How can I remove my cat’s mats in her fur?
violet46@sbcglobal.net asked:
She’s not a longhaired cat, but her fur is longer towards her rump and on her back. I’ve tried using a wire brush to work through the mats but she won’t tolerate that for long. I’ve also tried using scissors to cut out the mats, but she won’t let me do that for long either. What can I use that won’t hurt her?
She’s not a longhaired cat, but her fur is longer towards her rump and on her back. I’ve tried using a wire brush to work through the mats but she won’t tolerate that for long. I’ve also tried using scissors to cut out the mats, but she won’t let me do that for long either. What can I use that won’t hurt her?
do not use scissors. Cutting through a mat feels exactly like cutting through the skin, and too many a cat have been cut badly trying to take the mats off.
Besides that, your cat needs to lose weight. A short haired cat getting mats can only mean that it isn’t grooming itself. If it can stop you from grooming it, then it is in fairly good health, but it can’t comfortably reach its back side. Please consider changing it’s diet to help it lose weight. See for info on a proper diet for helping a cat lose weight. it is a site run by a vet who knows what she is talking about. There are several examples of overweight cats and of their losing weight.
Lastly, to take care of the problem now, take your cat to a groomer or to the vet to be shaved down. It is the safest and quickest way to take care of the problem. Mats are very VERY uncomfortable for a cat, kinda like when someone pulls your hair – but 24 hours a day. While she won’t let you groom her, she might tolerate more from a professional because she’ll be in a novel environment and just be willing to let it happen. If not, the vet can sedate her and shave her down against her will – but you are looking at the cost of sedation which can be expensive. I know around me it used to be about $100
Mat removal is tough on kitties. The best would be to carefully shave the area – with a small animal clippers – not a razor. You could take her to a groomer for that. Sometimes vets can do it, too.
Or, you can try holding the scissors at a vertical angle to her skin so you are cutting through the mat. This makes several smaller mats and relieves the painful pull on the skin. Then she might let you work on her longer.
You might look in your pet store at the grooming supplies for mat removers. The ones I’ve seen are very sharp and could cause damage if used carelessly.
Once she’s dematted, brush her more frequently to avoid mat formation.
I’ve had this problem with my cat, and I was able to cut the mats myself, but I had to do it very carefully and couldn’t do it all at once. Sometimes had had to have someone help me hold her so she wouldn’t run away. I also got a lot of cat scratches. There’s nothing you can do that won’t be at least a little unpleasant, so you might have to take her to the vet and have them shave off the mats for you. Then make sure you brush the cat regularly so the fur won’t get all matted again. If the cat is overweight (like mine is), definitely get some cat food that will help her lose weight. My vet told me to get food that has about 225 calories per cup. I’ve been feeding my cat low calorie food, and she’s lost about half a pound. Good luck!
Hey, I just found something else that’s helpful, so I thought I’d add it to my answer. Yesterday I bought a small electric trimmer to trim the fur on my dog’s face, and what do you know–it works on my cat’s matted fur too! My cat doesn’t have very big mats anymore–just a few small ones that I noticed recently–so I don’t know how it would work on big ones. But it’s something you might try. My cat still didn’t like it, but it’s safer and faster than using scissors, and cheaper than taking your cat to the vet. I hope this helps!