how do I shave a cat, his hair is so matted it's all clumped to his skin (it was a lost Cat)?

Answer 1

i have the same problem....my sister gave me a persian that she adopted, but her one female cat wouldnt leave it alone, and because of the mats, it was too grouchy to wanna play...the only thing to be done is to make an appointment at a vets that also has a groomer...because they will have to anesthetize the cat to shave it. just like mine. good luck.

Answer 2

We were dealing with not only a clumped cat, but an elderly one with delicate skin. So, we gently inserted a comb into the clump, made sure there was no skin caught up and clipped with a scissors. Pet her in between. Took about 10 days to completely clip out all the matting, but we had no skin injuries either and she remained a happy cat. The cat is already lost and upset and buzzing from a shaver is likely to upset it. Don't try to comb out the matts. Unlike a dog, their skin is just too delicate. They will look pretty lumpy for a few months, but the fur grows back in nicely.

I would also add that a groomer was really beyond our means, particularly since she required vet care due to her emaciated state.

Answer 3

I think you should take the cat to a professional groomer, but if this is not available to you right now, then go into your bathroom, put some clean but old towels on the floor and have several more waiting on the rack to use to dry the kitty, fill your bathtub with warm water, DO NOT PUT THE CAT IN IT, you are just using this water to rinse a wash rag in; you should bring the cat into the bathroom calmly and close and lock the door so he can't get out, then very, very carefully and very slowly and gently use a warm wet washrag to work apart and loosen the dirt and the fur to the point where you can then work it off slowly with a wide-toothed comb. Don't try to yank the fur off and don't try to immerse the cat in a bath, it is probably stressed beyond belief right now. It will be wide-eyed and upset, but not if you keep talking softly to it and keep your movements slow and gentle. Imagine if you were covered with matted fur that was stuck to your skin and would probably peel off your skin if yanked too hard...that's how you should clean the kitty. He will hate it, but he will be very happy once you are done and he gets every speck of fur back into place and is dried off. Reward him with his own big can of wet food all for himself when you are all done, and he will be your best friend forever.

Answer 4

Well unless you are a professional groomer you DO NOT want to try this at home...not unless you are wearing body armor. Seriously though, the cat could be injured if you are not exactly sure of what you are doing. The matts are difficult to remove and you could cut the cat. Scissors do not work well to remove the fur and you really need clippers...and with for the cost of a good pair of clippers you could have a professional trim the cat and save you both a lot of aggravation and injury.

Answer 5

OHHHH that poor baby!!! depending on how badly its been treated in the past, you might be able to start at the fur around its chin... so that it can eat and drink without carrying the food & waterdish around... I have a friend who is a nurse, she got me a pair of brand new "flesh cutting" scissors with a rounded tip on the top and a very sharp pointed tip on the bottom and VERY CAREFULLY snipped off chunks a very small area directly underneath his chin...(on a big orange persian cat I rescued) till he got mad and i had to quit.. I kept at him a little at a time over a couple of weeks till i got his whole neck area cleaned down to combable hair.

over the first six weeks I slowly and carefully cut as many chunks as he'd let me cut... by two months, i had him totally unsnarled. He looked pretty bad, but he was a new kitty with all that hair off... the two critical places are the chin & between the front legs, and of course the fur around his rear and between the legs.

Hint: I cut all the fur in a straight line when i cut so that it feel off in a manner that i could see his skin before cutting... the last thing you wanna do is cut the cat, they'll be very hard to work with if you ever hurt them...... the first few attempts must be slow and reassuring... once the cat figures it out that you are trying to help it it will be less likely to object if you are slow and quit when it says to quit.... they must know you are trying to help them, not dominate them. Cats love to be groomed if you do it right... patience...
Ginger

Answer 6

Becky C is right. Getting the mats moist by technique of bathing or using a water based spray will basically lead them to worse. Please do no longer use scissors on your cat. The mats are very close to to the floor and cats have very skinny pores and skin. the probability of puncture with a wriggling cat (and he or she would be waiting to wriggle) is extrememly severe. Even bandage scissors with blunt ends won't paintings given which you won't be in a position to get close sufficient with reducing pores and skin. The vet tech at your vet's workplace is experienced in using clippers to take the mats off.

Answer 7

Take your cat to a grooming clinic. They will know what to do to fix the problem.

But matted fur can be caused from lots of things. Kitty may have a skin infection or something of the sort.

You shouldn't shave your cats fur, unless you absolutely have to. Their fur is their protection coating. It keeps them warm and their skin safe etc.

Answer 8

You can shave the cat with clippers but if the cat is scared of them it will be hard and I would take it to a groomers since they are more experienced and should be careful not to hurt the cat.

Answer 9

Don't do it yourself, it can be dangerous to the cat and you could get scratched up pretty bad in the process, take it to a vet with a groomer

Answer 10

A professional groomer.

Cat skin is very delicate, and damages very easily, particularly when matted. If you don't know what you're doing, the best thing to do is to bring him to a professional groomer that does.