grooming Persians

My persian is 9yrs old and has heart failure. I dont really want to take him to the groomer anymore. He hates going and I dont want to stress him out. His hair is thinner and more dry and grows slower then it used to. I want to groom him myself but I would like some advice on the shampoos/conditions I should use on him. The two areas I have a hard time keeping matts out are behind his back legs and on his stomach. If the matts dont come out easy he will bite me. So is there a really good condition that will help untangle his matts?

Let's move to Care and Grooming where our experts on this subject will be sure to see it!

This might seems funny but since he's not a show kitty, would you be willing to trim the tummy and leg hair shorter? That why it won't tangle as much or mat.

I would first check with the vet to find out why his hair is so dry before you put any shampoo/conditioner on it. A 9 yr old cat is not old and shouldn't have a dry coat naturally. Rule out any underlaying medical problems (other then the heart) to find the cause of the dry coat.

I'm a Persian Breeder/Shower/Groomer/Handler/Judge and just a word of advice DON'T try and bath him until his coat is free of mats and knots.

Some good grooming tools would be a stripping comb and a wide toothed comb.