Matted Feral

chanda

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I have a year old feral cat that I raised from a kitten so she is 'kind of' friendly. Just enough where you can barely touch her.

When she reached full adult size I finally was able to touch her and she was full of matts (she is a long hair). I was able to get her to let me cut them out which was VERY difficult. I then started trying to brush her daily when I fed them on the porch.

So I just rescued 7 more feral cats and have them on my porch. This has kind of scared the matted cat away a bit so I haven't gotten my hands on her for a few months. I just was able to find her and touch her the other day and she was even MORE matted than before.

This time I don't think I will be able to cut them out. I don't think she will let me any more and I don't think I will be able to because they are so bad.

I am not really sure what to do to help her. She doesn't seem bothered by them but I can't imagine that they are comfortable at all.

One of her brothers is also a long hair and he doesn't have any matts at all.

Even if I somehow get the matts out I think she will just continue to develop them over and over.

Any idea how to handle this?

Thanks,

Chanda & 18 feral cats on a vineyard hunting gophers!
 

ondine

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Is there a way you can get her to the vets for a shave/grooming? This is only a temporary fix, of course, but mats can actually pull the hair out and cause sores and pain.

Another idea I had was perhaps she can come inside to a room of her own. This will help keep her from getting mats in the first place. She may not be able to groom herself and keep ahead of them outside.

Thank you for helping them all. You sound like you have you hands full. Is there a rescue you are helping? I hope they can make sure all these cats are fixed properly and not leave you with all the responsibility!
 
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chanda

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Oh yes, I am working with two rescues. One is a purely feral rescue that takes colonies out of cities and places them on farms in barns and such. I have had two batches from them. They are DEFINITELY all fixed and eat marked.

Then there was a woman hoarding siamese/DSH mixes and there were 33 of them. I was prepared to take them all but they ended up placing many of them and I took 7. They are also all fixed and ear marked.

All the other cats I have are short hair other than two of the kittens that I rescued last year. The one that is fine and the one that is matted. 

I 'might' be able to catch her and get her to the vet for grooming which would basically be a shave down. But then she would be pretty darn cold.

Unfortunately my husband is severely allergic to cats so we can't have any in the house or he would have to move into the hospital. I do all the taking care of the cats so my husband doesn't have to come into contact with them at all. They are mostly on the front porch and in our hay barn and he uses the back door to avoid them... I WISH I could bring them all inside...

We live on 40 acres with a Livestock Guard Dog that keeps all the coyotes away from the property and our sheep so there is plenty of room for all the cats just FYI...

I will set up a crate nearby where I sometimes see her so that if I can catch her I can just put her right in there and rush her to the vet. I will call the vet and see if I can just have a standing appointment for her... poor girl...
 

ondine

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Oh, so happy to hear you have help! Too bad about your husband but you are doing what you can.

I wouldn't shave her right now. Ask the vet to trim the mats and maybe cut her hair shorter. But she needs her coat, especially now.

She may also need a vet check. I'd she isn't grooming, that might cause mats, too. And if she isn't grooming, she may not feel well. Ask the vet to check her over. The vet may be able to detect an issue.

You're right - poor dear probably has an issue of some sort. Lucky she found you!
 
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chanda

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I think the problem is that she has never groomed herself. Since she was a kitten.

When I first got my hands on her she was full of mats and once I got them out I was brushing her every day until the new cats came and she doesn't like the porch anymore.

Now I don't see her very often. Maybe once a week.

I guess the problem that I am seeing is if she has never, and will never, groom herself I am not sure how she is going to live as a feral cat in the world...?
 

ondine

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She may not last long. The mats will pull her hair and become sores, which will most likely become infected. You mentioned you had a barn. Any chance you can make her her own room in there? It would give you access to comb her and keep her safe. Maybe use lightweight wire fencing around a stall? sort of an indoor catio, just for her.
 
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chanda

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Shoot, the hay barn is cram packed full of farming equipment and huge pallets of boxes. That is actually why we have the latest batch of cats on our porch which has turned into a bit of a nightmare because they are pooping all over my lawn and I have two poop eating dogs and that is not good. None of my other feral cats just poop right on a lawn. They always bury theirs. I even still have the litter box in their enclosure to try and encourage them to go there.

I don't know maybe they will disperse as they grow more accustomed to the ranch. Right now they like their enclosure so much they are all still hanging out on the porch.

I was thinking that my mated cat is friendly enough she might make a good house pet eventually. Maybe I can convince some friends of mine to take her. They already love her so I might be able to beg them?
 

msaimee

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Your best course of action is to get her to a vet. Are you able to pick her up and put her in a pet carrier? If you can afford to do so, get lab work done on her (it costs about a hundred dollars) to rule out any medical condition. I’ve never heard of a cat not grooming itself unless it has dental problems or some kind of illness. A vet can also sedate the cat and remove the mats without shaving the hair completely. Maybe the cat has a skin infection that can be treated with antibiotics? If she’s eating well and still active, then there is a lot of hope for her.  She just needs to see a vet.
 
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chanda

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She has always been this way since she was a kitten. She has always been one of the strongest cats we have had. I don't know why one grooms and the other doesn't. All the other kittens were short hair.

If she is sick she has been hiding it since she was tiny.

I don't know if I will be able to catch her and as for getting her into a carrier, ug, I don't even want to think about that. It won't be pretty. I can only really touch her just enough to feel she is mated and now that the Siamese are here she isn't coming around much, maybe once a week.

I will have to see about the vets groomer just fitting her in on whatever random day I happen to catch her...

But first I need to make sure she has a home to go to when she is done getting groomed. I will try and get my husband to talk to his friend and see if they would be willing to take her.
 
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