What is the best way to get rid of matted fur on a cat?

Question

I just got a cat from my neighbors (they were going to take him to the pound), and his fur is matted really bad in a couple places, I've cut off the bigger clumps, but there are some that are too close to the skin to be able to cut them off, I don't have the money to take him to a groomer, I just took both my other cats in for their checkups (I get a discount for taking them together, but it's still spendy enough that I had to save for it), and I have a car loan that I'm paying on (just a couple more months), so I won't have the money to get my new kitty really fixed up until after Christmas. Meanwhile, he's outside because he has fleas and giving him a bath is pointless with all the clumps and I don't want to give my other two cats fleas, and to top it off, he's declawed so he can't even defend or scratch himself!! :( He's such a beautiful cat, he's a super fluffy Siamese with the brightest blue eyes and is so loving. He should have been some little old lady's lap kitty.

To everyone who says it's pointless to give him a flea bath with mats: Obviously you didn't read the question very well because I already stated that. Also I can afford to take care of him, I just can't afford to pay a vet for something that I can do myself. I'm not giving him away, or taking him to the pound, he WANTS to be my kitty, every day when I come home he is waiting for me at the top of my stairs, every morning when I wake up he is waiting for me to open the door and give him food and loves.

Answer 1

Can you set him up to live in a bathroom? Cats can live in small places for awhile as long as you can separate his litter box from his food/water and give him a place that he can sit up high.

A bathroom, with no rugs or carpeting, will help with his flea problem and it will keep him away from your cats.

I would cut off as much of the mat as possible using curved, blunt nosed scissors made for grooming pets. They are the easiest to use since you don't stick the cat and cause him to bleed.

If you have gotten off most of the mats, I would bathe him anyway and deal with the flea problem first. He won't like it but you can bathe him multiple times. I had to do this with a stray caught in this greasy muck.

You can use a conditioner to prevent more matting and then work on the mats slowly. If you roll them between your thumb and index fingers, you can slowly pull them away from the skin. When you are sure you can tell the difference between the mat and skin, you can clip them out with the curved scissors.

Mats are nicer to work on when they have been shampooed.

Much luck.

Answer 2

Ok, do you know of anyone who has any kind of clippers that you could maybe borrow? Yes it will not be pretty at first, but I did my own cat and it sure was not pro job, but I did manage to get rid of the mats and the fur grew back and she looks fine now. As to the fleas, have you tried either advantage or frontline on him? You see it travels across the skin so it may very well get under those mats. Now another thing, can you get a comb under the mats at all? I have had luck at time with starting from the top part of the mat and by using the comb working my way down to the worst part of it and actually finally able to get the whole thing out. They even have in pet shops small clippers that cost only about $20, they might help a bit. Keep trying to work on them. And by the way, you could still bath him for fleas, completely soaking the mats, then after the bath, you can spray with something like Adams flea spray (they hate it, but oh well, might salivate due to the alcohol in it so don't panic) and soak the mats, this will kill the fleas....use advantage on your other cats and then you can let this cat in. Also there is a new product called Capstar, is a pill that works for 24 hours and kills all the fleas on the animal, is a quick fix. Keep working on those mats, little by little and you will win! Hope this helps

Answer 3

Do you know anyone that has access to animal clippers? If so, I would advise shaving the cat down. But, be very careful. A cat's skin is like a sausage. If you cut it, it splits open and can bleed profusely. Take your time with him. Under no circumstances should you bath a matted cat. It would just increase the problem 10 fold. He should be totally matt free before any bathing is done. The matts should be removed ASAP as they can cause an ulcer on the cats skin from the hair pulling caused by the matt. I would probably use a flea killer before I brought him into the house. I hope that those neighbors of yours took the time to have him neutered and up to date on his vaccinations. Declawing a cat is horrendous. It is like cutting off the first joint of your finger. Many people do not realize this. They think that the claws are just pulled out. Declawing a cat can also cause litterbox problems as well as biting behaviour, I hope that you can get this guy in soon for he is utterly defenseless. Good luck and thank you for giving him a chance.

Answer 4

I work at a grooming shop for the last three years , the best way is to get some shears and shave where the hair is matted. If you don't the matted hair makes big sores on the skin and if you bathe the cat before you do this, it will make the matts worse. If you don't think you can do this, than a local groomer will charge you anywhere around 30 to 35 dollars and they can also do a flea bath while thier at it.

Answer 5

some vets will shave him down for a flat fee. It will look funny for a little while but believe me it will grow back and nicer and softer the next time. I have to shave so many stray long hairs that come into the shelter. It sometimes is the only way. Those mats hurt real bad and can make a sweet tempered cat into a hellion if left too long. Also sitting and picking at the mat is only going to hurt him more and make him less trusting of you and HATE getting brushed later. I would really try to foot the bill now and just shave him. I SWEAR it will be the best thing for him. After the hair starts to come back constantly brush him so he is used to it and the new growth doesnt begin to mat again. If you absolutely cant I would try mineral oil and just a straight pin comb and pick pick pick... if you can cut the bigger part of the clump and then work at it that helps too but I am telling you from experiance once those things are set in they are painful and virtually impossible to get out. Bless ya for taking him in and I hope it goes well!

TOO ADD: its absolutely worthless to treat for fleas with mats that bad, since the fleas can harbor in there and some of the treatment wont penetrate. If you dip or bathe, If you front line you might be ok. Why not turn him into a cat rescue or shelter since he is so pretty he will likely be adopted out. It sounds like you cant really care for him properly even though your doing your best. I know its hard but think about it real hard if you really can afford or need another cat.

Answer 6

Step One
Attempt to remove the fur mat after the cat has eaten. Cats tend to be more relaxed after meals.
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Step Two
Adopt a calm and soothing demeanor as you approach the cat. Have your manicure scissors hidden in your pocket as you pet the cat.
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Step Three
Once the cat is relaxed, try to work out the fur mat with your fingers. Pull out the scissors if that doesn't work.
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Step Four
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.
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Step Five
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.
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Step Six
Once you've worked apart the fur mat and it's clearly away from the skin, cut it off.
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Step Seven
Reward the cat's cooperation with a kitty treat.
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Step Eight
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.

Answer 7

If he is flea infested and goes untreated he will be subject to worms etc.....my advice is that you should never have taken in a cat you have no way of paying for to get it cleaned up. It does sound like it needs a flea bath and to be combed out with a flea comb and then shaved down to the skin. His fur will grow back, the groomer at work has had to do this to many a cat and dog. Shaving him is the only way you are going to get rid of the matted hair if it is beyond getting a comb through it.

Answer 8

I just want to add that you really should bring your cat in the house because it is declawed. Adam's flea shampoo works pretty well for fleas. if your other cats are getting flea treatments already from your vet then it might not be so bad for them even if the cat comes in after having the bath. You can also try a grooming mist that might help with some of the hair mats.

Answer 9

I assume you are referring to very tight mats that are close to the skin, and difficult to access without fear of cutting your cat. You also want something that will be quick, as your cat will probably tolerate only a few tries at a time.

There is something sold in most office supply stores that will enable you to slice the mat into sections, and also cut it away from his skin without any danger of cutting your cat. I have posted a link of such a thing, and I have used it effectively. They are also cheap.

Pet stores do sell mat cutters, but they often just break up the mat and do not solve the problem of cutting the mat from the skin.

Answer 10

Get some Advantage or Frontline to put on him,so you can bring him in,and then slowly work on the mats until you can afford to take him to the vet to be vaccinated and groomed.He really shouldn't be outside if he's declawed,and flies will sometimes lay eggs on matted fur and hatch into maggots - not a pretty site and deadly to the cat.