Saturday, April 20, 2024

Why Is My Cat’s Fur Matted

Don't Miss

How Do You Groom Your Cat

Cat Health Care Tips : How to Treat a Cat for Matted Fur

To get an idea of how to get rid of matted cat fur, take a look at the way you tend to groom your cat.

We usually scratch the hair off of our legs. Although it makes sense, this can actually hurt our knees.

Since cats do not have hair like we do, they dont need to wearshoes when they walk. They use the hairs along their body as calluses. Whenscratching them off, a part of the skin might come off.

Even if your cat does not seem to have an allergic reaction to the hair, sometimes they will get an infection in the area.

To get rid of matted cat fur, soak the area with warm water. Gently rub the affected area to remove the matted hair. Allow the area to dry before taking a bath.

The cool water will not harm the skin and will speed up theremoval of the hair. You may need to use an Emery board or some other similartool to scrape the fur off.

Once the area has dried out, you can bathe your cat in warmwater. Take note though, that the warm water will actually keep the infectionfrom getting worse.

Youll find that once the infection clears up, the hair will stop growing back. Its actually a good thing that the infection didnt grow back, because the hair would have been really messy.

Remember, too, that the area where the hair grew back is the one where youll be bathing the cat.

How Do I Get Rid Of My Cats Matted Fur

A lot of people would be more than willing to provide advice on how to get rid of your cats matted fur.

They would be willing to help you out in order to avoid having to spend a lot of money to solve your problem.

However, before you pay someone to do something that could be done yourself, there are some things that you need to know.

Cats fur doesnt grow back. Cats do not need to molt as they will soon shed the old hair.

It just needs to be cleaned off using a shampoo or by brushing it with a toothbrush. If you want to take care of it, all you need to do is clean it up and use some lukewarm water to bathe it.

This doesnt mean that you should not keep the litter box clean.You can use an enzymatic cleaner, but you should be careful when you do this.

A person may ask how do I get rid of my cats matted fur using ahomemade solution? The answer is simple.

You can bathe your cat in the sink and clean the sink for it. Wash the cat hair with dishwashing detergent in to get rid of the mats.

Clean the shampoo off the cat and place it in a plastic bag and put it in the freezer.

Another way you can get rid of the hair is by baking it. You canuse baking soda to clean the cat hair and then let it dry. Then you can brushit with a soft brush.

Once you have bathed your cat hair, the next step is to trim it. You need to trim the cat hair because it can cause itchiness to the cat.

Since the hair is now long, it will look a bit messy if you dont trim it carefully.

What Causes Matting Of Cat Fur Near The Tail

Matted fur can arise due to a few reasons. Theoretically, most cats can succumb to matted fur. However, the most susceptible are long-haired breeds and elderly cats.

Sometimes, dead hair from a long-hair cat gets trapped and tangled with live hair, especially during the shedding season. Over time, the mat becomes tighter as dirt and oils get mixed in the mat.

Matted fur can also develop in body parts like the bottom of the tail and around the legs. When these body parts rub against each other, hair tangles can form and eventually develop into mats.

For long-haired cats, mats develop because they cannot cope with the volume of hair that they need to groom and clean, leaving some of their body parts vulnerable to matting.

Senior cats are also prone to matting because they lack the initiative to groom and clean themselves. And if they have mobility issues, they might not be able to reach certain body parts.

Don’t Miss: How To Get Matts Out Of Cat Hair

Jw Pet Cat Comb Read Our Review Or Buy It Here

The JW Grip Soft Cat Comb For Combing. Cat combs help to prevent matting and hairball formulation. Great for removing dingleberries from the behind area! Much like a comb vs. a brush for human hair just gives the hair a different look. I also love the fact that I can stick this sucker into the dishwasher so its easy to sanitize if I use it on Charlie and Trigg and then on Caymus and Murphy .

Can You Cut Off Matted Fur Cat

How to Deal With Matted Cat Fur (3 Options Explored ...

We strongly advise against using scissors to cut the mats out. It is easy to cut your cats skin with scissors not to mention painful. If you still think you can use scissors, its extremely important to tease the mat away from the skin and have a visual on the area before picking up those darn scissors.

Also Check: Why Do Cats Act Weird When You Scratch Their Lower Back

Why Does My Cats Fur Keep Sticking Together

When the cat isnt able to properly clean his fur, all this dirt builds up and causes the fur to stick together. Matted fur clumps need to be removed because theyre extremely uncomfortable for the cat.

Preventing Matted Cat Hair The best way to prevent mats from forming too frequently is to brush your cat regularly. To avoid pulling the skin, look for knots on your cats fur and gently detangle it with your fingers, and then with a mat comb for cats. If you use a detangling spray, only purchase a product made for cats.

