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My neighbor's cat is full of mats

post #1 of 10
4/22/11 at 7:01pm
Thread Starter 
Or more specifically it may just be one big mat! The poor thing is a persian mix and obviously is never brushed. He's fed and allowed in their house, so he likely doesn't count as neglected/abused by law.

I have no idea what, if anything, I can do about it. I live in a rural midwest that is actually currently advertising that they need an AC officer... I'm not sure if that means they need another one or if they don't even have one right now. They deal primarily with loose/aggressive dogs - not cats.
No shelters, only 7 day kill city pounds.

I can't take him. I'm at capacity with a tentative balance between two cats that hate each other.. The rescue group in this area is out of space for cat fosters (there's too few of them).

This just makes me so mad. They can buy beer and cigarettes, why can't they buy a brush and brush him?
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post #2 of 10
4/22/11 at 7:54pm
Do you know them well enough to "offer to help" them get the matts out? Matts can be very painful for a cat and if allowed to stay around their butts can actually cause them not to be able to use the bathroom.
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post #3 of 10
4/22/11 at 8:03pm
Thread Starter 
No, I do not know my neighbors. The only neighbors we've talked to are the ones that live on either side of us as they're more friendly.

There is no brushing or cutting these mats out. Maybe I wasn't clear, the cat has a persian coat and spring is very much here- meaning all that undercoat should have came out but is instead stuck in a large, very tight, mat across the cat's sides and back. Probably the belly, too. This is the sort of matting that only sedation and clippers can take care of.

I'll try AC, but it's a weekend and a holiday weekend at that. I doubt they'll be of any help anyways.
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post #4 of 10
4/22/11 at 9:30pm
why the people is unconsidered?...
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post #5 of 10
4/22/11 at 11:20pm
Since mats can actually be life-threatening, I say this level of neglect does qualify as abuse! At the very least, someone from the animal control department ought to be willing to talk to these people, who either don't know or don't care that their cat is hurting and endangered.

Or if not animal control, then perhaps someone from a rescue organization?

Or maybe you can find someone nearby who would like to adopt her and make her an indoor kitty. You could just quietly rehome her one day when her owners aren't around. The way I see it, people who neglect or abuse their pets forfeit all rights to have them! (Obviously, the law doesn't agree with me on that, so don't take my advice unless you're a hothead like me... )
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post #6 of 10
4/23/11 at 3:14am
Is there anyway that you can shave her yourself?
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post #7 of 10
4/23/11 at 6:06am
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Momto3boys View Post
Is there anyway that you can shave her yourself?
No. Though he seems to be a good natured cat, you can't clip most cats while they're awake. It's also something that takes skill and training to properly do. Stealing the cat and going to the groomer or my vet would be a bad idea, this is a small enough town that they would find me out with about two calls. Plus this is a neglected cat, who knows what his medical state is? He'd need an exam and blood work to be safely sedated (money I don't have to spare atm).

ETA: AC won't be in till Monday.
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post #8 of 10
4/23/11 at 10:46am
Makes me sad for cats like that. I don't think there is anything you can do other than report AC about the cat's condition. It is hard to see, I am sure....
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post #9 of 10
4/23/11 at 11:46am
Quote:
Originally Posted by strange_wings View Post
No. Though he seems to be a good natured cat, you can't clip most cats while they're awake. It's also something that takes skill and training to properly do. Stealing the cat and going to the groomer or my vet would be a bad idea, this is a small enough town that they would find me out with about two calls. Plus this is a neglected cat, who knows what his medical state is? He'd need an exam and blood work to be safely sedated (money I don't have to spare atm).

ETA: AC won't be in till Monday.
It was just a suggestion since my brother has shaved his cat numerous times and Craig and I also shaved my friends cat.

Both cats are always awake and we have no training....they don't end up with fancy cuts, we just shave the mats out basically.
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post #10 of 10
4/23/11 at 3:47pm
Grizzlie has some unusual skin/fur condition that causes her fur to mat quite rapidly. I tease/cut them out all the time. She is also 15 yrs young and quite used to this over the years. Might you be able to do this a little at a time??
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