My cat's fur is always matted, how do I keep it dread-free?

Question

My 9-year old female tortie (longhair) has had matted fur since I can remember. Even when I brush her regularly it is still matted! I call her my rasta-fari hippy cat because it always looks like she has dreadlocks.
I brush and cut out the big "dreads" and she lets me pull out the smaller ones. But when I have to cut them out she has patches of fur that make her look.... well, unnatural.
Does anyone have any good suggestions for getting rid of her dreads?
....I have two other cats, neither of which have this problem....

Is there any conditioning cream or sprays that anyone knows of that would help? I don't think she would enjoy going to the groomers, although I have thought about that possibility.

Answer 1

I had a cat like that. We had to have him groomed bi-weekly. They trimmed the fur and also treated it with a de-tangler.

That got kind of expensive, so I went to a pet store and bought the tools to trim him myself. It took three people to trim him, but it was worth it! After a year or two he got used to it and liked it. I didn't have to have three people, he just laid there and actually moved around to help me get the hard to reach areas under his legs. I also got him used to being vacuumed. He loved it after he realized that it wasn't going to hurt him. Every time I turned the vacuum on he would start rubbing on my legs and arching his back. Kept him groomed, and kept his hair from bunching in the corners of my house!

It is best to start this stuff when they are younger though.
I would take him to a groomer if you are not comfortable doing it yourself. Maybe you can go in the grooming room with him and watch them for tips. That is how I learned how. After about the 6th time, I asked them to let me help, to keep him calm. I learned how, then did it myself. Saved loads of $$.

Good luck!

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New Info:

Hun, try using Pet Gold Detangling & Conditioning Grooming Spray. you can find it for under $8 in most pet co stores. The product info is as follows: . . . helps remove mats and tangles on wet or dry coats. Conditioners leave coat manageable and shiny while minimizing brushing time.

I would also recommend that if you are going to groom the cat yourself to purchase some Curved Blade Pet Grooming Scissors for the matts. They are curved and have rounded tips for safety. That way you can reduce the risk of injuring your cat! Just be very careful, as it is very easy to cut the cats skin, and the cat will jump causing more injury. . . Never use regular kitchen scissors or cooking sheers for grooming your pet, as this is EXTREMELY DANGEROUS for your pet.

I hope this helps, hun. Good luck!

Answer 2

You are going to have to make time to brush her every day. A tool like a Mars Coat King that gets deep into the coat and doesn't just surface brush also helps. It was designed for dogs and I bought one for my dogs but now I use it on my cat too (and the manufacturer suggests its use on cats as well). Once any mats form though, they need to be trimmed. The goal is to never let it get that far.

My in-laws have a Maine Coon (talk about hair!) and they take him to the vet twice a year to get his belly shaved because he does not allow his belly to be brushed. This has been a good way to fight off the mats on his belly and it is barely noticeable and keeps him cooler in the warmer weather. They usually work in a teeth cleaning, claw clipping and any other regular "maintenance" work at the same time.

http://www.groomersmall.com/coat_kings.htm

Answer 3

I have the same problem with my tabby. I am going to watch this to see what everyone recomends since I don't know what to do. I bought a little grooming kit in the dog section. It came with a wire brush that has the ends capped so it doesn't scratch. It also came with this little three pronged claw thing that is helpful for combing out matts. I just can't keep my cat still.
I do not recomend cutting the matts out yourself or shaving the cat yourself. My Grandma used to groom all of her cats but accidentally cut her persian. She had to take the cat in for stiches.

Answer 4

My cats are long haired Maine Coon cats...which makes their fur very long, very dense, and very soft and fine. They used to get mats ALL the time. When they got too bad, we brought them to the vet or groomers to give them a lion cut, which was funny for us, but humiliating for them. You could always do that, and don't forget, you shouldn't cut them out, because cat's skin is very thin and if you pull the mat up, the skin will come with it, it is very dangerous to cut them out. Bring her to a groomer or vet to give her a buzz.


Afterwards, just make sure that you keep her brushed, every day if you have to.

Answer 5

You can buy your own pair of electric clippers on the internet and safely shave mats out yourself.

Another trick I learned is a "seam ripper". It's like a sharp little hook, and you can hook the mat and pull away from the cat. It will cut the mat out without risking cutting your cat. I believe you can buy these in the sewing/hobby section of your local five-and-dime store.

Good luck!

Answer 6

short hair is good for some people, others, not. it depends exactly what u look like

Answer 7

Our male cat has semi-short hair (not long enough to be considered medium) but it's real real real soft hair--like baby golden retriever hair--so it gets tangled real easily and he LOVES to lie on his bad and squish around (must feel good). He gets matted, especially around his shoulders and his hips (some on his thighs and tail--I don't think he can reach some of his parts anymore plus the softness of his hair creates lots of hairball problems for him and he probably can't lick through the layers of softness). I cut the mats out if they are thick or long, and then I take a wig brush (has wire bristles) and brush him at least a few times a week with it, especially the spots that generally get tangled. It seems to work better, keeps the mats away a little better (plus he loves the attention). At first, he didn't like the backs of his thighs and tail brushed but he's getting used to it. The wire brush gets out a lot of the deeper knots and clumps. Then it's just a matter of keeping up with the brushing so he doesn't get matted again. He didn't seem to be affected by the mats before but now that he doesn't have any, he seems to be happier somehow.

Answer 8

This cat is a raster furian

Answer 9

I prefer hair that will is shoulder length or longer, And also since that men who like women are more often then not straight, they like long hair because that looks more feminine, as most men have short hair.

Answer 10

have your cat get a lion cut from a professional groomer. have them show you how they do it so you can do it at home

http://www.flickr.com/photos/missbeckles/30662398/