Matted Cat Hair?

[FredRock]

My male cat, Freddy, has what I think is a section of matted hair on his back. I've never actually encountered one in person before, but it sounds right. I know that matted hair pulls on skin and hurts, but for the life of me I don't know how to get it out.

The biggest problem is that he hates being brushed- even with no problems he'll turn to bite you after a minute or two, and try to run away from the beginning. I was able to mess around with it a little bit before he completely lost patience, but I don't see an easy way of getting rid of it.

Anybody have any experience with this? I've looked online but I find stuff that's pretty generic and involves scissors, which worries me because I have to handle him by myself.

[WashingtonBay]

You have to carefully cut it out. - without cutting skin!

I usually take a sharp scissor and find the edge of it, and just slide the scissor under a few hairs at a time - hopefully the scissor is sharp enough that you can just pull upward on it and it will cut. Just a few hairs at a time. As long as you have slid the scissor under the hair and you'r pulling it upward, you can't accidentally cut him.

As you get big flaps loose, you can cut those off, making sure there's no skin!

He may not tolerate it all in one sitting. Maybe bring tuna ;)

[Tiz]

That sounds like a good way to go about it, WB. I know their skin is so thin, and it pulls up so easily, it's a scary task. Even worse than clipping doggie toenails.

[Petra]

Do you have clippers? I've done it with clippers before. It's safer than scissors. Just hold the cat tightly by the skin on his neck so he cannot scratch you or bite you. And shave that part off.

[FredRock]

I was worried it would come down to scissors. The area isn't too big, maybe about 3/4-1 inch wide, not too thick and hopefully won't be too hard to extract. He has no claws, which helps too. :innocent:

Just to make sure, when you say "up," you mean up in the direction of the head, yes? So the scissors are moving against the hair?

I do have small Wahl Pocket Pro clippers. But the blade is so fine I'm a little worried about using them. I think I'd rather have one blade that I can control the pressure of and have a "feel" for.

[WashingtonBay]

The clippers would work fine if you can get the cat to tolerate them.

By "up" I actually mean away from the cat.

[FredRock]

Ok, so I attempted to get rid of it this morning. Caught him when he was sleeping in his favorite chair, petted him up a little bit and then started with figuring out where the mat started and skin ended, stopped periodically to praise/pet him more. He was a really good boy and let me mess with it for like 5-10 minutes before leaving. I managed to get some of it out with scissors, going to try again tomorrow or later today for some more. I have until Sunday before I go back to college so I figure a little bit each day will have it gone by then.

Thank you guys for the help!

[WashingtonBay]

If I'm working on a mat like that, I pinch the bit I want to cut real hard to make sure it's all hair and then cut above it.

[FredRock]

Thank you WB. :)

[miatapony]

ok next time see if you can work a comb under the matt that way you cant cut the skin .. because if you did it would be very bad.. be very careful. take and cut aboube the comb. that way no skin hurt no mad kitty.. good luck getting the resat of it out.

[WashingtonBay]

Comb is a good idea... I've done that.

[FredRock]

I actually wasn't even close to the skin, haven't worked it that far down yet. I'm really tentative about it because I realize how bad it could be if he got cut. I don't have a comb to use, but I think I can scrounge something up. He doesn't like brushes though so I'll have to be sneaky about it.

[miatapony]

any type of comb... your hair comb.. will work.. LOL i had to use them while i was a groomer in California.... that was a fun job.. have you ever tried to bath a portuguese water dog??? my boss laughed at me for a week because i couldnt get his dog wet.. LOL you have to use a powder bath... LOL

[jeezitsjacki]

my cat gets mats a lot because he doesnt groom himself very well...he usually use scissors sometimes clippers. Something that you may want to try is giving him some food. my cat is very food motivated, so if we put a bowl of dry cat food in front of him, he doesnt focus on the cutting and tolerates it very well. Just have to move quick before he runs out of food!

[FredRock]

He won't eat/touch food if someone touches him. He's been given medication for siezures for a good part of his life and it was hidden in food, so he's really particular about it.

I think most of it's out- especially the "hard" part. I'll check next time I'm home to make sure.

[miatapony]

greenies makes a pill pocket thing they are a life saver when it came to giving my cat pills.. slid the pill in it and they eat it right up ..

[FredRock]

We actually stopped giving him the medication quite a long time ago. He hasn't had any siezures since though. His full sister has had two in her life, but he had a bunch around the same time when he was around 1. The vet told us he'd live to be 2 years old tops, but he's going on 11/12 years.

It's funny though because at first we gave him the pills in wrapped roast beef coldcuts, and we'd call "roast beef!" and anywhere in the house, you'd hear a thud and a cat running to get some treats. He still responds to it, too.