Recent Posts

Pay Attention To Nutrition

Sometimes, grooming is not enough to prevent fur-related issues. If you notice that the quality of your cats fur is far from good, his current diet may be the culprit. Ask your vet about switching to another brand of cat food. Your vet may recommend a brand that contains nutrients like Omega-3 fatty acids and vitamin E which improve the quality of a cats coat. You can also get Omega-3 for cats as a supplement.

Read Also: How Much Do Cats Need To Eat

Easing The Molting Process In Cats

You can’t fight the cat and keep it from molting and shedding its dead hair, so it is best to help it along and speed up the whole process. At the same time you brush your cat’s fur, daily or at least every three days, try to give your cat some beer yeast. One tablet a day will help make the next molt somewhat milder.

Regularly Brush Your Cat

Grooming an extremely matted cat

Brushing your cat regularly is the best way to prevent your cats fur from becoming matted. This is especially true if you have a long-haired cat breed, as long-haired cats are more prone to getting matted fur and it often becomes more severe. Even if your long-haired cat is grooming themselves, they may still need an extra helping hand!

Grooming your cat also helps to prevent matting that is caused by a lack of self-grooming or by shedding. You can help detangle the hair, spread the natural oils along the surface, and clean away any pieces of dirt or loose bits of fur that your cat has missed.

Most cats will love being groomed, but ideally, wait until your cat is relaxed and start brushing them slowly and gently. When brushing, you need to be sure you brush your cat all over, especially in places prone to matting, such as their rear or the fur under their collar. For this reason, smaller brushes tend to be better than larger ones as you can easily reach all the more difficult places.

Always brush from tip to tail, the same as you would when stroking your cat, and if your cat gets stressed out leave it for now and try again tomorrow. It may take a little getting used to but will make your cat happier and healthier in the long run. Ideally, you should establish a regular brushing routine to help your cat get used to being groomed and relieve any stress and anxiety.

Don’t Miss: How To Make A Kitten Stop Biting

How Mats Are Created In Cat Hair

To better understand mats in cats, lets briefly recap shedding. Seasonal shedding with the two biggest shedding times of the year occurring in fall and spring correlates with the amount of sunlight during the day. However, indoor cats shed year-round due to the constant artificial light in our homes so instead of two heavy bouts of shedding, indoor cats experience continual light shedding. And it is the sloughing of dead hair that contributes to the baneful matting in a cats fur.

Mats tend to form in hard to reach places such as under the front legs , stomach, and the rear area around the base of the tail, flanks and sensitive nether regions.

Mats in cats are generally different from those in dogs and humans, explains Lynn Paolillo, CFMG, CFCG, DTS and certifier and head instructor at National Cat Groomers Institute of America, Inc., in Greenville, South Carolina. Instead of just tangled hair, cat mats are caused by an excess of dead coat that sheds out and greasy, oily skin. The dead coat clumps together with oils, eventually becoming large and hard mats. This pelting is similar in texture to a Brillo pad.

Preventing Mats In A Cat Or Dog

The ounce of prevention rule works well here, and its great if the matted fur never snarls in the first place, but stuff happens.

At regular veterinary visits, ask your vet or vet tech to do some preventive clipping of mats.

  • Keep an eye out for mats on your pet and remove them immediately. For example, get that obese kitty a sanitary clip by her big butt! She does not want to hold onto those dingleberries .
  • Keep the area behind a dogs ears free of mats as well as those puffy pantaloons hes wearing. These dogs must feel like theyre sitting on a sack of potatoes when the rear end mats get too thick.
  • Keep on top of longhaired cats who dont groom.
  • Veterinarians will help you with some clipping and coiffing. After all, its a lot easier to clip away a mat than to suture up a bad scissor injury.

Also Check: Is Blue Buffalo Good Cat Food

Will Bathing Help With Removing Matted Fur

Theres no need to try and wash your cat before you attempt to remove mats from his coat.

In fact it will only make the job harder!

Most cats hate water, and getting them wet makes them agitated, so its harder to work on their coat.

Also, cats fur is somewhat porous. If you get it wet, the shafts absorb some of the water, and become stretchy.

Try to imagine getting a knot out of a rubber band, compared to getting a knot out of a piece of string its much harder!

However, you can buy cat safe detangling sprays, such as this one* to help you work.

Always choose a product designed specifically for cats. Cats will ingest any residue left on their fur next time they wash themselves, so products designed for humans or other animals arent safe.

