Baddly matted!

[penwright1029]

We can't afford a vet or groomer right now and our Max has some really bad mats. I've tried using Olive Oil, Coconut Oil, but he still has them. On top of that, he is very sensitive about the area before his tail, and that's where they are. He has never had them this bad before. We would like to shave him, but we would have to sedate him or put him in some kind of holder to do so. I'm at an end as to what to do to get those mats out. I know they hurt. I've been using Hemp Oil, but I just can't get him settled down enough to get those mats out. I'm at my wits end. My gentle giant becomes so frightened, he runs away. I can't hold him. And, at my age, it's difficult to get ahold of him now. What else can I do?

 

[Mia6]

i would sedate him. do you have meds for that?

 

[iPappy]

How tight is the matting, do you have a photo? Don't try to remove with scissors.
Cornstarch can help break up mats, if you apply it and leave it set for an hour or so. Use your brush to gently work at the area, the cornstarch will brush out. The matting may break up into smaller portions too. Don't try to get it done in one session. Also, cornstarch is messy, beware!

 

[Kflowers]

If you decide you must try to cut the mats out buy a pair of scissors for use with human babies. They have blunt points which make it hard to stab your cat or yourself. You'll need two people, one to hold the cat and one to cut the mat. This is because you will need to hold the mat away from the cat's skin and slowly cut the hairs from the outside edges. It is almost impossible to cut a mat not going from the edges and avoid cutting the cat.

Examples of baby scissors

Amazon.com : Tenartis Baby Nail Scissors with Curved Blades and Round Tips - Made in Italy (3.5", Nickel) : Baby

Amazon.com : baby scissors

 

[neely]

If the above suggestions do not work, however hopefully they will, and the mats keep getting worse you may want to consider going to a groomer but be very careful. Not all groomers are as familiar with cats as they are with dogs. Make sure to ask if they use any type of noose or restraint around the cat's neck. If they do please do not go there. Some vets have a groomer that comes to their office so you may want to check with your vet first or ask if they have any recommendations for groomers. Best of luck and I hope you are able to remove the mats from Max yourself.

 

[Kflowers]

If the mats become bad enough and they can interfere with walking, they vet may be willing to shave the area. It probably won't be a cute cut but it will clear off the mats. It may cost less than you think. Don't ask for grooming, explain the cat's condition and that you need help. Worse case the vet says no. Best case they say okay. Middle case they recommend a groomer. One mat our cat had was 7 inches long and when removed released enough skin to cover an area equal to my palm. That makes for a cranky cat.

 

[maggiandme]

You could ask the vet for a gabapentin prescription and then shave the kitty yourself while he's on the meds. We got our cat recently groomed; I gave her a big dose of gabapentin and she was still difficult but the groomer managed better than when she's not on meds. The vet also suggested trying melatonin which is OTC but I don't think that would've worked on my cat cause she is a big burly girl. I would not recommend scissors for huge mats as that can be painful.

 

[GranolaLouise]

My cat had some bad mats and the stores wouldn't touch a senior cat. My vet did a bit of the de-matting, but my appointment time went over (I did not go there for the mats). She suggested the perfect groomer. But a vet can do some thing more than we can alone and without proper tools. I would call and ask for a vet or tech appointment to do some dematting. It may not be as gorgeous as a professional groomer, but at least it would be something to ease the situation for the little one.

 

[iPappy]

If the above suggestions do not work, however hopefully they will, and the mats keep getting worse you may want to consider going to a groomer but be very careful. Not all groomers are as familiar with cats as they are with dogs. Make sure to ask if they use any type of noose or restraint around the cat's neck. If they do please do not go there. Some vets have a groomer that comes to their office so you may want to check with your vet first or ask if they have any recommendations for groomers. Best of luck and I hope you are able to remove the mats from Max yourself.

Definitely, cats should not be tied and even using a harness makes me nervous. I've seen groomers photos of cats on grooming tables tied by their necks and I want to reach out and slap them.
Oooh, another thought P penwright1029 . Sometimes places like Petsmart etc. have clinic days where the vets stop by and do heartworm checks and vaccines. If you see one is available, see if you can get more info and maybe they would be willing to do a quick shave of the area for less cost than a clinic (preferably at the very end of the day so all the dogs have cleared out.) It's probably a very, very long shot but it couldn't hurt to ask.