my baby is all matted

katie7897

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Okay my baby boy is all matted. So I was trimming some of them. I know now not a smart idea. I think I knicked him slightly. It is not bleeding and i cleaned it out what else should i do so it does not get infected. Also any ideas on how to prevent this from happening again we do brush him regularly.
 

abbycats

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I had a cat years ago that would get matted up so bad.. She got really vicious when you tried to brush her(she came from a feral colony when she was a baby). I used to take her to the vet and he would put her under and get her with the electric clippers. She looked like a feline poodle!!!!
 

cloud_shade

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If your kitty has a lot of mats, a trip to the groomer would probably be a good idea. They can shave down the hair to get rid of the mats. When the mats are too close the skin, they are painful. With my friend's dog, as soon as she starts to get mats, they get worse because she is always scratching at them.

Just to make you feel better, I made a worse mistake. I was trying to trim Spot's behind because he was having some bowel trouble and it was really messy back there. I cut a little too close, and caused his butt to bleed! I felt really bad, but he healed just fine. He was a bit sore there for a few days, but there wasn't any infection. My vet suggested that I put a little anti-inflammatory cream on his butt (I had some for Spot's previous irritations) to help the swelling go down. It doesn't sound like your kitty is having any swelling from the trim, so I wouldn't worry about that.
 

stormy

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Crystal has been getting matty lately as well, I think it's from the humidity
Anyway if she has one that won't comb out I position the comb under the mat and trim the fur that is on top of the comb, that way I can't accidently snip her skin.
 

stephenie

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Leona only gets matted in one spot (Thank God.) She must just miss that spot all the time when she grooms herself. It is on the side of her neck. When I notice it I cut the spot down the middle and then a couple of days later cut it out with a pair of scissors with a rounded point.

My vet suggested Neosporin for my cats stitches, so I would imagine you could use it on her scrap too. I have also used peroxide to kill germs before on a paw wound, she did not like the water like substance but it did not hurt (sting) her and it worked.
 

catsallover

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I feel under the mat until I am sure I have all the skin, and then start trimming the mat from the top until either I have trimmed it to where it unravels fairly easily,or unti it is gone. I have nicked mine before too, but this seems to work. I have 2 longhaired cats, neither of whom can stand to be brushed (one is a brat, the other has sensitive skin,) but when they get mats, they both come to momma to have them gotten out
Goofy little furballs! It can take a few sessions for bad ones, though!
 

semiferal

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A flea comb is a great tool to use when clipping matted fur. Slip the comb between the mat and the skin, and cut right above the comb. That way you won't have any risk of cutting the skin.

As for the cut, unless it is huge or doesn't stop bleeding, it's really nothing to worry about. Little cuts happen to all of us and they're not all that big a deal. I know it doesn't help with the "mommy-guilt" feeling but it's true! You can put a bit of Neosporin on the cut each day until it heals, just as an added safeguard against infection.
 

goldenkitty45

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I'd take your cat to a professional groomer to get all the mats out. After that, get yourself a few combs - not brushes. You'll need a wide/medium toothed comb and a fine toothed comb. If he mats easily, then you will have a DAILY grooming job ahead; not just once or twice a week.
 

denice

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I have a cat with a thick undercoat and I use what I think groomers call a carding tool. It's like an angled paddle with short stiff bristles. I found one that has bristles made with hard plastic though, some are made with metal and they're probably best left to the professional groomers. It's the only thing I have found that I can comb out her undercoat with and keep her from getting matted. It still is a daily job though.
 

deanne

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I don't feel so alone now! I have a matted cat, too. I'd been doing a good job keeping up on combing her, then went on a road trip for two weeks. She started to matt. The more she matts, the less she likes me to comb her, of course.

This cat could cause some serious damage with her teeth and claws. I've had to take her to the vet before to have her put under and then shaved. I'm thinking about trying myself to get rid of them first. My thought is to put on heavy gardening gloves, lots of heavy denim, gather up everything I need to (scissors, comb, clippers) and lock her in the bathroom with me. Hopefully, we'll both walk back out of there alive!

Any suggestions for retraints? I was thinking about looping a dog's leash behind her front legs to try to hold her and keep her claws away from me while I try to use the clippers with my other hand.
 

sophiec

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My mom has a cat whose fur has only recently started matting up? She is wondering, and so am I, what causes a cat's fur to mat up like that? He used to be an indoor/outdoor cat but she keeps him mainly indoors now since his ear infections. She noticed that since he's been indoors, his fur mats all the time now.

Sophie
 
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