Biology Reference
In-Depth Information
MATS AND THEIR PROBLEMS
Even fastidious cats have a hard time keeping all their hairs in place, and
mats may form in places that are hard for your cat to reach. Mats are
clumps of loose hair that become tangled into the hair that is still grow-
ing.They continue to attract more hair and grow larger and larger, until
they painfully pull and pinch at your cat's skin.
Regular combing and brushing is the best way to prevent mats. If
you're able to comb your pet even a few minutes a day, it can prevent
a more time-consuming and painful problem later on. Mats will grow
to a more unmanageable size if they are not removed.
It is easy for mats and knots to form on cats with medium to long
coats.To prevent matting, concentrate your combing on the areas more
likely to mat.These areas are the armpits, abdomen, behind the ears, the
tail and under the tail and behind the back legs.
Unfortunately, cats tend to get mats very close to their skin. It is
tempting to grab a pair of scissors and cut them out, but this is not the
right first step.The best way to remove mats is:
1.
Try to comb the mat out with a coarse metal comb by start-
ing at the outer edge of the mat and then working in closer to
the skin.
2.
If you cannot get a comb through the mat, try to work your
fingers through it to separate the hairs.
3.
If the cat is in pain from the pulling or if you are not making
any progress, work a comb between the skin and the mat.
4.
Cut the hair along the comb on the side away from the skin.
This will prevent you from cutting the cat's skin.
5.
Gently comb out the shorter remaining hairs.
It takes weeks to months for hair to grow back. Often the skin
under a mat appears red and inflamed.This is because trapped dirt and
moisture have been irritating the skin. It also occurs if some pulling is
needed during the process of removing the mat.
Your cat is not going to be happy when you start working on mat-
ted areas. Be careful and stop combing if you are at risk of being bitten
or scratched, or if your cat indicated that you are hurting her. Get help
from a friend or a relative, or turn the job over to an experienced
groomer.
