Questions about mats on a long-haired cat

[Oreo's mom]

My questions don't pertain directly to Border Collies, but I?m hoping someone on this board who?s had a lot of experience dealing with matted BC coats (someone involved in rescue, maybe) can help me.

 

My elderly parents have an elderly (19 years old) black and white Angora-type indoor/outdoor cat. It?s always been tough keeping mats out of her fur but now it has gotten totally hopeless. She?s a mess. I?ve bought a grooming shaving kit, but the packed dander, dirt and hair are too huge and compacted for the blade. I?ve tried a mat comb, ditto. In desperation I have taken human hair scissors but I?ve nipped her skin open a few times.

 

I talked with our vet clinic that said we could bring her in and they would work on her throughout the day as they have time, shaving the mats off. She would be restrained and lightly anesthetized with something like ?laughing gas?. I think my folks are reluctant to do that because they are afraid she wouldn?t survive the ordeal, plus they might feel embarrassed because she looks really neglected (and other than the hair thing, she hasn?t been). The clinic told me most professional groomers couldn?t or wouldn?t take this on because of her age and not being able to sedate her.

 

Would bathing her help or hinder getting the mats out? Do I need to just work on her as I can or is there some system and tools that would be more effective?

 

Every time I look at her I feel helpless to help her and I just want to cry.

[urge to herd]

Poor kitty! I can't give you any suggestions, but you might check out the Cat Board at Furkids.net. Those folks have a lot of experience, and might have some help for you.

 

Ruth n the Border Trio

[nancy]

My daughter has a cat like that. Branwyn does not allow brushing. Heck, for ~15 years, most people haven't known that there's that one more cat in the house.

 

Every year, for at least the last 5 years, the start of the summer heat means that Branwyn gets shaved. As Vikki says, she looks like an inside-out sock. But she's cool and not a mess. The fur grows back for the winter. And it really doesn't get very matted over the cool time of year.

 

I'll ask if she has to be sedated. As far as I know the only problem was their first year in Silicon Valley. The groomer used a tiny rubber band (like for braces) to put a pink ribbon on Branwyn's head!

[Oreo's mom]

Thank you! I'll check out the Cat Board.

 

I love the description of the shaved cat - "an inside out sock".

[Gwen]

I would think bathing might make it more difficult to comb/shave/cut the mats. I have a hard time brusing Molly whle she's damp, but it's a piece of cake when she's dry. It seems the wet hair tangles more and then knots up when taking a brush to it. Dry hair slides easier and doesn't knot up as much.

 

Of course, I'm not a groomer, but just going on my experience with Molly and a sheltie I had years ago (talk about a grooming project - it was a nightmare when he blew his coat every year!)

[borderbob]

try johnson and johnsons no more tangles i use it on my goldens mats behind his ears it makes it a little easier to brushout.

[nancy]

Vikki says Branwyn has never been sedated for her shaving.

 

I think she's too

scared to move much when the groomer does it.

Obviously, she has never attacked the groomer. And this is at least 5 years and 3 states.

[Laura (Cady and Koda's mom)]

I have several maine coon cats one of whom is sickly and mats constantly and quite thickly. He hates to be brushed. Getting the mats out the first time will be the worst then they either need to comb/brush the cat daily or have it clipped (shaved) about twice a year. Whatever you do don't bathe the cat until the mats are out, it will just make them tighter. You can try and work baby or talcum powder into the mats to try and loosen them up, but it sounds like they are too tight for that already. What I did with mine when he got really bad was shave with a clipper blade that was really short (a surgical length blade) little by little. Once you get a mat started it actually is pretty easy to lift the edge and just shave slowly a little at a time remembering to stop when the clipper gets too hot. I had a friend help me because he hates being groomed so much, but surprisingly he didn't mind the clipper. You can try scissors again, but use really little pointy ones and go thru just the edge of the mat with one blade taking just the edge hairs that are caught and cutting very small amounts at a time. If you pull the hair or get too much which causes it to pull you will pull the skin up and risk cutting her again. Mine usually won't stand for much of this. If you can't get the scissors under the edge of the mat you most likely won't have any luck with a mat rake, those pull alot too and still then there's combing to get the broken up mat out. Not an easy situation in any case. You may have to work on it gradually over a period of days, but it would save the trip to the vet, the stress on the cat, and the sedative for her too. Best of luck to you with her and I hope you can help her out, they are painful since they pull the fur and the cat can eventually develop sores under the mats. Some cats can mat very easily so not everyone will think they are neglecting their kitty and at least they are looking to help her. Hope this helps and sorry it's so long....

[HKM's Mom]

Cat's have very delicate skin so I don't recommend anyone not trained with clippers attempt to shave a cat. I'd also recommend you have the vet do the grooming. The cat may stress to much with a groomer, and if it has to be sedated the vet's office is the safest place to be.

 

With the soft under coat on a cat we used to have to take a #30 or #40 blade to the really matted ones. They are surgical blades so the cat is stripped down pretty close, but that will make it easier for your parents to care for her. Once you get her shaved, make sure they do a total shave, you can take her to the vet for a bath and brush out once her hair starts growing back in. We used to recommend a brush out every month for animals that weren't groomed at home.

 

Having worked as a groomer, I have seen this lots of times. Tell your parents not to worry about what the vet office staff will think. It happens. Shaving is in the cat's best interest anyway. I can't tell you how much skin damage can come from badly matted coats.

[HKM's Mom]

Cat's have very delicate skin so I don't recommend anyone not trained with clippers attempt to shave a cat. I'd also recommend you have the vet do the grooming. The cat may stress to much with a groomer, and if it has to be sedated the vet's office is the safest place to be.

 

With the soft under coat on a cat we used to have to take a #30 or #40 blade to the really matted ones. They are surgical blades so the cat is stripped down pretty close, but that will make it easier for your parents to care for her. Once you get her shaved, make sure they do a total shave, you can take her to the vet for a bath and brush out once her hair starts growing back in. We used to recommend a brush out every month for animals that weren't groomed at home.

 

Having worked as a groomer, I have seen this lots of times. Tell your parents not to worry about what the vet office staff will think. It happens. Shaving is in the cat's best interest anyway. I can't tell you how much skin damage can come from badly matted coats.

[Oreo's mom]

Thanks to all of you for your thoughtful suggestions and experiences.

 

Based on my vast inexperience in grooming cats and not having a lot of spare time to work on grooming her, I made an appt for their kitty next week at the vet's.

 

Thanks for caring,listening and responding.

[Oreo's mom]

Update on the matted cat.

 

The folks at our vet clinic were kind, compassionate and careful in shaving my mom and dad's cat.

 

She looks pretty terrible (a naked cat isn't the prettiest sight) but she must feel wonderful, being free of all that mess. Now we have a good basis for keeping her mat-free.

 

Thanks again.