rescued cat - matted fur.. how serious is that?

[bum4evr]

Me and my GF recused a cat about a year ago that was living by our apartment dumpster.. we brought him in, had him spayed and now he lives with us full time... but he sits by the door sometimes waiting to be let out... and so we do.. and so sometimes we don't see him for 2 or 3 days and it breaks my GFs heart... but then he comes back and stays with us 3 or 4 days or so...  Chester is the best cat EVER but his fur is VERY matted and you can feel it when you pet him.. lumps and clumps... but he does not seem to be in pain.. he sleeps under a desk when he is here... me and my GF disagree on what to do... leave him alone... as he seems happy... or get a groomer to get rid of the mats.. could that matted hair be causing him pain???  We already have 5 rescued cats... we woudnt want one in pain.... thx for any advice...

 

[Norachan]

Hi, welcome to The Cat Site.

Very matted fur can cause health problems. First of all, if he picks up any fleas or ticks it will be difficult to see them, so he might get very infested before you notice. Matted fur can also lead to skin infections and inflammation and if the cat tries to pull the mats off by himself he could easily tear his skin.

The best thing to do is to have all the mats shaved down. I have to do this with one of my rescues at least once a year as his winter coat is too thick for me to groom properly and once it's started to mat there is no chance of combing all the knots out.

If your cat is used to being handled you can take him to a groomer and ask them to do a Lion Cut. If Chester isn't docile enough to be man-handled by a stranger with a pair of electric clippers it would be better to ask your vet to do it. My cat has to be sedated so that the vet cat shave him all over. A cat's fur is very loose, so even a little bit of wriggling can lead to the skin being nicked.

The best way to keep the fur unmatted as it grows back is regular grooming. Does Chester like to be groomed? There are lots of different brushes and combs you can try. Grooming mitts are good for cats that haven't been groomed before. Regular baths also help. My cat only gets a bath about twice a year, but this does make a difference in how easy it is to keep his coat unmatted.

Here's a picture of my rescue, Forest, before and after his annual lion cut.

ForestCat50.jpg

• Norachan
• Sep 18, 2016

ForestCat55.jpg

• Norachan
• Sep 18, 2016

 

[jan nelson]

Am so glad to read the above 2 postings regarding cats with matted fur.  We rescued 3 cats.  The oldest is 16+ years and she has long fur and a lot of mats - lumps and clumps.  She won't let us try to remove the mats (lumps and clumps).  She doesn't  like to be handled.  Frankly, we are worried that if the vet has to sedate her to remove the mats, that due to her age, she might not wake up.  I just don't know what to do.  She is an inside cat, however the 2 short-haired cats go in and outside all day long.

Help please.  Has anyone else taken an aged cat to a Vet to be de-matted and shaved?  Advice please.

Thank you in advance,

Janiam2

 

[Norachan]

When Forest goes in to be shaved he isn't put under completely like he would be if he was going to have surgery. It's just a very light sedative so that he is more docile and calm. He's still in a kind of half-awake state.

I suggest that you talk to your vet about your concerns and ask if it's OK to have her sedated. She will be much more comfortable with all those knots removed.

 

[jan nelson]

Norachan,

Thank you so much.  I will definitely talk to our Vet.  Certainly hope he can help our aged lady cat.  She is such a sweetheart.

Again, Thanks for the advice.

Janiam2

 

[my4catz]

One of my cats developed mats . I shaved them off with an electric clipper. She wasn't at all bothered by the clipper. She seemed to appreciate getting them off her. It's been 2 years now and they never came back.