topic Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions! in Pet Lovers

Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:19:26 GMT

There is a stray cat that spends quite a bit of time at my house, so much so that we have named her Butterfly. This is a nice name for a cat that apparently has been abused.

I feed her about four times a day and have tried to pet her, but she will have none of it. She doesn't seem to mind the brush, but I cannot even get it through her fur. I don't want to pull it through, because I have no idea what her reaction will be.

Does anyone have any suggestions on how to get the mats out of her fur? I am at a loss. I would try to get her to the vet, but she will not tolerate being touched.

Thanks for any suggestions. I just would like her to feel better, especially with summer coming.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Lapdog — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:26:22 GMT

Contact a rescue group or Humane Society to borrow a live trap. Then you can hopefully catch her and take her to the vet or groomers to get the mats shaved out.

edited to say borrow

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:31:22 GMT

Thanks, @Lapdog. I had thought of that, but she will not even go in the heated houses that we have on our stoop. She will not even go in them when I put food in there I probably will give them a call on Monday, even though I have no idea how much they will charge (and they do charge in our area).

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

dex — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:42:26 GMT

I have been feeding a stray cat for almost a year and I cant even get within a few feet of that cat.I am surprised that you can brush a stray.Mine is really a pretty one with a beautiful coat.People always tell me to trap him but I know that he will be put down at our shelter because he does not like people.I have grown to love this cat but he really only likes me because I feed him.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Lucky Charm — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:47:38 GMT

A *have a heart* trap is a big open cage. If you put a can of tuna in it and leave it open, believe me the cat will get hungry enough to go in.

The cage is so open, the bars aren't tight and it doesn't seem to scare animals from entering.

So you leave the cage away from your house, maybe where you see the cat usually *emerge* from.

Don't have any other food sources around, just the tuna. The tuna will drive it crazy. Sardines, crazier.

Rescue groups use these traps and we happen to have one of our own. All our cats have been wild. Great pets. Better than the *others*....j/k!

The best thing is, the cat can also get fixed, a check up, rabies shots, a tattoo, and the ear notched so others' know it's (upon glance) it's already been trapped.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Lapdog — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:48:24 GMT

@SXMGirl another idea. Borrow a big enough carrier to drop her into. Set it out on its end with the door open and wait until she gets used to it being there. Then when you have your hand on her, quickly grab her by the nape of her neck lift her and drop her quickly into the cage and slam the door because she will be FREAKED! the worst that can happen is she can hook your arm with her claws but while it hurts, you won't die and you can then get her fixed up.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

CareBears — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:53:18 GMT

@dex I am in the same boat, we have been feeding Kitty Kitty for nearly 2 years, we bought a heated bed, heated water bowl, and feed her daily and open our garage door nightly so she is out of the cold, but she will not let us near her, she is so afraid of people that I can only watch her from a distance the moment I start to move near her she runs, weeks go by and we never even see her but know she is around by the consumption of the food, it breaks our heart that she seems to be alone in this world, and we too have come to love her!

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:54:14 GMT

@Lapdog, I will look for a very large carrier. She has already dug her claws into me when I tried to pick her up--not pleasant. I think she must have been trapped before or she would have gone into our heated houses. She eats right next to them and sleeps next to a non-heated but well-insulated house under my office window.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Catty2 — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 22:56:32 GMT

Thank you for caring about this cat. If it is able to be caught and taken to a rescue, I hope they will neuter/spay it also.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Group 5 minus 1 — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:04:47 GMT

God and the angels will bless you for your kindness.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Havarti — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:39:44 GMT

Try spraying Johnson & Johnson’s No More Tears Detangler (approx. $4.00 at Target – but you can likely find it at any similar store, drugstore, etc. Spray just one area and see if you can brush that area – this stuff is very good at helping with tangels/matts. Just spray & work on one small area at a time. Get the matts cleared at the ends/tips of the fur first – do not start at the skin level and work out – that is too much matting to be easily successful. Clear the pathway at the ends and then work the other matts down toward the ends & out.

Once you get the matts out (if you can) buy a Furminator (at Petsmart or Petco or Amazon) – just the most basic model. The Furminator is used like a brush on unmatted fur and gets out all the loose fur that makes up much of the undercoat – THAT is what is contributing to the matting. It does NOT cut the fur, it just removes what is already detached but buried in the other fur. Most cats & dogs love this process and you will be amazed at how much fur you can remove…enough cover another whole animal! If you can get the cat to go through this process with you, this will help so much not to have further matting.

