Old, Matted Cat + Teeth Issues

[EmersonandEvie]

My mom's cat, Whiskers, is 16. She is hyperthyroid (not controlled as of now, they are upping her dosage this week) and very, very skinny. Poor girl weighs 5lbs (at her peak, years ago, she was ~12 lbs) and is all skin and bones. The rest of her bloodwork was great (kidneys, liver, etc.) and she seems to be generally happy. She eats, but it isn't what she needs to be eating calorically. We have tried EVERYTHING to get her to eat, all kinds of wet and dry food. Eggs. Kitten formula. Goat milk. My mom even cooked her a salmon filet and straight chicken, which she normally goes wild for. She nibbled at both. We suspect her mouth hurts. Her vet will not deep clean her teeth because she has a heart murmur and will not put her under anesthesia, which is understandable.

She is horribly, horribly matted. She can't bend to clean herself like she once could, and her saliva has gotten sticky from her thyroid issues. She has huge clumps all over her body. In an ideal world with no murmurs, she would be sedated, shaved all the way down, and get her teeth cleaned, but that won't happen. When she was last taken to the vet, she bled when they shaved her little foreleg to draw blood- her skin is that thin/ My question is, is there anything that we could bathe her in or just do to try and break up some of the mats? They're so close to her skin and they're really a hassle for her. I just want her more comfortable.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have had success/good luck in removing mats by cutting down through the mat. Not cutting near the skin. I found that after doing several cuts down through the mat you can work it out with your fingers then comb out the remain Der. Use scissors with a rounded tip.

Good luck helping whiskers!

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Thank you! I will suggest that and see how long she tolerates it.

 

[fionasmom]

There are mat breaker combs made especially for that. Google them and see if you think that they are unsuited for a cat with thin skin. I use one of a cat who is healthy but mats incredibly and it actually does cut off the mat without the use of a scissors.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Thank you fionasmom ! I sent her a link and she is ordering the comb tonight.

In other good news, they increased her thyroid medication dosage and she is doing much better!

 

[fionasmom]

That is all good news for the cat. I hope that the comb works...for me it has been a lifesaver and eliminates the need for scissors.

 

[EmersonandEvie]

Quick update: I'm ordering the comb now. Also, since they've upped Whiskers' thyroid meds, she has been eating like a champ again!

 

[susanm9006]

If you have an enclosed shower with a door rather than a shower curtain, it is a good place to groom a cat because there is no need to hold them down. Remove as much of the mats as you can and then wet, shampoo and rinse her using a sponge and a bucket of water. Once she is wet you might be able to loosen any remaining mats.

If you don’t have an enclosed shower you can try cleaner her with a warm damp sponge

 

[sivyaleah]

I'm going to disagree with the suggestion about bathing a cat with any mats at all.
They will get worse, you can't work them out that way.
We recently had a battle with our kitten over her dislike of being groomed so mat removal has become a specialty of mine, very much not by choice but I've learned a lot in the process.

Questions:
First, does the cat tolerate being groomed at all?
Is she long or short haired? This makes a difference on type of tools used.
Will she tolerate being pet at all?

If she does like being pet you have a good chance of being able to get those mats out without too much trauma to her though it will take time. And it's back breaking work.

If she is long or medium haired get a good heavy duty comb similar to this one. You don't have to spend this kind of money - it's the one I have for our cats but it's the type you need:

Chris Christensen 504 8.5" Fine/Coarse Greyhound-Style Buttercomb

Also get a mat cutter. Do not use scissors unless you really feel confident that you won't cut her. We use one similar to this:

Master Grooming Tools Dog Mat & Tangle Splitter - Chewy.com

Ok now, heres the way you do it.

Start by breaking up the mats with your FINGERS. Yes. With your fingers. You can slowly pull most apart, no matter how tight they are if you slowly pull at them taking care to hold the skin down to avoid pulling at it and hurting your cat. Once the mat is "torn" and starting to look kind of fluffy, you either can use the mat cutter to start tearing/sawing thru it top to bottom - holding the skin down - never pull the skin up at all. Or, use the comb to help untangle the knot by taking the tip of the comb and picking the mat apart again as you hold the skin down with your other hand.

What you're aiming for is to unravel the mat, and it will start to come apart but it take a lot of time to even get one apart, especially if it's been "felted" to the skin.

Some say you can apply some olive oil to the mat but I personally found that didn't work for me. Other say you can try using cornstarch which I think helps to make the fur more slippery and therefore help it untangle better.

It took me about 3 days to get most of my kittens belly done this way and several more days to finish her off. Small doses at a time are better so you don't overwhelm the cat. As each mat is released, comb the area out completely or best as you can. Never pull if you encounter resistance. Never use a brush of any type if there is resistance. Do not use a Furminator or anything like that to start this process. You'll just upset the cat. Resistance means you are causing pain. Always hold down the skin to ensure you are not pulling at it. And always work from top to bottom.

I'm writing this fast because I really should be working right so feel free to ask me questions and will answer as I can!

 

[susanm9006]

Unfortunately a heavily matted cat is often also a stinky cat with feces, urine in their fur and odor from not washing themselves. I have fostered a couple of these and getting them feeling better require not only removing their mats but getting clean. While they may not appreciate the process if it is done in a way that stresses them the least they feel so much better and happier when they are washed and cleaned.