Treating Matted Cat Fur

Matted fur occurs when lots of loose hair knots together and forms solid masses of fur along their coat. Over time, this fur can get more tangled with more fur knotting into it, debris can get stuck in it and it gradually tightens against the skin. The most common causes of matting are:

The age and weight of a cat can cause matting as they’re not nimble enough to groom themselves thoroughly, so will need regular help with keeping their coats neat and tidy. An older cat’s coat condition will tend to deteriorate with age too which makes it less glossy and more prone to becoming matted.

A cat’s fur will start to go lumpy in the very early stages of matted fur. At this point, grooming will remove it without too much hard labour however if left, it gets gradually worse.

Natural oils in the coat and on the skin can sometimes cause the fur to clump together and this is what cats are always grooming themselves to avoid. If they stop grooming or miss any areas, oils build up in the coat and cause it to clump.

When fur clumps together it will gradually tangle and capture more and more hair as the undercoat sheds from the skin but has nowhere to go. The longer this is left, the tighter the mats become and the harder they are to remove. If you notice any lumpy fur, it means your cat may need some help with their grooming to maintain a healthy and glossy coat.

Matted fur acts like an insulating blanket – restricting airflow across the skin pulling the hair follicles increasingly tighter. When the fur is matted together, all the oils that are produced on the skin stay there which collects and can cause irritation, sore skin, and even lead to infections. Tangled fur is extremely irritating for cats due to the tightening discomfort.

During warmer months, matted fur is especially dangerous as it stops your beloved pet from cooling down in the heat. All that extra fur getting trapped and not being removed is an added weight and more layers than your moggy needs.

Removing matted fur is essential to keeping your cat comfortable and it may be tempting to grab the scissors, but as it can be so close to the skin, it’s often too risky to just cut it out. It’s far better to arm yourself with the right grooming tools and gradually work it out of their coat.

It may look like quite a scary brush but the Groom Cat Anti-Tangle Rake is great for slicing through matted fur and splitting it to make for easier removal. Once you break through the bulk of the mat, it’s easier to brush away the smaller tufts of fur to remove the dead hair that’s tangled in there. The Groom Professionals Dual Slicker Brush is great for removing all the trapped fur from the coat. If you’re worried about removing their matted cat fur at home, book a visit with your local groomer.  

It can be slow work to get through mats, especially if they are dense but starting with the Knot Buster at the edges to pull through the less tangled fur can help work your way gradually through it without pulling too much on their skin.

Owners have been turning to olive oil to help remove mats. It’s advised to oil the base of the mat as close to the skin as you can possibly get. The oil helps to remove the dead hair’s grip and after a few days, any fur not attached to a root which can be a considerable amount of the mat will slide off and you will find it sitting on the ground, just like that.

It can take a few days to work and it’s important that your cat doesn’t ingest too much oil as it can cause stomach issues but, in a pinch, this has helped a lot of owners whose cats don’t allow for much grooming.

The best and only way to prevent matted fur is through regular grooming. If your cat experiences matting once, then it’s likely to happen in those same areas again so giving them regular grooming sessions can really help to keep those perky knots at bay. Many owners with long coated breeds who suffer from matting choose to get their feline friend professionally groomed or even shaved to help keep them comfortable in the warmer months.

For everything you need to keep your moggy mat free and all your other cat essentials, take a look at what we offer in-store and online.