Mats in My Cat's Fur

Your cat’s fur is comprised of two types of coat, the undercoat and top coat. When cats shed their fur, usually the undercoat sheds first, but it does not drop like the coat of a dog. Instead, the loose hair from the undercoat remains underneath the top coat. This causes the problem of mats and tangles. Ideally your cat should be groomed on a daily basis, using a comb or slicker to strip out the undercoat that causes the problem.

If your kitty's coat does get extremely matted, this will cause the cat discomfort and often the only remedy is to resort to using scissors. For safety, use scissors with curved blades and ensure that the points are facing away from the cat. Be extremely careful so that you do not cut into your cat's skin, which is very flexible.

Scissors will be required to cut out severe mats, but we carry a product called Matbreaker that we’ve been selling for years, and it’s a proven effective tool for keeping a coat mat-free! Matbreaker can remove smaller mats safely (the blades are curved and the sharp edge cuts only the fur and not the skin), and the Matbreaker is especially useful for thinning a pet’s coat – gently “brush” your cat with the Matbreaker and the blades will take out some of the underlying coat without affecting the overall length of your cat’s coat.

If your pet is matted down to the skin, see your groomer or veterinarian about having the coat shaved. Here’s where you can save a lot of money if you can take the time to groom your cat’s coat daily to avoid nasty matting: a veterinarian will shave your cat for about $35 to $55, but sedation is required MOST of the time when shaving is done, so tack on another $40 to $70 for that component of the job! Naturally, the price of veterinary services will vary across the country. Your vet may charge more or less for shaving a cat. After the shave (or “all-over clip” as it’s sometimes called), keep up a routine of regular grooming as the new fur grows in.

Handy grooming tools:
• Slicker Brushes are an ideal first step in a grooming routine because they help to remove loose hair and small mats.
• Shedding Blades remove excess hair from heavy shedders, to keep it from ending up on clothing and furniture.
• Rakes and Combs are designed to help detangle long hair.
• Dematting Tools (like our own Matbreaker) are recommended for use on stubborn mats and tangles. Such tools help to thin out the coat without affecting coat length.
• Rubber Brushes remove loose hair and they provide the bonus of a healthy skin massage to encourage the production of the skin’s natural oils and adds extra body and shine to the coat. Rubber Brushes are also great for use during bathing.
• Nylon or Natural Bristle Brushes remove dead surface hair and dander, and they help distribute natural skin oil to give a finished look.

We don't carry all the types of tools listed here, but you can check out what we do have in our Grooming category. The combs and brushes that we do sell are really good quality; we found them to be very effective, and we use them on our own kitties.