Matted outdoor stray

buhiro

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First some background:
A very friendly, and very drooly stray kitty recently decided to make our patio her permanent home. My boyfried and I have been feeding her, and we've rigged up a tarp over part of the patio with a couple of cozy sleeping spots underneath. She spends the nights under there in an old covered litter box that I insulated with a camping foamy and a fleecy blanket, so she should be warm enough for now. We're hoping to find her a home before it gets too wintery (all the shelters in our area are at capacity). We have two strictly indoor cats who stenuously object to this cat's presence even out on the patio, so taking her into our own home would be a last resort (but I have a feeling it may come to that)!

Here's the problem:
She's long-haired, and the undercoat on her back is very matted close to the skin. She also has a lot of dandruff. I've only ever had short-haired cats and have no experience with grooming long-haired cats. I've noticed on this forum that most people seem to recommend getting a groomer to shave the mats off, but since the temperatures drop to near freezing at night, I don't want to deprive her of any fur. I've cut a couple of the largest mats out, but I don't want to risk nicking her skin, so I can't do much more. She loves it when I comb her, but I haven't had much much luck penetrating into the really matted fur with my plastic comb (and less luck with my own cats' brush).

What should I do? Any tools or techniques to try?

Thanks![/color]
 

goldenkitty45

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Its a good thing she likes combing - someone cared about her at one time
But you need to get a mat splitter and a good steel cat comb - not a plastic one.

Unless you bring her inside for awhile, it will be difficult to really get her combed the right way. Would any of your friends be willing to house her temporary where you can get her inside and really groomed the right way?
 

kitytize

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She really could use a bath. Clean fur is easier to comb and get matts out. Also you need a metal comb.
 

mom of 4

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Zoey is a DSH, so I have limited cat grooming experience.

But I have two Old English Sheepdogs in long coat and I groom them myself.
No More Tangles for Kids is a wonderful product to spray on a mat and comb out. You do have to saturate the mat first. This would need to be done indoors and be followed by a quick rinse, so the cat would need to stay inside until dry.
For cutting the mats, I use bandage scissors from a nursing uniform supply store. They are cheap (under 10 dollars for a stainless steel pair) and last forever. The bottom tip is longer than the top one and it is blunted so it doesn't scratch the skin. I work the blunted tip into the mat next to the skin and cut away from the skin. Then comb the mat matted area. By cutting this way, I save as much of the long coat as I can.
Focus on a small area and plan to work on it daily - several times a day is better. It's easier on both of you.
 

catsknowme

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If you can afford it, feeding a premium cat food can help with the clumping hair, too. The coat gets softer & there's alot less dandruff

Bless you and your bf for looking out for that poor kitty. Sending rehoming prayers and vibes out to her
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by kitytize

She really could use a bath. Clean fur is easier to comb and get matts out. Also you need a metal comb.
With mats and especially ones that bad, bathing will make them worse.


GoldenKitty45 gave good advice. Even better if you can get the cat shaved professionally and a temporary foster home for the winter. Better yet, a furever home!
 

kitytize

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Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

With mats and especially ones that bad, bathing will make them worse.
When I groomed my Persian I thought it was much much easier to get the matts out with clean conditioned fur but just my opinion.
 
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buhiro

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Thanks for all the tips! I'll get a steel comb this week and hopefully that will help. I'll also look into a mat splitter (although I have no idea what that would look like or what it does!)
On a happy note, a friend from out of town visited me this weekend, and she fell in love with the cat! She's been thinking of getting a new cat since her last one died a couple of years ago. So she's going to try and get permission from her condo board to adopt this one! So hopefully (pending condo board approval) this cat will just have to put up with a couple more weeks of outdoor living (and then a 3-hour drive to the city where my friend lives), and then she can have her mats shaved off, a good bath, and most importantly--a permanent home!
Yay!
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by kitytize

When I groomed my Persian I thought it was much much easier to get the matts out with clean conditioned fur but just my opinion.
Well this kitty has grossly matted fur that is tight to the skin. Get him wet and the mats will get even tighter. Pretty well known with groomers and especially Persian breeders. I'd say you were very lucky with your persian.
 
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