MATTED FUR - Old, ill, fragile cat, advice needed please!

[VIOLET0019]

I would appreciate any advice on the most gentle way, to remove matted fur on a very old, fragile cat who is ill, and unable to groom himself any longer.
I believe to bring him to a groomer is too stressful and I would appreciate if I could receive advice on how I can help this lady in finding a way to remove some of the mats, from her cat, to make him more comfortable.....I know that they must hurt. It is impossible to brush him because of the mats....he does not like it. Any suggestions would be gratefully appreciated.

[maneater]

take him (or her) to the vets. they will put them out and shave them.

[VIOLET0019]

Originally Posted by maneater

take him (or her) to the vets. they will put them out and shave them.

Thank you for your reply. Unfortunately because of his state of health, and his being so fragile, on his last legs......at this point, he can NOT be put to sleep to be shaved.

[mikischo]

I agree it would be much to stressful to take him to a groomer. Scissors will likely be required. Another benefit about doing this at home is you can stop if the cat starts getting too upset and the mats can be removed gradually over a period of a few days or longer if necessary. Here is a link to the steps to removing mats:

http://www.ehow.com/how_117317_treat-cat-matted.html

Notice it recommends first cutting downward into the mat (not across), sometimes more than once if the mat is thick and then trying to work it apart with your fingers as much as possible before cutting it off. Hope this helps.

Edit: Some yummy treats are also essential.

[Love4himies]

Absolutely, do not have the kitty taken to the groomers. I use salon quality scissors on my himalayan, use treats and pats to keep the kitty calm. Cut away slowly at the knots and use a comb to place between the skin and the scissors if you need to. I find once the mat is about 1/4 inch long, you can gently brush it out.

[maneater]

Oh I remember once when I had to kennel my cat my vet gave me some natural calming soft chew things. Maybe if you try one of them before you cut out the mats?

[Winston]

I have also heard a tiny bit of mineral oil and work it through?? Good Luck

[chico2]

My Rocky who is 14 and not well,sometimes gets matts,I have managed to brush them out,by holding the matt,so it does not pull at the skin,then I can very carefully comb it out,
Winston,I'll try the Mineral-oil on the next matt,thank's

[14+kitties]

My personal feel on this is that is the cat is no longer interested or unable to groom himself then maybe he should go to the vet for a checkup. How "old, frail and ill" is he? Sometimes we have to let a cat go for his own good rather than keeping him alive for us.
While at the vet they can assess and give good advise as well on getting rid of matts.

[chico2]

14+,I just assumed the kitty was already under vet-care
Violet,how old is very old??
What's wrong with the cat??

[14+kitties]

Originally Posted by chico2

14+,I just assumed the kitty was already under vet-care
Violet,how old is very old??
What's wrong with the cat??

We would hope so chico but my feeling is if kitty was under vet care then the vet would have already told them ways of removing and caring for the matted fur.
Sometimes people think cats are old and frail when they are ten or twelve. We all know kitties can live a long life. Look at Toonces at 24.

[Joanna10]

I had a himalayan who was 22 and matted. I went out and bought some animal grooming shavers and just gently shaved out the mattes and then just brushed her afterwards. They work great.

[Goldfields]

As Love4himies said, scissors and be super careful that it's hair you are cutting, as matts can stretch the skin. Just slide it close to the skin taking not much hair at all, check every time that it is hair before you cut. Our Persian, with her super fine cotton wool sort of fur, occassionally gets a matt . I think you need one person to hold the cat, one to do the trimming, and plenty of patience. May try your idea myself Joanna10, it could be safer.

[catlover2]

Whenever my cats got mats, I used a "stitch ripper" (available at a sewing or fabric store), from advice I got from Persian breeders many years ago as it works better than scissors. This is especially good for mats that are large and matted right to the skin. With the stitch ripper, work away slowly and gently cutting apart one mat a little at a time. Give cat some breaks and then go back at it later or another day. Don't try to do it all at once. And definitely give kitty some treats afterwards. Your old boywill thank you for it, as mats make a cat feel very uncomfortable. A steel pet comb (finer teeth on one half and coarser on the other) will keep the coat mat free, works better than a brush and cats like a comb better. Once you get all the mats out, you need only to comb gently once a day.

Here's another method: http://cats.about.com/cs/catmanageme...t/dematcat.htm

[Love4himies]

If you use salon quality scissors the cutting of the mats can be quite quick and painless, pulling with a seam ripper will take more time and you have to actually pull at the fur to get the knot out. Depending on where the mat is, any pulling at the fur can be painful to the cat.

[catlover2]

Stitch ripper doesn't pull, it actually cuts the mat as it's a tiny blade. You can get close to the skin with it, and can cut mat with blade upwards a little at a time and free it completely. I've never had to pull on the mat or cut the skin.