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Is this cat so fat it cannot properly groom?
I have seen that, too.
Yeah, he's a big boy. And he likes to lie upside down on his back (for some reason all 3 of my long haired cats like to do this), so that probably didn't help any.
My older female cat mats on her back too from time to time. I have Holly Springs Vet give her a "lions cut" and she loves it. She is very easy going though and not afraid of the clippers.
I cannot give you a name as I am not in NC yet, but we get our long-haired girl shaved every spring. it is actually called a "lion cut" they leave a "mane" around her face and knee socks on her legs. the rest is lcosely cropped. she greatly appreciates it during the hot months.
Well, he's only about 6 years old so I know he's not dying Kind of wish he was though, I don't even like this cat, he's got some kind of mental issues. He acts like he was abused, but I know he wasn't because we've had him since he was a kitten. You go to pet him and he acts like you are going to hit him on the head and he pulls away, it's so strange. But if I pet my other cat, he gets jealous and comes up and gets between us. He's never seemed like the cleanest cat, I don't see him groom himself like the others, I think that's the source of the matting. And because he won't let me pet him, I never realized it was getting so matted until it was so bad that literally half his back is matted up. It's odd though, looking at it it's not all that noticible, but when I felt it I could tell it was all matted up underneath.
Sounds like you have my parents' cat lol. They had a long-haired cat that was incredibly mean and also terrible about grooming herself. My mom would usually find the mats when they were still small enough to cut off with scissors but that cat always smelled to high heaven. They took that cat to the vet a couple of times and the only explanation the vet could come up with was the cat was a lazy groomer. I won't lie I wasn't terribly sad when I found out that cat passed away a few months ago.
I started using her after a very bad experience at a local vet near me...my cat HATES the vet.
Dr. Regina used a little sleeping gas to knock her out and gave her the most thourough exam she has ever had, shots, everything completly stress free for her. Then, a little oxygen and she woke up completely alert, meowing and none the wiser. It was awesome as a pet owner who has had to witness her stress and anger during past vet visits.
I also know Magnolia Animal Hospital also can/will use a little gas on distressed animals or in difficult situations. I haven't taken my cat there, but am friends with one of the vets. I would feel very comfortable taking my cat there if I lived closer.
We have two long haired cats and so does my mom. The key here is to brush the cats several times a week so this doesn't happen. Cats can be great at grooming themselves, but can't always prevent mats from happening when their hair is so long. Owners of long haired cats have to take better care.
With that said, when my mom got ill, her cat got a bit matted on her back, as well. Most groomers won't mind shaving her down. The "lion cut" as others have mentioned is popular. I even went out and bought our own clippers so we can shorten the hair in the summer, without going to a groomer. Both of our cats are pretty laid back though. They don't like it, but they sit quietly and take it (and then are so happy afterwards).
If the mats are really bad, I would hire a professional though. They can be down to the skin and it can be painful.
You don't say where you live. I would recommend you have a cat vet help with this one. I used The Cat Hospital in Durham off of 15-501. If the cat is super fat you might get a scolding about weight loss to prevent this from happening in the future. My cat got fat and could no longer groom herself so she stunk of urine. The vet gave her a kitty bikini wax trim and we started on a weight loss program to prevent the issue from reoccurring.
I started using her after a very bad experience at a local vet near me...my cat HATES the vet.
Dr. Regina used a little sleeping gas to knock her out and gave her the most thourough exam she has ever had, shots, everything completly stress free for her. Then, a little oxygen and she woke up completely alert, meowing and none the wiser. It was awesome as a pet owner who has had to witness her stress and anger during past vet visits.
I also know Magnolia Animal Hospital also can/will use a little gas on distressed animals or in difficult situations. I haven't taken my cat there, but am friends with one of the vets. I would feel very comfortable taking my cat there if I lived closer.
We use and love Dr. Regina also and will give her two-thumbs up all day long, but she is a vet and not a pet groomer (we met Dr. Regina years ago when she worked at Magnolia Animal Hospital). I've had her cut out mats before, and thats really all she did, if was nothing fancy or pretty and she was very upfront to say just that. If I want my cats bathed or groomed, I go to a professional groomer, no need to use anesthesia and put them out if its not medically necessary. I stand by recommending Rachel at Curbside Clips for a mobile groomer who will do cats.
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Kind of wish he was though, I don't even like this cat, he's got some kind of mental issues. He acts like he was abused, but I know he wasn't because we've had him since he was a kitten. You go to pet him and he acts like you are going to hit him on the head and he pulls away, it's so strange. But if I pet my other cat, he gets jealous and comes up and gets between us. He's never seemed like the cleanest cat, I don't see him groom himself like the others, I think that's the source of the matting. And because he won't let me pet him, I never realized it was getting so matted until it was so bad that literally half his back is matted up. It's odd though, looking at it it's not all that noticible, but when I felt it I could tell it was all matted up underneath.
