Long hair cat

I went to the humane society and fell in love with a domestic long hair kitten. All The cats I've owned have always been short haired. Can anyone with experience with long haired cats tell me about any issues they have with grooming. Does their hair mat frequently? Do you groom them everyday? Does poop get stuck on their rear? Any tips or insight would be great.

I have some experience with long haired cats - I have Persians. Buy yourself a good comb - one called a greyhound comb. I always suggest combing a long hair instead of brushing as the brush doesn't get down to the skin. A clean coat will not tangle as fast as a dirty one. My cats get bathed regularly, mostly because I show them, but also because grooming is easier. If bathing isn't an option, just comb thoroughly every day, paying close attention to behind the ears,legs and tummy. Cling-ons from the litterbox can happen. Just clean the cat up - if to much of a problem your vet or a groomer can do a sanitary clip. Enjoy your new cat!

Depends on the type of fur. Some long-haired cats don't mat very often, though you do have to comb them. Other long-haired cats mat almost instantly. If the fur feels like cotton candy, you're going to need to either do lots of grooming or have a groomer do the work.  Some long-haired cats are very greasy in front of the tail. If your cat is like that, then regularly scheduled baths are a must. 

A long-haired cat is definitely more of a time commitment, or a money commitment if you plan to have your cat professionally groomed.

I enjoy combing cats. For me, it's relaxing. 

I wouldn't suggest a high-maintenance long-haired cat if you have many young children or are super busy, but otherwise, they're beautiful.

I have a medium/long haired cat, and I groom her about once a week, sometimes more. I use a comb so I can get through the fur, down to the skin. I then use a slicker brush for "fine tuning". The slicker brush is great to control shedding! I do find that the majority of the knots are in her mane, and tail, so I tend to use my fingers to check daily. Knots left unattended can turn into nasty mats which sometimes need to be shaved out. bottom line - the more you groom, the better for you and kitty!

Nora1 said:

I have a medium/long haired cat, and I groom her about once a week, sometimes more. I use a comb so I can get through the fur, down to the skin. I then use a slicker brush for "fine tuning". The slicker brush is great to control shedding! I do find that the majority of the knots are in her mane, and tail, so I tend to use my fingers to check daily. Knots left unattended can turn into nasty mats which sometimes need to be shaved out. bottom line - the more you groom, the better for you and kitty!

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I usually groom my shorthairs once a week with a nail trims but have plenty of time for more should the adoption go through with this long hair baby. I noticed this kitten already had little mats behind both ears but being in a shelter in sure she's not tended to as she should be. If they do have knots is it possible to shave or cut them out at home? I've read a mail opener works well for cutting them in half.

I'm adding a photo from the humane society website for this kitty(sorry for poor quality). Can you tell how long her hair will be from a photo or is it a toss up as to how long her fur will be or the type of texture. Isn't she adorable? She cuddled right up to me and tried to nuzzle into my neck and even licked my face.

If you try to cut them out, I suggest putting a comb under the mat so it is between the skin and the scissors.  The comb will keep the scissors away from the skin (as long as it isn't to tight to the skin). A mat splitter can be purchased at most pet stores. My experience is with a double coated cat - a single coated longhair probably would not have the grooming issues that a double coat would. Some of my cats have cottony coats (they are a nightmare to groom if the coat gets away from me) and some are silky. The cottony coated are most desirable for show because the coat does not lie flat.

Molly22 said:

I usually groom my shorthairs once a week with a nail trims but have plenty of time for more should the adoption go through with this long hair baby. I noticed this kitten already had little mats behind both ears but being in a shelter in sure she's not tended to as she should be. If they do have knots is it possible to shave or cut them out at home? I've read a mail opener works well for cutting them in half.

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If they do form knots/small mats, there is a tool called a "dematting rake" which works great. It's a combing tool with blades which then cuts through the mat.

PS - Such a cute kitty! Hard to tell with the length of fur, but definitely on the medium/long side of things

Is it easier to give a bath to the cat (get him wet first) before trying to detangle and cut, or is it easier dry? I have a stray, and she has very long hair with tons of mats everywhere, especially around the neck. She's trying to get them out herself by pulling on them. I never had a long haired cat, but I'm tempted to give her a bath (she's very dirty anyway from being outside). Do the detangling and cutting tools mentioned still work if the cat is wet?

I have a long hair male. He gets a bath monthly or sooner if he gets into something. I make sure he is blow dried completely after a bath. He gets combed daily. The only place he has ever got a mat was in his front armpits. He has had remnants of the littler box on his behind a few times, but a cat can get the sanitary cut like the others talked about. Mine has toe tufts that are white so that is what needs the most attention on him. Sweetie has been bathed since he was a young cat so it does not bother him and he lets me blow him dry on my lap. I think he may mat if I did not completely dry him after a bath.

catsoul said:

 
Is it easier to give a bath to the cat (get him wet first) before trying to detangle and cut, or is it easier dry? I have a stray, and she has very long hair with tons of mats everywhere, especially around the neck. She's trying to get them out herself by pulling on them. I never had a long haired cat, but I'm tempted to give her a bath (she's very dirty anyway from being outside). Do the detangling and cutting tools mentioned still work if the cat is wet?

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Never wet a mat - it just makes it tighter. Get the mats out first then give a bath if you want.

As the owner of a couple of long haired cats, let me recommend a few more tools for your armamentarium:

- Zoom Groom, sort of a rubber curry comb.  My cats love this, even the one who doesn't like being groomed.  It gets out a surprising amount of hair, and using it regularly will reduce the thickness of the layer of cat hair that will cover everything you own. 

- Polishing brush - this smooths out the fur and spreads the oils around, and I think reduces mats.

- Mat breaker - this really works if you get a mat in its early stages.  I try to tease it apart with my fingers and a comb first, and then I bring this tool out if that fails.  Doesn't bother kitty at all.

- Furminator - use with caution in mat-prone areas ONLY.  It cuts up the fur something awful, but it's good at getting out undercoat hair and prevents mats.  If you can get your cat to accept being combed though, that's a better option.  One of my cats hates being combed, and I found that he tolerated this better.  It also works very well to prevent clingons if used in the "sanitary" area.

- Small pair of hair-cutting scissors and good light.  When a mat is too tight for the mat breaker, this or an electric clipper is the only solution.  I've successfully removed huge mats that went all the way down to the skin by carefully lifting up just a few strands of hair at a time and visualizing the skin before cutting.  It's possible to do this gently enough that your cat can sleep through the whole procedure.   Yes it takes time...1-2 hours depending on mat size.  Still a bargain compared to the time & expense required to take them to the vet.

A long haired cat definitely requires frequent attention, but it's not too difficult to work into your daily routine.  I brush/comb/groom them during my evening TV watching time.  It's so nice and relaxing!

I have a long-haired boy who can't stand to be groomed. He's OK with a brush, but at the first sign of a little pull from a comb, he's out of there! I used to have terrible problems with him matting, especially underneath and in the armpit regions. Through time and experience, I've found that most of his problems occur in late Spring or early Fall when he's shedding his Summer/Winter coat and growing in the new one. The solution that works for me is to have him shaved down by a professional groomer three times per year: once in early-mid April, once in the high Summer, and a third time in late Summer/early Fall. The result of this schedule is that when the new coat is coming in, his old fur is short, and their are relatively few mats.What few I find are usually dealt with using a pair of scissors. He grows out to his full 3" or so to keep him warm in the Winter, and I just apply the occasional Zoom Groom, mostly for cosmetic reasons to keep him somewhat orderly.