My cat has horrible mats...how can I help her without sedation?

Question

My cat is 5 years old. She's a norwegian forest cat, which means she has lonnnnnggg hair that is the hardest to maintain. The first 2-3 years when I had her me and my parents didn't know how to take care of her hair, therefore that ended up with her being sedated 3 times to have her shaved because she is VICIOUS when she leaves the house, and also she still has her claws. She's an indoor cat, so obviously when she leaves the house she goes crazy, and especially at the vet too, which is why she had to be sedated 3 times.
Now she just had her 5th birthday, and for the past 2 years I've been taking very good care of her, mat-free for 2 years until this summer.
I was busy working and schooling, and also went on vacation. My mom doesn't know how to comb her, so now she has mats all over her back (huge painful ones), and tiny ones throughout her body.
So now I am debating on what to do. I seriously cannot cut these mats by myself cuz I will be bleeding from head to toe from her scratching

scratching me, and she will be traumatized by another vet visit.
Also, she's been sedated 3 times already, and I cannottt.. CANNOT do that to her again. I really don't want to put her at risk.
How should I shave her mats? She hates leaving the house, and I don't want to sedate her, it is too dangerous.
I'm so lost and so sad.... thank you to everyone that helps

Answer 1

first of all show your mom how to do it in case she has to take care of her again.then all you have to do is hold he by the back of the neck really hard and then shave her

Answer 2

Grab some of your hair and pull. That's what a big mat feels like to your cat. There is a tool you can get called a "mat buster" that might help you gently get rid of the mats. You can get a product called CALMZ that will mellow her out so you may be able to work on her. However, she won't be comfortable and will get very crabby if you don't get rid of the mats. Some sort of sedation is required, but sometimes only light sedation. My cat needed the full sedation. You have to decide which is best -- have her sedated and get the mats combed out or not have her sedated and in pain every day from the mats. I've been in a similar situation with my son's domestic longhair and we got him a "lion" cut, which was cute. He pranced around like he was a super star. Then you should make a promise to yourself and your cat that you will comb her faithfully every day with a steel-toothed dog comb. After she's been combed, you should give her a treat so she associates combing with something good. Even if you can't get her completely combed in one session, give her the treat anyway. She definitely needs to go to the vet's groomer. When you try to comb her, make sure you pet her and get her really happy and relaxed before you start and then do it in small, gentle steps. If you start at the end of the hair and comb that part out and then gently work towards the skin it will be easier on your cat.

Answer 3

You need to gain her confidence, and work very slowly, one mat at a time. As the pain is lessened from the mats, she will calm down and appreciate what you are doing. A sedation brings about risks, even though they may be slight. The tiny ones are easiest, and they may not be close to the skin. For those, a simple device sold at office supply stores works great; no chance of cutting your cat, it is sharp with a protected blade, and cheap. I have posted a link. It might work on the larger mats that are tight against her skin, if you can use the point to slice the mat into smaller portions.

For the tougher mats, I have also posted a link for a mat buster comb that is supposed to be very effective for long haired cats.

A few mats at a time and she may understand that you are not trying to harm her.

And, if you can gain her confidence, you could try to snip off the tip of her talons. You start by getting her used to you handling her paws. But first the mats.....

Answer 4

You don't have a choice now, do you? She is vicious and has large painful mats. Your only option is sedation and shaving. It is not dangerous if your vet knows what he/she is doing. We do it all the time for these types of patients at our hospital. A little shot, they aren't all the way asleep, a quick shave and you're done. Simple. Like I said, there is no other choice, so stop fretting over it.

Answer 5

If she's already a moody cat, you may easily stress her out way too much by trying to force her to hold still and shaving or combing her. Stressed out cats can die. I'm not trying to be dramatic but it is true. Also, by the sound of it, you probably won't be able to hold her anyway to shave or comb her. The safest way to help her out is to take her to your vet and let him/her sedate her. I know it sounds scary but if you ask them to make sure she's healthy first (they should do this without you asking), it should be fine. Ask them to check her heart and do bloodwork, and if it's all normal, you shouldn't worry. Sedation not only makes it easier on the person trying to get the mats out, it will make it easier on your cat too.

Answer 6

I, too own a very long haired house cat-(now age 4)- and she has had a lot of trouble the last couple of years with being "matted". We have never had her shaved since she is so nervous around others and I would never myself attempt it. My best advice, and the only one that has worked for us is to keep her brushed everyday...and most importantly, wait until your kitty gets really tired while brushing her-(when they are most relaxed)-THEN, work with the "mats", either with your fingers or the brush. Eventually, they will start to come out! GOOD LUCK!

Answer 7

I had a long haired kitty who would fight like the devil whenever I tried to brush her. I just got a brave soul (husband) to hold her while I brushed. I called several places about grooming for her and they all sedate. My mother in law has a Norwegian Forest Cat who is an outside cat and it's remarkable how nice her fur is! You need to teach your mom to groom her. For now you probably need to have a pro sedate and groom her or don your suit of armor and jump in. Good luck.

Answer 8

First of all...how can someone not know how to comb a cat? It's not that complicated...

Obviously, this poor cat is in pain and suffering because it's being neglected. There is no justifiable reason to let a cat's fur get to this point. Obviously, your family isn't competent to help you take care of her, and you're too busy to do it yourself. It might be time to consider whether another home with owners who can take the time to care for her the way she needs to be cared for might be better for her in the long run. It's not fair to make her live this way...

Answer 9

wear gloves and then shave her down. or bring her to a groomer