tangling and clumping hair

shannonmari1

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Hi folks!

I have been having this issue with my cat, who is a Maine Coon and has long hair. He does a pretty good job with his grooming and I do comb his hair on a regular basis, but his hair tends to tangle and clump up, especially on the back of his legs (he's also gotten these tangles behind his ears). I have tried using a clipper on the backs of his legs, but he won't sit still long enough for me to get into these tangles and I'm afraid I might cut him! I usually have to wait until it grows out some, so I can cut the hair off, but is there something I can do to prevent this from happening in the first place?

Here he is :)


Any advice would be great! :)
 

spiffykitty

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How often do you comb his fur?  I find that some Maine Coons need more grooming than others. Even within a breed, there can be different fur types. If you are finding mats, then the combing needs to be increased until you get to the point where they no longer occur. It's important to comb down to the skin.  This can be tricky when combing under the arms or in the rear area, where cats tend to be extremely sensitive.

What happens is that they shed year round, but they will also have times when shedding increases and the fur gets wild. Their skin has natural oils that cause shedded fur to form a mat.  You usually won't notice the mat until it has been around for a while, since mats start out small and very close to the skin.

For the fur behind the ears, use a small metal comb. You can also use your fingers to gentle untangle those mats. Avoid using a clipper or scissors by the ears, because the skin is so thin that you can easily cut through the ear. 

For my Maine Coon clients, I prefer to groom their cats once a month. I may do a full bath and blow dry, or I may just do a deshed, demat, claw trim and tidy-up of the rear. I keep the belly and under the tail shaved, because otherwise there is just so much fur to comb that owners get overwhelmed.  

If you can find a skilled cat groomer, it's worth it to have them professionally groom your cat at least four times a year. That way, you will not have to do all the work yourself. Professional cat groomers usually have better tools.  Not all groomers can groom cats. It's a specialty. Good luck!
 
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shannonmari1

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Thank you for the reply! I usually comb his hair every day but I do admit, I'm more lax on the back of his legs because he simply doesn't like me messing back there! LOL!

I will need to find him a groomer, I think, but your advice is awesome--thank you again!

Shannon :)
 

Margret

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You might also try brushing him in the more sensitive areas. Jasmine will tolerate brushing where she won't tolerate combing.

Margret
 

sophie1

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I had a similar problem with one of my Siberian cats.  I found that brushing didn't help much unless it's done every day, because their fur is so thick.  Unfortunately, Charlie hates to be brushed, so instead I use the Furminator on him twice a week.  I don't use it all over because it cuts up the hair, just one or two quick passes through the mat-prone areas (belly, behind front legs, back of rear legs).  He doesn't like it, but I'm done before he's had a chance to get seriously upset.  And not one single mat since I started doing this!  As a bonus, if you also get his anal area you'll notice way fewer little poopies on the floor.

For around the head you probably want to use a comb though.  I comb Charlie's ruff to take out mats caused by food getting in there.  They come out pretty easily and there's no need to tug on the hair.
 
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