Cat Hair
How To Deal With Matted Fur 

Long cat hair needs special attention everyday and although your cat will groom itself often it will need some help from you to keep it in tiptop condition. 

This is an important consideration when you are thinking of getting yourself a long haired breed of cat like a Persian. You must be able to dedicate some time every day to cat grooming.

What Is Matted Fur?

Long haired cat fur is normally very thick, which is what gives it that lovely fluffy look. When your cat grooms itself, it is normally only able to reach the top layer of fur.

Deeper down is where the trouble begins. The cat hair closest to the body will start to get small tangles forming from little bits of grit and dirt along with excessive oils in the fur building up.

These tangles if left will begin to clump together and get larger and larger and harder and harder to get out. This is what is known as matted cat fur.

The matted cat fur will start to pick up debris from the ground, which will make the matted fur heavier, causing it to pull on the cats skin. This will not only be uncomfortable for the cat but will eventually cause sores to form.

This short video shows just how bad matted fur can get.

Common Places Matts And Tangles Form

Check these areas of your cat regularly for signs that the cat hair is begining to mat:

• Behind the ears
  
  
• In the groin area
  
  
• Along the back of the haunches
  
  
• Between back legs
  
  
• Under the collar
  
  
• Behind front legs

How To Deal With Matted Cat Hair

If you groom your cat everyday, making sure that you are reaching deep down into the coat, matting should not be a problem. However every now and again the fur may get a mat and you will need to know how to deal with it straight away.

As a rule any matted fur, which is larger than your thumb, should really be dealt with by a professional groomer. This is because your cat’s skin is thinner than our own and it may be very painful to remove larger mats without professional care and equipment.

In some extreme cases the cat may have to be totally shaved to remove all of the matted fur. Smaller mats can be tackled at home:

A tool like the Furminator is ideal at keeping a cats hair well groomed. It is easy to use and does not hurt your cat at all. I personally like the way it is easy to eject the fur from the comb by pressing a button. This makes the whole process a lot less messy. This short video shows how easy and effective it is at grooming long fur.

The Furminator

Steps To Remove Small Matted Fur Lumps

Remember never try to remove large areas of matted fur yourself, you will hurt the cat and could cause skin injury.

Small matts can be teased gently out following these steps.

• Start by trying to gently pull the mat with your fingers to break it apart
  
  
• Then using a mat rake or mat breaker, slowly saw through the mat, starting at the top and then working your way deeper into it. Mats generally cannot be brushed out, as by the time they become knotted they are well and truly glued together and would be very painful to pull at.
  
  If the mat goes very close to the skin, again see a professional groomer, who will be able to shave away the mat close to the skin. Do not attempt to do this yourself; it is very easy to cut the skin.
  
  
• It may be a slow process to remove small mats so take your time and be very aware of your cat’s discomfort. Remember their skin is very delicate

Fur Balls Another Cat Hair Problem

Another good reason why cat grooming is important is to help to prevent fur balls.

Every cat will get fur balls occasionally and will usually be able to easily get rid of them themselves. We’ve all had the lovely experience of your cat bringing up a hairball, in my case normally when you are about to eat your own meal.

However long haired cats are more prone to getting hairballs and in some cases can become stuck in the cat's throat and which will require a visit to the vet.

If this does happen to your cat please do not be tempted to try and get it yourself, using oil etc, its too dangerous and very unpleasant for your cat. A vet will be able to quickly and painless remove it.

By grooming your cat regularly you will be removing a lot of excess cat hair and so there is less that your cat will be licking up. This is especially true during periods of shedding, generally in the spring. The furminator is ideal at removing loose and excess fur and so there is less for your cat to digest.

More Information On Hair Balls and How To Deal With Them

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