| Cats > Skin and Hair Conditions > Treating a Cat for Matted Fur | |
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also see Cat Matted
also see Cat Fur
also see Long Hair Cats
also see Hairless Kittens
When you own a long-haired cat, matted fur is a battle. Brushing the clumps out takes hours and is rarely successful because even a patient cat grows tired of having his fur tugged and yanked. Ignoring the cat's matted fur only increases the problems as more matts develop.Follow the following tips to help alleviate cat fur loss from shaving and causing stress on your cherished pet.
The leading cause of matted fur is lack of brushing. Brush long haired cats daily. If you do this without question, matts cannot develop. One of the problems with matts is that once they've developed enough, the weight and poor condition of the skin beneath clumps may lead to cat alopecia or balding.
From kittenhood, brush your cat regularly to get the cat accustomed to full body brushings. Brush the hair backwards to loosen hair and then forward to remove it. Undercoat rakes help remove dead hair on long haired cats.
Use sprinkle cornstarch on a clump and then use a fine toothed comb or flea comb to try to loosen the hairs. If this doesn't work, use a seam ripper to remove the matt as close to the skin as possible. Scissors and hair trimmers stress cats.
also see Caring For Your Kitten Post Neuter Surgery
also see Cat Health Advice For a Happy and Healthy Cat
also see Throat Problems in Cats
also see Pruritis or Itchy Skin