Cats with Matted Fur
My cat Michie
I have a long-haired cat, a Maine Coon. My best friend also has a long-haired cat, possibly a Maine Coon, who was found on the road outside of their house years ago as an abandoned kitten. When they realized that Molly was deaf, they kept her as an indoor cat.
My cat has developed mats in her fur a couple of times over the years. I used to brush her every night, but the vet had me bring the brush in, and he told me that it was too hard on her skin, and sold me a fine-tooth comb instead, so now I comb her every night.
With her being a long-haired cat, and not wanting to clean up hairballs very much (Yuck), I still comb her every night and take off a handful of fur each time. I also feed her hairball medicine, so, fortunately, she will only upchuck a hairball about 2-3 times a year.
My friend’s cat Molly, unfortunately, is covered with mats and will not allow my friend to groom her. She has not been brushed much and won’t tolerate it for more than a minute.
When my cat first got mats, I was very surprised, as she had not had them the first 7 years I owned her. I did not know what to do about it, so I just kept combing her every night and trying to pull them apart by hand (that would only last for about 10 seconds and then she was off). Eventually, her mats disappeared.
Molly with fur mats
When my friend asked me what to do about Molly, I suggested combing her or possibly taking her to the groomer and having the mats shaved off. The coat will grow back.
I also checked on the Internet for expert advice about fur matting. There were several suggestions — some saying cut them off with scissors and others saying NEVER cut them off with scissors. The best advice I found was an article on Darlene Arden’s website about cat grooming.
I hope this can be a help for others who have difficulty with long-haired cats who develop mats in their fur.
