Clumps of fur matting up in my 6 year old cat

[Big Alas]

I thought at 1st that my 6 year old cat went under a car and got some oily stuff on her fur, along her spine but it appears now she has about 6 or 7 clumps or tufts of fur on her back half way down and they are sort of matted together at the base next to the skin and will not comb out and are more lumpy near her skin. She is really very irritated for us to touch them and I am now believing she has some kind of infection in the skin and that is why the number of clumps/tufts are increasing.

I am not sure what to do, the vet suggested he puts her under, then shaves her at those clumps and I am not sure this is the answer, but something is making the base of the clump more solid. He said the fur will grow back up and perhaps there is some kind of bacteria at the base and if we shave it the air can get into there?

HELP please, with any ideas. The cat get very sensitive with combing anyway but I do not want this to get worse and at this time of year, her fur should be less dense in the heat of the mediterranean where we live.

I would be grateful for some suggestions - I will try to post some photos

Thanks in advance.

 

[Furballsmom]

Hi
I see one photo in particular where it appears there is something under the fur right next to the skin, so I'm somewhat in agreement with your vet. Can you put something like coconut oil on it?

 

[FeebysOwner]

I am having trouble seeing much of anything in those pics, but nonetheless, if you want another alternative to the coconut oil, you could try chamomile tea.
Buy chamomile tea bags - you can find them in most any grocery store and generally speaking those are Germain - you don't want English or any flavorings or additives. Brew a bag in water, cool the liquid to room temp and then soak those areas with the liquid via a soft, clean cloth - 2-3 times a day.

Chamomile tea, which is a soothing and healing agent, also has anti-bacterial/anti-fungal properties. It is safe for your cat to ingest should she do so.

It likely isn't going to resolve the issue but might help until you decide what you want to do. In the meantime, keep her inside if you can.

 

[Alldara]

I will encourage you to let the vet do that to see if he can see what's going on. The matts can be painful if the hair gets pulled at. If it's a skin infection, being able to access it for cleaning it off without all the fur will be helpful. Her fur should grow back relatively quickly. The risk of putting her under for a bit is outweighed by the opportunity to takes swabs etc as well.

Please keep her indoors in the meantime. Unfortunately, cats are at higher risk of going out unsupervised for many things.

 

[posiepurrs]

Even though it sounds drastic, allow the vet to shave her. Her coat appears to be felted to the skin. As far as I know the least painful way to deal with it is shaving. It will grow back. From what I can see ( and that isn’t much) of her skin, it doesn’t look infected, but if not taken care of, it can become infected. Felting occurs when the cat sheds, the coat is oily, and isn’t combed sufficiently so the coat is ‘glued’ together. Most of the time the comb isn’t reaching the skin when being used so the surface of the coat looks fine, but the coat forms a solid mass underneath.

 

[sivyaleah]

Even though it sounds drastic, allow the vet to shave her. Her coat appears to be felted to the skin. As far as I know the least painful way to deal with it is shaving. It will grow back. From what I can see ( and that isn’t much) of her skin, it doesn’t look infected, but if not taken care of, it can become infected. Felting occurs when the cat sheds, the coat is oily, and isn’t combed sufficiently so the coat is ‘glued’ together. Most of the time the comb isn’t reaching the skin when being used so the surface of the coat looks fine, but the coat forms a solid mass underneath.

Totally agree with this assessment.

Felting is awful and will only get worse. You really can't do this yourself. Sometimes shaving is the humane answer.
It will grow back and better to start fresh.
And I agree about not letting her out again. It would really be a shame to go through this again.

 

[gilmargl]

This is my experience - not sure If it will help anyone but......

My senior short-hair black-cat Mogi had fur mats removed by the vet about 3 years ago. She did not need to be shaved, just sedated so that she could be given a good brush and comb after blood had been taken for her check-up. Since then I have tried numerous solutions to keep her mat-free - mainly using small (dolls' and babies') brushes and combs hidden in my hand. (She bites quite hard!) But, no success and little tufts of dead grey fur and dandruff are appearing again.
While turning out my cat-equipment in the cellar I found a large wire flea-brush - probably intended for dogs. Two stokes on each side of Mogi and the mats and dandruff are caught in the brush and her fur is sleek again. The brush may pull a bit at her fur but she doesn't turn round and attack me. Perhaps the fact that it works over a larger area means that "pain" is less intense - a bit uncomfortable but nothing like my trying to separate one small mat with my fingers. I now keep the brush in the bathroom - when she jumps on my lap, I can clean her ears, put medication in her ears and (if she's still amenable) stroke her with the wire brush.