Cat’s hair! We all love having cat as a pet not only because of its behavior but also on how it looks! They look fluffy with all those fur, right? But do you know that besides providing your cat’s with best food and nutritions, you also have to take care of their appearance.
Unless your cat is a Sphynx cat, you have to take care of your cat’s hair! One problem that may happen to your cat is matted hair. What is matted hair? So matting is a tangled clump of fur in your furry pet, for example in cats. These masses hair can form in the outer and in the deeper undercoat. If the matted hair left for too long, combing the hair of your cats would be impossible since it is getting tighter and uncomfortable.
How can your cat’s fur become tangled that way? Well, cat can groom itself and take care of their fur. But once in a while, the hair can get matted. It may occur on the body where your cat likes to rub it a lot, for examples, under the chest, tail, around the collar, between leg, until on the shoulder due to the pressure from lying down.
Not only because it rubbed a lot, but matted cat fur can also happen from shedding. If your cats’ hair loosens or happens to have hair loss or alopecia, the fallen hair might be caught in the coats and form clumps. Matted hair can be a serious problem. Matted hair can prevent both oxygen and moisture from reaching your cat’s tissue, which leads into a dry and irritated skin, and even can trap urine and feces around the back of the cat’s legs that may cause infection. Yes, matted hair is not only bad for your cat’s look but also its health!
Now we know how badly matted hair for your cat is. If your fluffy friend, unfortunately, has developed mats in its fur, calm down! Here is some guide to help you deal with it and get your cat’s hair back!
How to groom a cat with matted hair
1. Using A Comb
First thing first, do not add water to the matted hair! The water will only get the matted hair worse. Instead, buy detangler spray from your local pet shop that is made specifically for cats to help loosen the matted hair, thus making it easy for you to comb. For the comb itself, you can use a wide-toothed comb or a fair metal comb with space between the teeth that are designed for matted cat’s hair.
To comb the matted hair, hold the base of it with your one hand while you comb the hair with others. This will help you to minimize the hurt from pulling. Start at the end of the mat and go up from there, just like when your comb you tangled hair! Be careful. Do not pulling your cat’s skin! Try to be as gentle as possible. Combing matted hair can be painful for your kitty. So notice your cat’s sounds or movements because it might express anger or discomfort if you are pulling its hair too harsh. If it does, let’s stop for a while and let your kitty take its time about a few hours before starting again.
2. Using Clippers
Sometimes the only way to remove the matted hair is by shaving it away. You can use the electric clippers that made for especially pets from pet store. Start clipping by moving the clippers in the same direction as your cat’s fur lies. Only shave in the matted hair area!
You don’t have to give pressure to the clippers. Just lightly graze the clippers along the coat to remove the matted hair. Be cautious about your clipper’s temperature since it heats up fast and might hurt your cat’s skin.
3. Go to Professionals
Removing matted hair from your cat’s coat might be too hard, especially if it’s been set matted for too long. If you don’t want to risk hurting or stressing your cats, let it be in the hand of professionals such as veterinarians or pet stylist. They will have all the tools that you need, and most important: knowledge and experience. It will less stressful for your cats and also, you!
Let say, you choose to groom your matted cat’s hair to the pro instead of doing it by your own: Don’t forget to ask for advice about your cat’s shampoo, conditioners, or sprays for your cats. Sometimes the longer the fur is the more complicated the treatment since it will be easier to develop clumps and mats. So try to provide the pet’s hair treatment and pet brush at your home to prevent any tangled hair.
But the tool does not work by itself! Another important thing is your habit! Brush or comb your cat’s regularly whether the fur is tangled or not. You can also detect a new or predevelop matted hair by running your fingers through your cat’s coats to find any clumps below the surface. Detect the matted hair as soon as possible so it can have immediate treatment! You can also try to add vitamins for cat’s hair to let it grow faster and healthier. Let your cat has the best hair treatment at home.
If your cat is likely to have hair loss, you can use catnip cleansing soap and white vinegar to prevent the hair loss. You can also start adding salmon-based as your cat’s main food and marshmallow for the treat! Remember that hair loss is one of the reasons why the hair is matted, so try to prevent it as much as you can!
That is all you need to know on how to groom a cat with matted hair. Good luck, fellas! May your cat always be happy with a healthy and beautiful hair!