Cats have got quite a reputation as the best self-groomers. But that doesn’t mean they do not need your help with grooming. Old cats, obese cats, and cats with long hair are generally prone to tangled hair and mats. Not only matted fur look bad but also it is painful for your feline furball. And de-matting a cat’s hair takes a lot of patience. Don’t be surprised if you can’t remove all the mats in a single session.
Mats in hair invite other health problems including discomfort, skin disorder, flea infestation, mites, worms, and other parasites. Regular brushing your cat’s hair can prevent tangles that turn into mats. In this article, I’m going to tell you how you can remove mats at home. However, if you think you won’t be able to remove tangles and mats safely, you should seek professional help.
How Often Should You Examine Your Cat For Mats?
You should brush your cat on a daily basis with a quality comb or brush to keep her fur clean, smooth and untangled. And keep a close eye while you groom her. However, if you somehow miss seeing tangles and mats, you should never ignore any other abnormal signs in your cats.
Cats lick themself to keep their fur clean and it also stimulates sebaceous glands on their skin that keep their fur oily and shiny. One of the signs that your cat has mats is she’s not grooming herself enough.
Most cats keep licking themselves almost always. But when cats are neglecting some portion, it may be because licking that area is causing them pain. Other signs include fleas, some skin allergies, and a stressed cat.
Things You Will Need
A prerequisite for de-matting your cat is a calm cat. You can’t just wake your cat up from her sleep or just pick her up from her playtime. And if you do, you might get some serious claw scratches.
When she seems to be chilling or sitting near a window, you can approach her for grooming. Well, gather these tools before you go to your cat.
- Corn Starch
- Treats
- Fine-toothed comb
- Blunt-end scissors or Razor Comb
- Conditioner and a spray bottle
Comb Her Hair
Before you start de-matting your cat’s hair, use a comb and brush her coat. Make sure that you do not bath your cat before this entire process as it will make things only worse. First, locate mats and tangles and use your fingers to get rid of them. If you still cannot do the job, use a spray conditioner and comb out the tangles.
There might still be some tangles remaining and the only way to deal with is to cut them out. Combing will reduce the no. of spots before you start the actual procedure of de-matting.
Prepare The Mat Spot
Take some cornstarch or talcum powder and sprinkle a little on a mat. Use your fingers and work it around a bit. Now, gently pull the mat up so that you can see where exactly the skin is.
This can be painful so your cat may resist. Try again, call your cat in a sweet voice, and caress her back. And when you successfully pull a mat, give your cat a treat. You have to repeat this procedure every time your cat resists.
Cut The Mat
While you hold the mat, make sure that it is pulled in the perpendicular direction to the skin. This will help you to get an accurate idea of where her skin is. Now, use sharp blunt-nosed scissors, watchfully slide scissors along the skin into the mat. Again, watch the skin and carefully make a clean cut. Please ensure that you don’t pull her hair when you remove scissors.
However, if you’re not experienced with using scissors, you might injure your cat accidentally. So instead of using scissors, you can use a razor comb, also known as mat comb. Simply calm your cat and make a short, quick motion like you do with a regular comb. Also, make sure that you use your other hand to counter any tugging and the stroke of the comb is always away from your cat’s body.
The EndNote
Use a razor comb to cut your cat’s mats if you’re not comfortable using scissors. That poses a danger to accidentally injure a cat if you don’t have experience using it. And always try to have someone for assistance. That will make the process quite easier. Above all, if you think you cannot de-mat your cat after a lot of tries, you should not hesitate to visit a professional groomer or your vet.