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My long haired cat has a lot of matted fur. I can't seem to get rid of them. I give him baths hoping that will help work them out, but it doesn't. I don't want to use scissors since they are very close to his skin and I'm afraid of cutting him.
Any ideas on how I can get rid of all the matted fur?
We had a cat several years ago whose coat just lent itself to getting mats. His worst case scenario: we had to take him to the vet one summer and have his entire belly shaved when one started to fester against his skin. YOu could tell he felt a bit foolish with a bare stomach. Cats do have self-awareness. But it was for the best and he never had mats that bad before or afterwards. Just must have been the perfect storm.
I understand completely not wanting to use scissors when they are right, I mean right up against the skin. Wouldn't want to cut him or her. Otherwise try to get them off before they get up to the skin, if you can. They seem to start out with more distance from the skin and tangle progressively up towards it.
My long haired cat has a lot of matted fur. I can't seem to get rid of them. I give him baths hoping that will help work them out, but it doesn't. I don't want to use scissors since they are very close to his skin and I'm afraid of cutting him.
Any ideas on how I can get rid of all the matted fur?
Thanks.
You must not ever use scissors, as conscientious as you might be. A cut to the skin on a cat is a serious matter.
The vet techs at your vet should be trained how to shave ONLY the matted area that absolutely cannot be combed out, and they have shavers designed for this purpose that are safe and do not nick the cat.
I have had this done when I overlooked combing out our long haired guy. He gets matted a lot. You will need to remember to comb your cat daily (heh, heh, easy to find the time, right?).
I had a silver chinchilla persian many years ago. He was 4 mos. old when I bought him and he had mats on his underbelly. I took him to a groomer and they shaved just his underside. It actually grew back failrly quickly and I kept him combed, so it never happened again. You will not be able to get rid of them by bathing or combing him out.
You are right to be concerned. Mats hurt, because they twist and pull the skin. Bathing makes them worse.
Take your cat to a skilled groomer and have the mats shaved. As the coat grows back in, comb your cat daily.
Perhaps look into improving his diet, to keep his coat in good healthy shape. Feed a wet diet and add a krill oil supplement daily.
Check references and reviews on the groomer first. Not all are trustworthy.
I prefer using our vet office because the vet techs are so careful and they know all about how a cut to a cat's skin can be bad. We have one long haired cat whose fur gets extremely matted so easily. I try to comb him daily, but sometimes I forget - I admit it. We have so many things to do here, not to mention our colony...
Take your cat to a groomer or vet to have the mats removed, don't use scissors despite good intentions, they can cause you more problems, then brush your cat everyday, cats learn to love it and it reduces hair and dander in your home. I would recommend a "furminator", the design is to remove undercoat hair, it gently pulls out loose hair that is about to come out anyway, we have 2 cats and they will only let my SO brush them, they even allow their bellies and tails to be brushed. I know it sounds ridiculous but they are full of themselves after being brushed, and strut around as if they had crowned Prince Charming! I think it's a form of showing love and care to our feline kids, they both purr during brushing, in between their very weaks meows to get away. They don't want us to know they enjoy it! The furminator is only brush I know of that removes undercoat. It has a stainless steel comb-like structure, not the metal bristles.
I just cut them off my girlfriends cat with a scissor. The cat is calm and you just have to be careful. No need to bring the cat to a geoomer or vet....many posters here are too serious
My oldest cat has terrible mats! Some I was able to pull out but she has 3 huge ones on her back that I'm going to have to cut/shave off. I think it will take at least 2 people: one to hold her and the other to put a comb under the mat (to protect the skin) and then cut the mat as much as possible and shave the rest.
I just cut them off my girlfriends cat with a scissor. The cat is calm and you just have to be careful. No need to bring the cat to a geoomer or vet....many posters here are too serious
I really hope that no one believes you because you are dead wrong. No, you don't know what you are talking about! One of my late cats had long hair and for years I would cut the mats, so carefully, I thought, in great light, and one day, to my horror, I did nick her with the scissors and took her right to the vet. The vet showed me how the cut looked: less than an inch long, but the cat was elderly and it was not good at all for her. She had to put on the kind of bandaid that holds the skin together. I was mortified and will never do my own work ever again.
Your comment is not smart and you don't know what you are talking about. Period. End of subject.
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Cats do have self-awareness. But it was for the best and he never had mats that bad before or afterwards. Just must have been the perfect storm.
