My cat has matts, HELP!?

Question

She is a 20lb Maine Coon, she is very nasty and just bites me everytime I try to comb her (even in the non matted areas). I also cannot afford to have her professionaly shaved. Does anyone have any helpful ideas that could help me? Any and all comments are welcome.

I wish someone would help me hold her down but everyone is afraid of her. Sometimes she bites just because you walk by her, so no one even wants to get near her. I guess maybe I should try to find a cheaper vet. Thanks to all that have answered so far! =0)

Answer 1

Ask the vet for a tranquilizer. Have you called to see how much it would cost for her to be done? I have a Persian and its like 20$ to get his *** shaved. LOL

If you can't do that, have a friend help you. Take him by the scruff of his neck and hold his face away from everyone.

Answer 2

1. Attempt to remove the fur mat after the cat has eaten. Cats tend to be more relaxed after meals.

2. Adopt a calm and soothing demeanor as you approach the cat. Have your manicure scissors hidden in your pocket as you pet the cat.

3. Once the cat is relaxed, try to work out the fur mat with your fingers. Pull out the scissors if that doesn't work.

4. Snip down the middle of the fur mat, far from the skin. It's quite easy to snip the skin accidentally on longhaired cats, so work carefully.

5. Slowly work apart the fur mat with your fingers. Snip away a little more if necessary. Reassure the cat in a soothing voice as you snip. If she becomes upset, stop and come back to the task later.

6. Once you've worked apart the fur mat and it's clearly away from the skin, cut it off.

7. Reward the cat's cooperation with a kitty treat.

8. If the cat has several fur mats, remove them at separate times. The cat will quickly lose her patience after you remove the first fur mat. Build trust with a gentle approach and kitty treats to make future encounters easier.

9. Bring the cat to a professional groomer if the cat is unapproachable, if the fur mat is in a delicate area or if the mats are extremely tangled.

10. Purchase a hair-ball treatment at a pet store to help your cat eliminate a troublesome hair ball. Or feed the cat butter or a can of oily sardines.

Hope that helps.

Answer 3

She probably bites because it hurts. It's like having somebody brush your tangled hair, and yank until it comes out. Kitties can actually be injured that way.

I can't imagine that shaving is that expensive, but in the meantime, if she will let you, you can try to cut the mats out with scissors. It will not leave a pretty coat, to be sure, she'll look a ragged mess, but she'll feel better. You just have to be very careful to get as close the the bottom of the matt as possibly, without connecting with skin. If you have to cut through the middle of the matt, then continue to cut further into it until you can get it out completely, just take your time. I've been through this myself. Fortunately, my cats liked being brushed and didn't overly mind the matt-cutting episodes. And if you do, you just have to be very sure to tell kitty how pretty she is afterward! *LOL*

Answer 4

My sisters cat had a similar problem, I brought her some catnip and while she was busy I used a pair of small scissors to cut away as much as possible, a shaver would have made her nervous and I would have been bitten. The only tip is do it quick and if she gets nasty back away and do some more at a later time, perhaps when she is asleep.

Answer 5

I don't know about sedation - even assuming you could get something, I'm not sure it's something you should attempt if you're not a vet.

What you may find useful is getting a muzzle. According to the last groomer I took my Poppy to, cats aren't afraid of what they can't see. It did look bad, because the eyes were covered, but she was quite calm.

Look on ebay or your local pet store. I don't think they're very expensive.

I'm planning to get one for my 25 lb maine coon (ha, got yours beat!) girl so I can give her "brazilians" myself.

Answer 6

when we have particularily nasty cats to groom, it usually takes 2 people. i would say that you probably don't have a muzzle, so you should try to get someone to hold the scruff of the cats kneck in one hand, using the forearm to pin her on the table, then use the other her back legs will be immobilized, her head unable to swivel and bite, and if you pin her belly down so that she is laying, then you wont have to worry about the front claws. brush or trim the parts you can reach, if its her stomach area, then you might want two people to help- to hold the legs and the kneck while shes flipped on her back.

Answer 7

Pay someone to hold her down. Family should do it for cheap. Once you have her held down, you can either try to brush the mats out simply cut them out.

The tranq idea is a good one too though.

Answer 8

professionally-they can sedate her and it would be less stressful for everyone involved in the situation-how much can it possibly be to have her shaved?
If you absolutly can not have that done -try your local feed store shop-they may have a sedation kind of medicine and you will be able to help her out-
She probably bites because it hurts so much-put yourself in her shoes! be gentle-even when she is sedated :)

Answer 9

cats can usually take care of themselves.
maybe you should consider a vet. not cheap i know but how much is she worth to you. maybe there's a bigger problem.

Answer 10

the best way is to cut them off (because they pull on the skin) - wrap her tightly in a towel - that's what i do when i trim my cat's nails