Or Register for FREE!


Welcome to our Cat Forums!
Welcome to our CatForums!
You are seeing this message because you are viewing our cat forums as a guest.

You can continue to browse our many cat related areas as a guest but you are more than welcome to register and join our friendly community of Cat Lovers! ... And for free!

Doing so will also remove this message and some of the ads, such as the one on the left.

Please click here to register.

Reply

Catsey Junior
 
Cats owned: 2 moggies
Join Date: Nov 2010
Location: Luton,UK
Posts: 26
22-08-2011, 08:59 AM   #1

Matted Cat


Ok start from the begining ...I was asked to look after a Maine coon for a couple of weeks whilst his owner moved house, I agreed as he;s a lovely cat well 2 months later and the owner has disappeared so it looks like I'm stuck with him ....No problem as he is a beauty !! with a gorgeous name Aslan

My issue is this poor cat has matts on his back legs and chest and if I even go near him with a brush I come away scarred!! He hates the brush ! I have also got a Matt splitter and he hates that too !!

Any advice before I give in and get him shaved at the vets?? I can't really afford it but he needs sorting as I'm sure they can't be comfortable for him .....This is why I've always stuck to moggys with short hair !!


Here is the lovely Aslan





Reply With Quote


angieh's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Magnificent moggies
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: Hampshire, UK
Posts: 21,718
22-08-2011, 10:31 AM   #2

Re: Matted Cat


I understand the problem - just look at the fur on that boy! He is such a beauty. I have never had long-haired cats for the very same reason. Probably Aslan was never groomed as a kitten and is not used to it. If you have some blunt ended scissors, could you try cutting out the matted areas yourself? They will certainly be pulling and causing this lovely cat discomfort.



Reply With Quote


dandysmom's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: Leia: blue torbie
Join Date: Dec 2005
Location: Washington, DC, USA
Posts: 31,378
22-08-2011, 03:49 PM   #3

Re: Matted Cat


I've never had a longhair either for precisely that reason; my childhood cat was a semi longhair, and de-matting him was a problem; as I recall my Mom, a retired RN, used bandage scissors ... blunt tips and a funny shape. Are there any professional groomers in your area? That would probably be pricy....

Poor guy, those mats must be so uncomfortable.... goood luck!



Reply With Quote


Velvet's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: 5 DSH. 2 DLH
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Nth Ireland - UK
Posts: 3,605
22-08-2011, 04:42 PM   #4

Re: Matted Cat


Possibly the best idea is to let vet do it this time & once sorted then start a daily groom session. A stroke of the brush & foodie treat, another stroke & treat & so on, little steps. Ask your vet to show you how its done. Ours hate it too but i still do it. Tim (& Mindy i think) have looser silky coats that need attention. Amber has the typical thick cat coat. You need to get it under comtrol esp round the back end as sometimes long haired pets can get messy round their
bottoms



Reply With Quote


Shelley123's Avatar
Catsey Veteran
 
Cats owned: NA
Join Date: Nov 2009
Location: Preston UK
Posts: 6,995
22-08-2011, 06:57 PM   #5

Re: Matted Cat


Aslan is gorgeous and what a great name.
You could try doing very short grooming sessions to get him used to it.
I managed to cut very carefuly around Jerry's matts with nail scissors, just a bit at a time, i also managed to sort of pull them apart a bit which made it easier to cut. I have a friend who has also used a stitch cutter tool, again with great caution.
As Velvet has said you may need to get him done at the vets and then keep on top of it.



Reply With Quote

Reply