Removing Tangles And Mats

How do I deal with a senior cat with matted fur?
  • 1Keep your cat calm. Removing matted fur can be a time-consuming and potentially painful process, and many cats will not respond well to it. It is essential that your cat starts out calm and remains so as you remove the knots and tangles. It is better to halt the process and resume at another time than to force a scared or angry cat to submit to the removal of tangles.XResearch source
  • If you have regularly groomed your cat from an early age, it is more likely to accept the tangle-removal process. If your cat refuses to allow the process without clawing, scratching, running away, etc., it is best to turn things over to a professional groomer or veterinarian.
  • 2Locate and examine all mats. Some tangles, like the dreadlock-type that can appear on the back or sides, can be easily visible. Others, however, can be lurking in concealed areas but these are at least as important to remove. Look for tangles in areas such as behind the ears, around the groin area, between the back legs, behind the front legs, under the collar, and around the anus.XResearch source
  • If the tangle or mat is very large say, bigger than the end of your thumb it is probably best to have a professional handle the removal. If there are any signs of irritation or injury to the adjacent skin, contact the cats veterinarian.
  • Dont force the matter, however. Yanking at matted fur with a brush will not make your cat happy, and your cat will in turn make sure you are not happy. Move on to other methods.
  • Recommended Reading: How Long Can A Cat Live With Pectus Excavatum

    How Do You Cut A Badly Matted Dog

    Never bathe your dog if he has mats or tangled hair. Water acts as a sponge and only makes them tighter. Use corn starch to help loosen matted dog hair. Rub some into the mat to help loosen, then brush out. Dont assume that conditioner will remove or loosen mats. NEVER try to cut out matted dog hair.

    What Is Matting In Cats

    Matted fur is a common condition that is easily found in cats. It is quite popular among those cats who have long hair where their fur gets entangled and knotted. Matting in a cats fur mainly occurs in those places where their movement is relatively higher. Due to a lot of movement in areas like under their chest, legs, and near the collar, cats long hair tends to get matted due to the lack of care.

    On the other hand, if the matted hair of a cat is left unattended for a long time, it can lead to many serious health issues. If it is not cared for at the right time, the longer matted fur tends to become more problematic as it starts getting tightened. It can cause much discomfort and health issues to the cat.

    Read Also: Are Umbrella Plants Toxic To Cats

    How To Get Rid Of Matted Cat Hair

    Preventing Matted Cat Hair The best way to prevent mats from forming too frequently is to brush your cat regularly. To avoid pulling the skin, look for knots on your cats fur and gently detangle it with your fingers, and then with a mat comb for cats. If you use a detangling spray, only purchase a product made for cats.

    Why Is My Old Cat Fur Matted

    Cat with Matted Fur. The veterinarians advice on how to treat and manage at home.

    A cats hair gets matted if she is not groomed on a regular basis. This is especially true for long-haired cats such as Persians and Himalayans. According to the ASPCA, matted hair can be painful for the cat and cause skin problems. As a cat gets older it is important to keep the cat as healthy as possible.

    Recommended Reading: How Old Do Cats Have To Be To Get Declawed

    Cat Matted Fur Near Tail

    It does not take long for new cat owners to discover their pets spending a sizeable portion of their waking hours grooming themselves. If your cat is not sleeping, eating, or playing, it is most likely that he is grooming himself. Cats do not groom themselves out of sheer vanity. No. Cats are fastidious creatures for a reason. Self-grooming is critical for a few reasons.

    Cats are well-equipped to groom and clean themselves. For starters, their tongues contain papillae or backward-facing barbs. These small barbs help a cat remove dirt, dead hair, and even fleas off a cats fur and skin.

    Furthermore, the papillae also help promote circulation and stimulate the release of oils from the sebaceous glands found beneath the skin. These oils help lubricate the fur, keeping it clean and shiny.

    Additionally, cats are flexible. This makes them more than capable of reaching most of their body parts.

    But despite your cats best efforts, you cannot rely on him completely to clean and groom himself. Otherwise, this could lead to problems, like matted fur.

    Matting of fur typically occurs around the chest and neck, legs, and under a cats tail. The condition requires immediate attention. Otherwise, your pets comfort and mobility can be compromised. Furthermore, it can even lead to infections.

    How To Deal With Matted Cat Hair

    If your cat frequently gets matted fur, check out these prevention and de-matting tips!

    Cat hair is one of the best parts about a cat with hundreds of thousands of hair per square inch, its what gives a cat its color and fluffiness. That beautiful coat doesnt always come so easy, though. Matted cat hair is one of the most common cat problems, which can prompt a higher frequency of hairballs. If your cat has matted fur, check out this helpful information on how to deal with it.

    Read Also: How Long Do Tuxedo Cats Live

    Which Cats Tend To Get The Most Matting

    Well, matting is a common condition in long-haired cats, but its not that only they suffer from it. Also, cats with shorter hairs are prone to developing tangles, knots, or mats.

    Besides, the texture of the hair of cats matters a lot for developing a mat. For example, cats with silky smooth coats are rare to create mats. But a cat with a thicker and hairier coat will develop tangles more often that might turn into a thick and painful mat.

    In long-haired cats, the reason for the clump is mostly tangling of their long hairs. But the reason for the occurrence of matting in a cat with short hair is the lump of dead hairs rather than tangling.

    More articles

    Popular Articles

    Wet Cat Food For Kidney Disease

    Brands Of Wet Cat Food