Long-haired cat problem---bad tangles-what to do?

[panader0]

Our big boy Pollux has long white fur and this winter developed a dozen
or more severe tangles, each about as big as a quarter. I know they hurt him.
But trying to brush them out is not possible-he won't sit still for it.
The groomers in town said they'd give him a sedative and cut his hair.
Does anyone know a solution to this knotty problem?

[shraby]

1. We used to clip them out as soon as we found them. Not hard to do when they are smaller.

It's either that or take them to a pet grooming place.

[Sedona]

2. been there, done that

Get a tiny pair of cuticle scissors, a pair you can hide in your hand so he can't see them. I use tiny scissors because they are safer and are less likely to cause in injury if you mis fire with them.

If you can get him super relaxed, sleeping even and hold the tangle between your thumb and forefinger (in the guise of petting him) gently snip at the tangle in tiny increments. This might take several "petting" sessions depending on the severity and number of tangles.

If you get enough little snips into the tangles they will start to come out on their own with a light brushing.

Works for me. I hope it does for you too

[Freddie]

3. I had 2 Maine Coons

Ricky's fur never matted but it was a big problem with Riley, he had to get a couple lion cuts at the groomer. It's really the only solution when mats get bad. If you can be vigilant and remove them when small it's a big help.
MCs are gorgeous and sweet but between the mats and the occasional "stuck poop" issue we only have shorthairs now.

[tblue37]

10. My Maine Coon Tortie gets knots. I brush my cats daily, so I catch the knots when

they are still small and more manageable. My Turkish Angora occasionally gets knots, too.

My two shorthaired kitties don't knot, but they get a lot of loose fur that needs to be brushed out frequently.

[sinkingfeeling]

5. My long haired semi-final cat becomes a walking tree

when leaves come down and then develops mats if they're not removed. I try, but he really doesn't like to be handled much. So every spring, it's off to the groomers for a shave. They leave his facial hair and long hair on his feet and tip of his tail. Looks like a small, black lion when done.

[BainsBane]

6. He may need to be sheared

Then as his hair grows back, you'll need to brush it regularly.

I once took in a Himalayan stray who was a matted mess. That's what I wound up doing.

[In_The_Wind]

7. Carefully cut through the knot. Do Not cut parallel to the skin as it is being pulled into the knot.

Clip very small areas of each knot, breaking the knot apart.

[tblue37]

8. There is a tool called a mat cutter. Iused to use one when I had an Afghan hound.

He wasn't a show dog, so I didn't worry about the fact that a show judge would be appalled by my use of the tool.

The mat cutter slices lengthwise through the mat instead of pulling the hair and hurting the animal.

I found a smaller version for cats, and I use it when my longhaired cats get even a small knot in their fur, which happens sometimes despite daily brushing. Even a small mat or knot would hurt if brushed through, which would make the cat not trust you to brush him.

Start slowly. You don't have to get every mat out in one brushing, and besides, if the cat has had unpleasant brushing experiences, he will need to get used to having pleasant ones so he can trust that brushing won't hurt him.

Sometimes I have to brush out mats that occur in friends' cats, and those mats can get nasty if the owner doesn't brush the cat regularly! I usually work on one knot in a given brushing. I do the easy (no knots) brushing for a while, since that feels good to the cat. Then I use the mat cutter gently to slice the knot in a couple of places. Then more gentle non-knot brushing, and then more mat cutting. I alternate gentle brushing with working on the knot, until the knot is loose enough to tease apart with my fingers. Then, if I am sure it won't hurt, I use a fine-toothed comb to comb through the loosened mat. I hold the mat with one hand near the skin to avoid pulling and hurting the cat, just as I would if I were brushing tangles out of a little girl's hair.

It takes time and patience, but it can be done. If the tangles are really bad, an inexperienced tangle fixer might need an assistant to hold and soothe the cat so the one doing the brushing can use two hands to work on the mat.

It takes a few minutes to brush a cat every day, but that is easier and less time consuming than dealing with a badly matted cat's tangled coat. Besides, cats love to be groomed, and it reinforces the bond between the cat and his servant--sorry, I mean his human companion.

[tblue37]

9. Here is the mat cutter I use on my cats. There are wider ones for dogs and/or cats,

but I think using the wider one might tempt someone to try to rush the process and thus end up hurting the cat.

https://www.amazon.com/Safari-W6117-Mat-Remover/dp/B000YJ4DM8/ref=sr_1_4?ie=UTF8&qid=1485708203&sr=8-4&keywords=mat+splitter

Here it is a couple of dollars cheaper:

https://www.gotpetsupplies.com/products/safari-mat-tangle-remover-grooming-tool-for-dogs



Here is a wider one, though:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Yoear-Professional-Pet-Dog-Cat-Grooming-Undercoat-Rake-Comb-Mat-Breaker-Tool-11-/391679025319?hash=item5b31e3a0a7

[The Velveteen Ocelot]

14. I have the third one on that list. It works better than any other grooming tool

I've used. One of my cats has this weird, fuzzy fur that forms mats almost instantly, and I'm constantly trying to get rid of them. She isn't very cooperative, and doesn't especially like to be brushed, so I can do only one mat at a time. This tool slices them up pretty easily without pulling hard on the fur.

[Donkees]

11. A seam ripper works well, or a razor comb

[Dismade]

12. I clip w/ surgical scissors.

Rounded tips and curved blades prevent clipping skin by mistake.

Cats have a nerve plexus in the back of the neck; that's how mother cats control/carry kittens. Doesn't hurt them but causes a slight paralysis & tendency for compliance.
Males also use that area to immobilize a receptive female.

It doesn't work equally on all cats, but can really be an aid to controlling some for grooming or medicating.

You have to practice a bit. Grasp a pinch of skin firmly, but take care not to tighten the skin across the throat. Just a firm pinch of loose skin will do the trick.

Luck to you.

BTW, sedation is ALWAYS risky for cats and should ONLY be performed by an experienced vet, not a typical groomer.

[niyad]

16. welcome to du

[Dismade]

17. TX+!

[fleur-de-lisa]

13. I have an old, male Himy-mix . . .

For the last ten years I have been taking him to the vet every 3 months to get his hair completely shaved off. He has never needed sedation, and he is a feisty cat. They put a little cone on his head (so he can't bite them) and it takes the groomer at the vets about 15 minutes to shave his entire body, except his paws and the top of his head. They shave under his neck, his tummy and even his bum. He looks silly for a few weeks but I don't care. I just want him to be comfortable.

When he gets home after being shaved he frolics around the house like a spring lamb. He loves being free of all that hair. Of course, I have to be careful in the winter to make sure that he has several warm places to nap. I have several self-heating pads that I bought online. They reflect his body heat back to him. He loves them.

No more matted fur and no more barfing up hair balls!

[niyad]

15. you cut them out with small, good scissors. maybe one at a time. close as you can to the skin,

but carefully.

[lunatica]

18. Take little scissors and cut each one off

I used to do that to my cats and my toy poodle dog. Poodles have hair that grows and grows so these knots are very common.