Austinkirk via flickr 2 start from the base.
Short haired cat fur matting.
Mats are clumps of hair that form when loose hair gets tangled onto the rest of your cat s fur.
With short haired cats a small slicker brush may be used next to slowly and gently brush through any remaining tangles.
Affected cats are lightly sedated and their hair coats are shaved to remove all affected mats.
Long haired cats are more prone to mats than short haired cats.
Although matted cat fur is commonly found in long hair cat breeds short haired cats can also develop mats in their coats.
Matting occurs more in spring and autumn when cats are molting.
Use the proper tools when brushing your cat s hair using a rubber brush for short haired cats and a long tooth metal wired brush for cats with longer hair.
Once you get under the mat hold the hair at the base of the mat near the skin so you don t pull their skin and then slowly pull the comb up through the mat to loosen it.
Matted cat fur on the other hand damages tissue by preventing oxygen and moisture from reaching it.
If your cat doesn t like brushing have him get used to it through touching him at first.
Long haired old or sickly cats usually require a little assistance from their owners with the process.
You can also gently pick individual mat parts out of your cat s skin.
When your cat notices this change they start to groom more which could increase the amount of hair they ingest and cause other health problems.
This can lead to dry scaly and sometimes irritated skin.
The help of a pet parent is often required to remove tangled bunched up hair.
If mat has just started to form the best thing to do is to simply brush it out.
Over time small mats can turn into large clumps and dreadlocks causing your cat pain and suffering for no reason.
The reason mats develop is that cats naturally shed their dead outer fur to make room for newer hair to grow.
Although most short haired or younger cats should be able to keep themselves mat free without issue.
Removing matted hair from your cat 1.
Because mats can lead to conditions such as skin lesions skin infections and dirt debris and bacteria buildup its best to remove them as soon as you notice them.
Seriously matted cats require veterinary attention.
Start from the base of the mat using a straight comb.
Matted fur occurs more frequently in long haired cats but this doesn t mean it won t happen to short haired cats.
Remember to groom the undercoat and hard to reach spots as well.
How to unmat cat fur.
