Cat Fur Matted

Renno123

Hi, I am looking for some advise on a very old cat who's fur is quite matted. this cat is I believe 25 so very old and isnt great at grooming herself anymore. the owners have tried to cut it out but its actually matted close to the skin. I was thinking of taking a dog razor to it but im not sure how much distress this will cause. Has anyone any ideas on how best to remove a close mat?
thanks

Myrddin

A fine age for a moggy that. We used to have a long haired cat we took in as a wild kitten, so he retained some of his instincts. Grooming him wasn't possible & caused him stress, & his coat tended to matt close to the skin after a while too. The only answer was a trip to the vets every six months or so to get his coat shaved. While extreme, it was nigh on impossible to cut clumps out or brush his coat...so was the only option.

The vet would have to sedate him though, & at 25, that poses a not insignificant risk for your cat.

alwaysadub

The vet might not necessarily have to sedate him to groom him, we have a long haired lazy cat who doesn't groom himself properly and can get mats no matter how often I brush him. We've brought him to the vets for a belly shave a couple of times, but he is so placid they've never needed to sedate him yet. He's getting grumpier as he gets older though!
Maybe bring him down to the vet for a look and see what they say.
Great age for a cat btw, hope my two survive that length.

zef

Hi, I have a huge furry orange cat who is 8, and give him a brush regularly but I noticed under his chin/ chest area has some matts and tangles. First time he's had them, so never had to deal with this before.
What is a 'dog razor' ? My cat is extremely placid and i'm ok with giving him eyedrops etc myself, so could i shave him myself ? It would save me a trip to the vet (which is a nightmare as i have no transport atm)

Graces7

used to worry re this with my 2 longhairs. then i realised that they were not bothered by it an sometimes tore the matts off themselves so it works out equably

i had tried cutting etc as advised on google but that was stressful for cat and me
at 25 does it really matter.wonderful age and congratulations on that

boomerang

Yes it does matter. Mats can be very uncomfortable, pinching the skin, and restricting movement.

Renno123

boomerang wrote: »

Yes it does matter. Mats can be very uncomfortable, pinching the skin, and restricting movement.

that's my concern

Renno123

zef wrote: »

What is a 'dog razor' ? My cat is extremely placid and i'm ok with giving him eyedrops etc myself, so could i shave him myself ? It would save me a trip to the vet (which is a nightmare as i have no transport atm)

im talking about an electric razor I have to groom my own dogs :P

Renno123

Thanks everyone for ye're comments. Yes the cat is ancient, she was actually a wild kitten and
always retained a semi wild state until she got too old to care. I've been looking for a cat groomer but can't seem to
find any around cork. Ill have to bring her into the vet. Hopefully she can do something without sedation as I don't think she would survive. You can tell shes on her last legs, but is not ill so just enjoying old age

Graces7

Renno123 wrote: »

Thanks everyone for ye're comments. Yes the cat is ancient, she was actually a wild kitten and
always retained a semi wild state until she got too old to care. I've been looking for a cat groomer but can't seem to
find any around cork. Ill have to bring her into the vet. Hopefully she can do something without sedation as I don't think she would survive. You can tell shes on her last legs, but is not ill so just enjoying old age

poor good old girl....good luck with this...if she is not pulling at the matts and is content....but being petted and maybe gently relieved of the matts with careful scissors.. i used to do that with my two, tickle their tums and a careful snip

SillyMangoX

I've seen cats being shaved in the vets before without sedation, same situation, a very old cat who wasn't able to be groomed. A lot of loving, rubbing and treats and she was shaved no problem, though she was a very calm cat. Might be no harm to talk to your vets and see if they could do it without sedation. Where abouts are you based? If you're in Cork, you should try the cat hospital. They have a much better understanding of cats than any other vets so they might be your best bet!

Renno123

SillyMangoX wrote: »

I've seen cats being shaved in the vets before without sedation, same situation, a very old cat who wasn't able to be groomed. A lot of loving, rubbing and treats and she was shaved no problem, though she was a very calm cat. Might be no harm to talk to your vets and see if they could do it without sedation. Where abouts are you based? If you're in Cork, you should try the cat hospital. They have a much better understanding of cats than any other vets so they might be your best bet!

yeah, Im in cork. where exactly is this cat hospital? it could be a good option, thanks

SillyMangoX

Renno123 wrote: »

yeah, Im in cork. where exactly is this cat hospital? it could be a good option, thanks

As far as I know it's in Glanmire! You could just give them a ring anyway and see what they think

Renno123

SillyMangoX wrote: »

As far as I know it's in Glanmire! You could just give them a ring anyway and see what they think

oh great that's not far
thanks