Mat alert! Grooming long-haired cats with mats are essential. Even though few cats come with a silky coat that is not prone to getting matted, they need grooming for aid. Cat fur often gets tangled or knotted around itself without frequent brushing or grooming, known as mating.
With long haircuts, grooming becomes more important. Proper and effective grooming not only makes a massive difference in terms of appearance but also in terms of health. Mats often occur in cat breeds with fine, curly, or double codes.
When mating becomes very tight to the skin, it prevents proper airflow. It will further prevent adequate temperature regulation, leading to skin irritation. All of these can cause extreme discomfort and pain to your cat. Mays are mostly preventable in long-haired cats if groomed and brushed correctly.
If we look at why your cat coat is forming mats and what are the things you can do to keep them at bay, you will be fine. Therefore, in this article, we will look at the options if your cat’s coat is already matted.
Contents
Why Does Your Long-Haired Cat’s Fur Get Matted?
Mats are usually formed when cat furs become wrapped around themselves or Tangled, forming tight wound clumps of loose dead hair or even live fur. It is important to brush it frequently to prevent it from becoming closer and closer to the cat’s skin. In long-haired cats, mats are usually formed in areas with lots of friction.
This is primarily where the collar sets or the area behind her ear where we love scratching her. Your cat will also form a mat under its chin, her armpits, or under where her harness usually sits. Tangled hair on feet or back of their rear legs may also be notified if your cat has exceptionally long hair.
In the shedding season, mats often occur in long-haired cats when they are blowing coats. It is mainly two times a year. The cat will blow her skin to regulate her body temperature according to seasonal changes.
On top of long hair, if your cat is a double-coated breed, she is more likely to get matted. Cats with double coats are more prone to Tangled or matted fur.
5 Causes Of Matted Hair In Long-Haired Cats
- Old cats find it hard to reach some areas of their body for grooming resulting in mats.
- When a cat doesn’t feel healthy or well, she stops grooming.
- Any health issue or as a dental problem, nausea, or arthritis can cause pain, making them stop grooming.
- Build up of dust and dander make the coat prone to mats and knotted.
- Overweight or sick cats will be unable to groom their bodies.
Grooming Long-Haired Cats With Mats: 3 Options
#1 At Home: Should I Cut The Mats Out Of My Cat’s Fur?
You should not cut the mats out of your cat’s fur by yourself if you have no experience. If you are thinking of cutting out your long hair cat’s mat using scissors at home, put It Down. You should avoid using scissors to cut out any mat unless you are adequately trained on cat grooming.
Unless you have proper training, tools like grooming scissors, comfort, and experienced hands, you should never try it out yourself. Besides, you might think of using clippers instead of scissors to trim matting in your long-haired cat. If you are feeling so, then put this idea down also.
Using clippers often results in injury to your cat. You will never want to pull the mats up from your cat’s skin and cut underneath. Believe it or not, your cat’s extended skin can get ripped off.
Nobody will ever want that to happen with their pet. In Addition, if that happens, you will have to pay a visit to your veterinarian and spend thousands of dollars on preventing infection and proper treatment.
Your cat will be less willing to be groomed or clipped next time. So what other option do you have left? You might want to go with veterinary cleaning, but here is what we found through our research.
#2 Vets: Do Vets Shave Matted Cats?
Yes. Some vet and veterinary cleanings offer to shave long-haired cats’ mats and tangled hair. They use professional grooming clippers that come in different trimming sizes. By using professional grooming clippers, your vet won’t have to trouble or worry about pulling or raising your cat’s skin as it trims out her mating.
Your vet will hold the end of the mat firmly using fingers while working on the carpet with the clippers simultaneously from the base outwards. Then they will peel it off in layers using the blade.
Remember that this technique is widely used when long hair cats have formed isolated ats like mats behind the ears or feet.
If your cat has more widespread mating over her body, I would advise you to visit a professional groomer for a whole body trimming rather than a vet.
This will also help you save some extra money because a professional groomer will charge you less for cat grooming than a veterinarian.
If it is a severe case of matting, you can also make an appointment with a professional vet for a sedated clipping. It can spare your cat from the deep discount, distress, or emotional trauma while making the whole treatment and procedure safer for everyone involved.
#3 Groomers.
Groomers can help you with long-haired cats with mats, but they eventually don’t want to shave her. Matting often makes a groomer’s job quite tricky as it determines the length of hair they can cut from a cat. If you are visiting a groomer expecting a longer haircut, then don’t go.
You will instead be frustrated because pelting may also be found after clipping the mat present underneath. It may make the haircut much shorter than expected.
Therefore, I highly recommend you find a reputable cat groomer with whom you feel comfortable or have experience. If you have a nearby groomer who understands your grooming preferences, you should spend a few minutes with them and discuss what haircuts they can give your long-haired cat.
Spending a few minutes when you drop off your cat for their appointment to discuss what you would like will always help get the most effective result. You can discuss the matted areas and the options left for treating them.
You can discuss whether a shave is needed in the matted areas only or all over the body to remove it. If you don’t find any of these options much more helpful, below is the tip on getting matted hair out of a long-haired cat.
How Do You Get Matted Hair Out Of A Long-Haired Cat?
#1 Prepare Your Tools.
You will need the right grooming equipment to solve the mats and tangles. Therefore, make sure to have a slicker brush, a de-matting tool, and a mat splitting tool as your best friend when you are conquering nets and tangles of long-haired cats. You can find all the supplies at any Store or even online at Amazon.
#2 Get The Right Products.
To make the dematting and detangling process easier for you and your long-haired cat, arm yourself with the best product for grooming a cat. I recommend using a good-quality detangler to help you loosen the hair curls, mats, and tangles. Other than this, use natural pet shampoo and conditioner when bathing your cat after you remove tangles and mats.
#3 Find The Mats And Start With The Small Ones.
Firstly, you should locate all the small tangles and mats using the slicker brush. Make sure to brush your cat firmly with a soft hand toward their hair growth. You are likely to find mats under their ears or below the neck. Make sure to look under the belly and along the back legs also.
#4 Apply Detangler.
Start the matting and detangling process by using a good quality detangler in matted or tangled areas of a cat coat. Rub the detangler effectively to penetrate the problem area.
#5 Work The Mat Or Tangle Using Your Finger.
Your fingers will help you pull and ease the hair apart a little at a time. It may seem like painstaking work, but the effort will pay off on your long-haired cat if you keep at it. If you find it hard to break through the mats after working on them for hours, use a mat splitting tool to cut through. Always cut it in the direction of your cat’s hair growth.
#6 Now, Brush Your Cat.
After removing as much of the tangle or mat as possible, start using a slicker brush to finish the job; always brush a few hairs gently to separate them from the rest of the tangle.
#7 Finally, Bathe Your Cat.
After removing the tangle and mats as much as possible, give her a bath. Use a natural shampoo and conditioner to help ensure her skin is properly moisturized and not dry. Dry skin is prone to itchiness. After bathing, ensure she does not bathe for many upcoming weeks because water usually makes knots and clumps in their coat.
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Preventions & Conclusion
If you want the mats and tangles to come back and protect your long-haired cat, continue using detangler on your cat’s coat. If your cats like to swim, you can also put the detangler into the water she goes in to help prevent mat and tangles from forming. In Addition, always brush your cat’s coat daily and have a good pair of clippers.
Not only have a good pair of clippers but also learn how to use them. Clipping the skin of your long-haired cat to a short length will also help you start over and prevent mats and tangles from forming in the first place. Using the right grooming tools, procedures, and products at your fingertips, you can keep tangles and mats at bay, even if your long-haired cat is prone to them.