It is a kind thing you are doing. Be patient, hang in there and it just might help this sweet animal. It seems like there is a trust building of you can at least brush the cat. Be happy with success in just small sections....any progress is a good thing!

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

jaxs mom — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:18:32 GMT

Do not trap and shave her unless the weather is really warm ( nighttime temps in the 80s). This is a cat that lives outdoors and needs her fur to keep warm, especially since she won't use the heated cat houses you have out.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

jaxs mom — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:20:46 GMT

@dex wrote:
I have been feeding a stray cat for almost a year and I cant even get within a few feet of that cat.I am surprised that you can brush a stray.Mine is really a pretty one with a beautiful coat.People always tell me to trap him but I know that he will be put down at our shelter because he does not like people.I have grown to love this cat but he really only likes me because I feed him.

Just because you trap the cat, doesn't mean he needs to be sent to the shelter. You're right, they will just put him down. He can be trapped and taken to the vet if he's sick, or if he hasn't been neutered yet. Then once he's treated and safe to be outside again, you can release him in your yard, or where ever his normal habitat is.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

jaxs mom — Fri, 31 Mar 2017 23:22:31 GMT

@SXMGirl wrote:
@Lapdog, I will look for a very large carrier. She has already dug her claws into me when I tried to pick her up--not pleasant. I think she must have been trapped before or she would have gone into our heated houses. She eats right next to them and sleeps next to a non-heated but well-insulated house under my office window.

Does the house have two entrances? Cats are smart, ferals often won't enter anything that doesn't have an obvious exit. They know they can be easily trapped in there.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 00:01:39 GMT

@jaxs mom, all three "houses" have a front and back, and they are positioned for easy escape.

@Havarti, I will definitely get a detangler this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

Delaware is a no-kill state, but she is definitely not going to a shelter.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Lucky Charm — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 00:27:49 GMT

@SXMGirl wrote:
@jaxs mom, all three "houses" have a front and back, and they are positioned for easy escape.

@Havarti, I will definitely get a detangler this weekend. Thanks for the suggestion.

Delaware is a no-kill state, but she is definitely not going to a shelter.

Thanks, everyone, for your suggestions!

Our first cat's name was *Dewey*--guess where she was from?

There are groups there that will help you and don't really expect a donation, but it would help.

They will return the cat to the area it was initially trapped at.

But most importantly they will spay it and give it a check up, rabies shot, checked for parasites.

Is it's ear already notched or clipped?

I feel so sorry for the wild ones, it's hard to tell what else is going on. They say a cat's coat/fur that is unkempt, may have medical issues...

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

jaxs mom — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 00:37:48 GMT

Hopefully the cat will eventually come to use the houses.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 02:08:02 GMT

@Lucky Charm, I have no idea if her ear is notched. She is so shaggy and I really don't get too close to her head except when she comes up to the door to eat. My two rescues do not have notched ears, so it appears that some of the rescue organizations here do not do that.

I really believe that she wants a home, but I think that she has been outside so long that she doesn't know how to interact with people who are being kind to her. I will keep trying.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

Lucky Charm — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 02:18:56 GMT

@SXMGirl That is awesome you feed her.

Our little Dewey had a *V* cut into her ear. We thought she had it from fighting till a neighbor told us that's how they notched it.

The two cats we have now, they just lop off a little on the side. Sort of a slant.

I didn't notice it for a while and when I did my heart melted. They belonged to no one.

These two (mother and daughter) were wild wild WILD. But they are the sweetest house pets now. Not your typical *in your face cats*, but very loving in their own shy way.

Re: Stray cat has matted fur--need suggestions!

SXMGirl — Sat, 01 Apr 2017 02:57:03 GMT

@Lucky Charm, your cats are very lucky.

As far as my feeding Butterfly, no living thing goes hungry at my house, and that includes the strays in the neighborhood. I have a neighbor who, while never unpleasaant to me, has told me that he hates the strays because they kill birds. I assured him that I go through enough cat food every day that no stray cat is killing birds. I sometimes wonder what people think when they see stray animals. I don't think any of them would prefer to be on their own if they had a good home.