Matted Longhaired Cat, Advice Please

My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or 7
large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are close
to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them? I am
reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case I cut
her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of course!) but I
can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair. I don't mind
buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else that may do
the trick.

Thanks
Sharon

Sharon & Smudgie wrote:
My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or 7
large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are close
to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them? I am
reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case I cut
her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of course!) but I
can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair. I don't mind
buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else that may do
the trick.

Thanks
Sharon



I tried edging a metal cat comb underneath the mat to protect the skin
while I carefully trimmed the matt above the fur, but I'm sure there's a
better way.

--
Cheryl P.

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 11:06:58 -0230, Cheryl P. wrote:

I tried edging a metal cat comb underneath the mat to protect the skin
while I carefully trimmed the matt above the fur, but I'm sure there's a
better way.

It's the best way I've found. Preferably using relatively blunt tipped
(but sharp bladed), short scissors. It helps to have someone to hold the
cat down and immobile, but I never have any help so I tend to get bitten
and scratched a lot.

I hardly ever have to cut mats from the cats that live with me (they get
groomed regularly), but several have come here with bad mats. They tend
to be frightened and insecure because they are in a new environment -
those are the ones that bite.

--
Ted Davis )

Sharon & Smudgie wrote:
My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or 7
large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are close
to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them? I am
reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case I cut
her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of course!) but I
can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair. I don't mind
buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else that may do
the trick.

Thanks
Sharon


I think if I were in your position I would take her to the vet and
explain the situation, They would be able to clip out the mats and
hopefully not charge a lot.

--
Adrian (Owned by Bagheera & Shadow)
Cats leave pawprints on your heart
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

Would your neighbor spring for the cost of taking the cat to the groomer?
Might be embarrassed and do something if he was asked. Otherwise if the cat
won't let you work them out a bit at a time, the comb between the skin and
cutting sounds good. You may want another pair of hands to help with this.
"Sharon & Smudgie" wrote in message
...
My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or
7 large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are
close to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them?
I am reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case
I cut her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of
course!) but I can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair.
I don't mind buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else
that may do the trick.

Thanks
Sharon

On Tue, 10 Aug 2010 14:34:59 +0100, "Sharon & Smudgie"
wrote:

My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or 7
large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are close
to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them? I am
reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case I cut
her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of course!) but I
can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair. I don't mind
buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else that may do
the trick.

Thanks
Sharon


Help, and a pair of scissors and a thin comb are your best bet, as
others have said. Can your DH help you out? Perhaps with a pair of
sturdy gloves, and a heavy shirt/jacket?

What this unfortunate cat REALLY needs is a new home, with her meowmy


Obviously, that man is not taking care of the cat.

I'm certain the woman would not have left her beloved cat Katy behind,
if there was any alternative at all.

Likely, she had to move someplace where she cannot have her cat.

At this point, she needs her cat far more than just about anything else;
but I'm sure getting away from her husband was the most important thing.

Thank you for looking after, and helping out, this very unfortunate cat.

I hope her meowmy can come and get her very soon.

~~~~~~~~~~~~ ^..^

"Life without cats would be only marginally worth living."
-TC, and the unmercifully, relentlessly, sweet calico kitty, Kenzie.

Every day is a treasure with Kenzie; I try to treat them that way. There
will only be so many, and then there will never, ever, be any more.

How you behave towards cats here below determines your status in Heaven.
- Robert Heinlein



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easiest way is to see if you can work a comb under the matt, then be it
sizzors or seam ripper or another comb uyou are protecting skin with the
first comb, Lee
"Sharon & Smudgie" wrote in message
...
My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or
7 large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are
close to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them?
I am reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case
I cut her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of
course!) but I can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair.
I don't mind buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else
that may do the trick.

Thanks
Sharon

Gandalf wrote:

What this unfortunate cat REALLY needs is a new home, with her meowmy

Obviously, that man is not taking care of the cat.

I'm certain the woman would not have left her beloved cat Katy behind,
if there was any alternative at all.

Likely, she had to move someplace where she cannot have her cat.

At this point, she needs her cat far more than just about anything else;
but I'm sure getting away from her husband was the most important thing.

I wouldn't assume that. You might be right, but we don't know the
situation. I read Sharon's post and felt annoyed at the woman for
leaving her cat behind. Of course she might not have had much choice,
but maybe she did and just didn't care. Either way, the cat is now
suffering from lack of care and attention. You're doing a great thing,
Sharon, by helping her out!

Joyce

--
A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead.
-- Leo Rosten

Sharon & Smudgie wrote:

My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6 or 7
large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they are close
to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of them? I am
reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin in case I cut
her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates of course!) but I
can't see it being much of a help on such matted long hair. I don't mind
buying a comb if someone could recommend one or anything else that may do
the trick.

I don't know if Katy would let you do this, but I used to work on Smudge's
mats when she was just hanging around with me. What I did was gently pull
the mats apart. It's important to be slow and gentle doing this or it will
be painful, and also the mat doesn't come apart as easily. Once it is pulled
apart it's easy to clip off stubborn clumps, but often I didn't even have
to do that. I would also do this in reverse - clip first, and then gently
tease apart the remainder of the clump that's right next to her skin. That
way I didn't have to worry about cutting too close to the skin.

Joyce

--
A conservative is one who admires radicals centuries after they're dead.
-- Leo Rosten

Believe me, Lee has been there done that.
"Stormmee" wrote in message
...
easiest way is to see if you can work a comb under the matt, then be it
sizzors or seam ripper or another comb uyou are protecting skin with the
first comb, Lee
"Sharon & Smudgie" wrote in message
...
My neighbour's wife left him a few weeks ago and left her longhaired cat,
Katy, behind. Katy has been hanging around outside my house for the past
few days so I have been making a fuss of her and have noticed she has 6
or 7 large matted knots in her fur. They must be uncomfortable as they
are close to her skin. Can anyone please recommend a way to get rid of
them? I am reluctant to take scissors to them being so close to the skin
in case I cut her! I have a rubber zoom groom thing (that Smudgie hates
of course!) but I can't see it being much of a help on such matted long
hair. I don't mind buying a comb if someone could recommend one or
anything else that may do the trick.

Thanks
Sharon