Pet Lovers

[Witchy Woman]

My vet told me she would have to sedate my cat for shaving/removing mats. 

I don't want to do this. 

He is not horribly matted, but enough that I want to remove them.

I brush him a lot in the summer, but over the winter, his long hair has become a mess.

Any recommendations for a mat breaking tool would be appreciated. 

Thanks

[PETALSOHIO]

Hi, Poor kitty i feel for you but it is the best thing all around , you have to get the mats off of kitty if you don't they get so heavy and start to pull at the skin , it will bleed and become a big mess, i know i  had a persian kitty so i would have to take her down each spring and get her shaved back i know this sounds awful but they feel so much better, if your Vet can do this i think he is your best bet or a groomer with a very good reputation with cats  ( check them out real good) best of luck let us know how it things turn out  .

[Tibard]

I agree, you have to remove the mats with your vet's assistance. I had a Calico cat and she was always matted, i don't know if it's the breed or not but she matted very easily. I thought about the pet clippers and shears that they sell but she would not sit still for it and I did not want to risk injury. I ended up taking her once a year  to get a lion cut. I just budgeted it into my yearly pet fund. That's all you can do, the mats are usually too close to the skin unless you catch them very early. Good luck with your fur baby!

[jaxs mom]

Is there any debris actually stuck inside the fur? Occasionally my long haired cats will get poop stuck to their rear. In that case I do spot wash that area only with just water to dissolve the poop and once it's gone they will groom that area. In this situation it doesn't need to be brushed. 

Long haired cats blow their coat twice a year and really need to be brushed when they are shedding to prevent mats. It sounds like that might have been what happened with your cat. Make sure there are no open sores, if there are I would let the vet handle it as the cat will need to be shaved at least where the sores are and you have to be careful.

Otherwise, I prefer using a pin brush. Try starting at the ends of the hair detangling it and then moving in deeper. A shedding blade works really well in removing the undercoat, but it won't break firmly matted fur. It will often times loosen the connection of the matted undercoat with the longer fur though and the mat releases whole.

If there is a stubborn piece that won't release with brushing and it's toward the ends of the fur then you can cut it out. Unless your cat is docile to grooming having a second person hold it is always a good idea. I actually only do this on rare occasions for a single stubborn mat near the end of the hair.

Since you say he's not that bad, that should help him out. In the vast majority of cases groomers just shave the cat to save them time.

[author]

I had one long-haired cat after all short hairs, and had to figure out this issue too.  I cut fur mats out, I brushed, I tried so much but finally discovered a comb at the pet store with rotating pins and WOW.  It worked beautifully.

It took patience and gentle work but my cat loved the grooming and as soon as all the mats were gone he kept himself so clean and groomed.  I kept an eye on his fur and as soon as matting began I groomed him more frequently so this did not become insurmountable!

Good luck, I didn't want to sedate or shave either.  I had a docile cat who loved the feel and the attention, so I knew I could manage this myself.  You will soon realize whether or not you need to have the vet help out, and if it is needed, do it.  Your cat will be grateful.

[2blonde]

There are some good suggestions here for removing the mats.  I've always had short haired cats, but my current guy is just turning a year old May 1, and he has rather long hair, and it's that really lightweight fuzzy stuff that has the potential for matting (also the poo problem at the rear).  He's a pretty wild guy, but I started brushing him when he was still a little tyke, and he just LOVES it.  He'll let me brush him (almost) anywhere I want, anytime I want!

Once you've removed the mats, please continue to brush on a daily basis, even through the winter.  Not only will this help prevent new mats, but you'll be preventing some of the loose fur on your furniture and on your pant legs!  

[PattyTucson]

I posted my story on here recently in response to a smiliar question. I believe you can search for it by my user name. Furminator..... very very gently.... and moving forward purple Zoom Groom ($6 - $10). My main coons LOVE it!

[Witchy Woman]

Thanks to all.

As it turns out, I had to take kitty to emergency vet this morning and, while he is being sedated for ear exrays, etc. I asked that they remove the mats.

He has had a chronic ear problem, but lately, he seemed lethargic and I could not get to my regular vet, so off we went.

Sadly, this is the second time this week I've been there.  I posted earlier that I lost my Oliver kitty over the weekend.

It has not been a good week, but I'm picking Cooper up this evening and, hopefully, I can get him back to healthy.

[jaxs mom]

I hope everything goes fine at the vets. 

[Witchy Woman]

Kitty came home last night with a buzz cut.  All but his tail and neck/head shaved.  They showed me what they had removed and it was a small blanket!  Awful. 

I likely never would have gotten all the mats out.

So, today we begin with new fur and daily brushing.