How to Treat a Cat for Matted Fur

By eHow Pets Editor

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Grooming your cat regularly with a brush or comb will reduce the occurrence of mats in the fur. Unfortunately, many cats wind up with matted fur because they hate to be groomed. Here's how to deal with the problem, which occurs most often in longhairs.

Instructions

Difficulty: Moderate

Things You’ll Need:

  • Manicure Scissors
  • Hair-ball Treatment
  • Kitty Treats

Step1
Attempt to remove the fur mat after the cat has eaten. Cats tend to be more relaxed after meals.
Step2
Adopt a calm and soothing demeanor as you approach the cat. Have your manicure scissors hidden in your pocket as you pet the cat.
Step3
Once the cat is relaxed, try to work out the fur mat with your fingers. Pull out the scissors if that doesn't work.
Step4
Snip down the middle of the fur mat, far from the skin. It's quite easy to snip the skin accidentally on longhaired cats, so work carefully.
Step5
Slowly work apart the fur mat with your fingers. Snip away a little more if necessary. Reassure the cat in a soothing voice as you snip. If she becomes upset, stop and come back to the task later.
Step6
Once you've worked apart the fur mat and it's clearly away from the skin, cut it off.
Step7
Reward the cat's cooperation with a kitty treat.
Step8
If the cat has several fur mats, remove them at separate times. The cat will quickly lose her patience after you remove the first fur mat. Build trust with a gentle approach and kitty treats to make future encounters easier.
Step9
Bring the cat to a professional groomer if the cat is unapproachable, if the fur mat is in a delicate area or if the mats are extremely tangled.
Step10
Purchase a hair-ball treatment at a pet store to help your cat eliminate a troublesome hair ball. Or feed the cat butter or a can of oily sardines.

Tips & Warnings

  • If a cat is vomiting hair balls, it is a sign that he needs more grooming. Comb or brush Kitty at least once a week to remove excess fur, more in shedding season. Cats ingest their fur while they groom themselves.
  • If a cat is retching for days, stops eating or is constipated, bring him to a veterinarian. It could indicate that a major hair ball is blocking the digestive tract.
  • If a cat stops grooming, bring him to the veterinarian. This is a common sign of underlying illness.

Comments

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hendrix said

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on 10/2/2007 Have a grumpy 16yr old female cream persian/burmese mix. She just hates the brush. Best for her is to rub the matt between the fingers to loosen it while rubbing her around the neck or similar favourite spot so when she is really relaxed out come the nail scissors - found these the best. Can only do one matted area at a time.

Monique said

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on 6/12/2007 Cat with matted fur, we have noticed a big spot of fur missing in one area. Could this be a big matte that feel off? There is a little bit of fur he is not totally bare in that area. He is a long haired cat and we have notice matting in his fur in last 6 months.

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on 6/10/2007 First off with the runs problem. I found Spook likes a bit of the milk from my cereal each morning. Not too much, like a tablespoons worth, it makes sure the stool is more solid.
The with the matted bum...mine is more like a dirty tail, which he considers strickly his property. Mom can do any other part on his frame, but the tail is off limits. So, I just croon to him about how much the tail would like to look like the rest of his body, not all dirty and slowly but surely, he is letting me attend to the problem. But it has to be on his terms.

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on 6/10/2007 My cat loves to be brushed. I have a special comb for him. If I have a mat of fur, I take a toothpick, the sharp ones, and break up the fur bunch with the pick, then with the comb, when its broken up it won't pull the skin beneath so much.

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on 5/28/2007 I have a problem that i need help with.

A couple of weeks ago i notice that my 6 year old cat had the runs and found out that it was a change in its diet.

The problem is now that the runs have stopped I have notice that there is a BIG clump of matted hair by his bum. He does not seem to be trying to clean it and was wondering if this could cause health issues and what can i do. I am too scared to try and cut it out as he will barely stand letting me look at it and if i tried i might do more damage then good.

I am on a disablity income and can not really afford to take him to the vet’s unless that is what need to be done.(I would rather be a little hungry than to put him though pain.)

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eHow Article:  How to Treat a Cat for Matted Fur

eHow Pets Editor

eHow Pets Editor

Category: Pets

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