom for our horde last week. Paid 5.99 plus
    sales tax at Colorado Pet & Vet, Austin Bluffs store.
    
    Bill
893.21MROA::ROBINSON_Syou have HOW MANY cats??Thu Jun 22 1995 14:1011
    I think I got the last one at Pet Supply in Shrewsbury. I tried it on
    Squeeky, who went bananas, but I had to stop becauseI got so much hair
    I was afraid there would be no cat left when I was done! [kidding :) ]
    
    Problem: it seems to generate a lot of static, there was loose hair all
    over the cat and floor, and me. Can I spray something on it to cut down
    on the static??
    
    Sherry
    
    ps - it even took hair out of the 2 Aby's, so it must be good! 
893.22try static guardPOWDML::CUNNINGHAMThu Jun 22 1995 17:178
    You can try spraying static guard  on the zg, not your kitty of course. I
    usually keep a damp cloth (not wet) handy and run it over them
    before I start grooming them to catch the flying hair. They do not like
    to be wiped down with the cloth at all, but if the zg is in site, they
    don't go too far away either. I don't know if there are any better ways
    to deal with this. 
    
    I love hearing about all the kitties who love their zoom grooms.  
893.23Three more zg'ers.AMCUCS::SWIERKOWSKISIf it ain't broke, we'll break it.Thu Jun 22 1995 18:2111
  We can add three more kitties to the zoom groom fan club.  Sophie only 
  tolerated it at first, but she was a quick convert.  Ronnie loved it 
  immediately - he rolls around in ecstasy - even lets me do his belly.  
  Kelly comes running the minute I start on one of the other two and assumes
  the position for her turn.  Unfortunately, Trudy and Tatoo are still very 
  suspicious of that weird contraption, but I'm sure they will eventually 
  come around.  Right now no one is particularly thrilled with me as they've
  all been bathed and "pilled" (tape worm again -- but I think Fleabusters
  has done the job for us!).

			SQ
893.24Not convincedAYOV10::KKEARYMon Jun 26 1995 08:1710
893.25Spotted at Spag's last nightMPGS::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketTue Sep 26 1995 11:199
    Spag's (in Shrewsbury, Mass.) has 'em for ***$2.99***!!  (We've all
    been HAD by the other stores!)
    
    They also have doggie ones--different shape, different colors (all the
    kitty ones I've seen have been a sort of dark seafoam color) and
    stubbier, firmer "teeth".  Not sure how much they were, but probably
    the same price or maybe $3.99.
    
    Leslie
893.26DECWIN::JUDYThat's *Ms. Bitch* to you!Wed Sep 27 1995 10:5524
    
    
    	Ok, since I have yet to pick up one of these gadgets, I have
    	a question to those folks already have one.......
    
    	Chloe is my Himalayan.  And as you all know, Himmies have very
    	long fur that gets matted quite easy, and Chloe sheds like
    	crazy.  Well I got her shaved a few months ago after I got 
    	back from vacation because she was very knotted up.  Her fur
    	is growing back in very nicely.  I'd like to keep it at the length
    	it is now.  She looks very pretty and it's at a very manageable
    	length.  Does this Zoom Groom thing actually TRIM the fur or just
    	help in getting out/removing matts?  
    
    	If the Zoom Groom doesn't trim the fur itself, does anyone have
    	a suggestion on what I can do to keep Chloe's fur at the length
    	it is now, without my having to bring her in every few months
    	to be groomed professionally?
    
    
    	Thanks!
    
    	JJ
    
893.27MPGS::WOOLNERYour dinner is in the supermarketWed Sep 27 1995 11:509
    Zoom grooms only groom out the loose hair; they don't trim at all. 
    They're made of rubber (or rubberlike plastic) with conical "teeth" and
    they do an *excellent* job of removing sheddable hair.
    
    My boys are shorthairs, so I can't say how well zoom grooms work on
    long- (or ultralong-) haired cats, and I don't know what kinds of
    trimmers are out there either :-(
    
    Leslie
893.28POWDML::HANGGELILittle Chamber of OhOhOh/OwOwOwWed Sep 27 1995 12:356
    
    JJ:
    
    Have you considered getting a Flow-Bee 8^)?
    
    
893.29Zoom-groom will help but not trim.AXPBIZ::SWIERKOWSKISNow that we're organized, what's next?Wed Sep 27 1995 12:539
  Most of my kitties are short-hairs, but the one who likes the zoom-groom
the best is the longer-haired kitty.  She just thinks it's the greatest.  I'm 
not sure how she knows when I pick it up, but even if she's in another room 
at the back of the house, she comes to me within a minute every time.  And 
although it doesn't trim hair as Leslie already mentioned, it does help keep
it from matting in the first place.  That could save you some trips to the 
groomer.

			SQ
893.30ODIXIE::SINATRAWed Sep 27 1995 13:025
    Has anyone in Georgia been able to find a Zoom-Groom?
    
    Thanks,
    
    Rebecca
893.31DECWIN::JUDYThat's *Ms. Bitch* to you!Thu Sep 28 1995 11:4912
    
    	re: Deb
    
    	Someone else suggested that to me too!  =)
    
    	re: SQ
    
    	While I do want to keep the matts down.... I really like the
    	way Chloe looks with her fur at the length it currently is,
    	so I'd like to try and keep it that way.  Maybe I do need
    	a Flowbee!  =)
    
893.32PADC::KOLLINGKarenSat Sep 30 1995 13:455
    A catalog I just received has the zoom groom.  The company is Discount
    Master Animal Care (I know zilch about them) at 1-800-346-0749 M-F
    7:30 am - 11 pm, Sat 8:30 am - 5 pm Eastern time.  It's item num.
    14808080 at $3.69.
    
893.33DECWIN::JUDYThat's *Ms. Bitch* to you!Thu Feb 22 1996 16:1011
    
    
    	Well I went to PetSmart (formally PetStuff) to finally try
    	and find this thing.  Only found the one for dogs.  And I
    	wasn't sure I found the right thing till I got back in here
    	and re-read the notes.  For some reason I thought this thing
    	was motorized somehow and vibrated.  Oh well.  I picked up
    	something to help get out the mats (Chloe's getting 'em
    	again) and maybe I'll go back in a couple weeks to see if
    	they have the kitty version of the ZG.
    
893.34Try the small ZG for dogs.AXPBIZ::SWIERKOWSKISNow that we're organized, what's next?Thu Feb 22 1996 16:4911
re .33
    
  If they never get the ZG for kitties, the one for small/short hair dogs
is an okay substitute.  The only difference is in the size of the "teeth" 
and Ronnie loves any form of ZG.

You probably thought it was motorized because we talked about the massage 
they get with it.  Ronnie goes into rolling ecstasy when I get the darned 
thing out and I think it's only the massage he cares about.

				SQ
893.35Oh Yes Oh Yes Please Please PleasePCBUOA::FEHSKENSlen - reformed architectFri Feb 23 1996 09:336
    
    Rocky turns into a slobbering beggar without a shred of pride when the
    ZoomGroom comes out.  Must be those rubbery fingers...
    
    len.