What is the best way to get MASSIVE knots out of a long hair cat's coat?

Question

No matter how much I brush her, she always has a HUGE amount of knots...The only solution I have found is to shave her, but it is so cold and I don't want her to get sick...She is an indoor cat, and has all of her claws. Is there an easy solution to get these painful knots out without hurting her or getting hurt myself?

Answer 1

I wonder if a groomer could take off the mats without having to shave her completely. You are going to have to wait another three months or so for really warm weather. The vet office might be able to remove mats too with the clippers.

My cat with the longest hair used to mat and he would just not let me mess with them even though I would try to tease them out gently with a comb. The mats start forming right down at the skin so clippers are really the only way to go.

It is interesting that my long-haired cat was switched to a raw and high quality canned meat diet seven months ago and has had no mats form since then. It makes some sense as "wild" cats who eat a species appropriate diet don't get matted unless they are ill and not grooming themselves. Cats would not have survived in nature if their coats were always matting.

After you have taken care of the immediate problem you should look into high quality meat protein foods for your cat. Canned would be best as cats were not meant to eat food with carbohyrate and vegetables in it.

Answer 2

Try using first: a product you can get a any drug store called "No More Tears" it is a knot remover for human hair but works on cats hair as well. If you have tried this already you can also use a bit of olive or veg. oil. from your kitchen. Just massage a few drops into the knot and use a comb or brush to work the knots out. Depending on how many knots you have, once they are all removed and you can comb through it. Then you can give the cat a bath and remove the oil but it should still be able to comb through. Do not bath the cat until all the knots are out though, or the water in the bath will just make them more knotty.

Answer 3

Most long-haired cats have an undercoat and a top coat. I have found the best way to get the knots out of my cat's coat is not to shave her but to brush her lots every day and also cut the knots out when they show up. No, she doesn't like it. I get her close to me, sit her on my lap, brush her with one hand, pet her head with the other, and snip the knots off with scissors while she's calm. If she gets upset, I let her go for awhile, and then try again later. I doubt if even shaving a cat would make him or her sick - remember that some cats are hairless by nature! Good luck!

Answer 4

What about a trim instead of a shave? In addition, as an indoor cat she has a warm place to be so she won't get sick if she is shaved. You really need to at least trim out the knots or mats. Then, brush her every day for at least 30 min to an hour. Still, she will probaby get knotted so just keep little, sharp scissors round to cut them out. This is less traumatic for her than you trying to untangle the knot and tug on her hair a lot in the process. And dont worry about her getting sick, unless you keep the temperature in your house below freezing, she will be smart enough to find a warm place to hang out.

Answer 5

There is help!! Pet stores sell conditioner for cats and it does work. Now, for the knots that are big and right up against for skin, the best thing to do would be to take her to a groomer and have them shave them off. They wouln't have to shave her completely, just where the knots are. When knots like that get up against their skin, it's actually painful. Don't try to cut them out yourself; you could cut her skin and then have a whole other problem! So, to her to a groomer to get them cut out, buy some conditioner, and brush her daily. And I have to say good for you for keeping her indoors!! Not that many people are caring and responsible cat owners like you!!

Answer 6

We had the same problem with our long-haired cat; try using a slicker brush (lots of tiny little 'wires' as bristles)--a slicker brush breaks up mats easier than a comb. Also for the really bad knots we used to (carefully!) cut them out. This is dangerous though because you can very easily cut the cat's skin by accident.

As for her claws, you could wear gloves while brushing the mats out!

Answer 7

Only time my DLH has massive knots like the ones you are talking about is when I haven't brushed him in over a month. At that point, only thing that works is to carefully shave only the knots off. Even tried conditioner to no avail.

Answer 8

The fur will get matted from lack of brushing and because cats tend to lay around alot. I would wait until warmer weather and have the mats removed and then try to stay on top of brushing, or just give the cat trims every so often, then the cold won't bother her

Answer 9

Get her professionally groomed to get all the current mats out and then talk to the groomer about how best to care for her going forward. She may be one of those cats that needs daily brushing and grooming because of her long coat. If it becomes a daily habit that doesn't hurt, she will learn to enjoy it and it will be some nice bonding time for the both of you.

Answer 10

Gather bunches of hair and put berats or clamping hair clips. My daughter bathes her cats in Balsom conditioner with shampoo. She has done this since they were kittens so she does not get SHREDDED SKIN hanging off her arms. Sharper Image has an IONIC BRUSH which might help orient the hair to ease knotting. Apparently you cat knots her fur when she "bathes" herself with her tongue?