(mark) wrote in message . com...
I have a short hair indoor cat. He's about 6yrs old. On his back there
is about 4 or 5 little clumps about the size of my thumb. It's matted
and tangled. I tried to use a brush and comb but ts just too tangeled.
Im thinking about trying to wash/shampoo it out. Last but not least I
guess I can cut it out. Any ther suggestions? And does anyone have
info on how matting happens? I dont understand. One day his fur looks
great and next day I find clumps of matted hair. Maybe I need to brush
him regulary.


I have a short haired cat who gets matted around her lower back and
haunches. It is just the underfur that gets matted and it's generally
too close the skin for me to want to try to cut. And she gets
downright mean and cranky when they get too bad. She hates to be
brushed (my other two love it), although I still try to do it at least
semi-regularly.

I knew the mats were uncomfortable for her - hot, itchy, irritated
skin underneath - so finally took her in to my vet to have the mats
shaved off. To my suprise, they told me they could brush out the mats
if I would agree to have her lightly sedated. I just wanted my girl
to be happy again, so I agreed. She was MUCH happier and MUCH more
like her playful, loving self after I had that done.

I've had to do it a few times now, but worth the expense to me. I
thought she might be too fat to reach her backside (how embarrassing!)
but my vet says she just starts with one tangle and it grows and
starts other tangles and finally she just gets overwhelmed and stops
grooming there.

I did check with our local PetsMart and with a local groomer about
having the mats shaved. They both agreed to set an appointment time
and let me just wait there while she was shaved, no having to leave
her there. I asked about buying a shaver and trying it myself, but
EVERYONE told me that it's hard to shave a cat if you've had no
experience, as the skin is very thin and the mats tend to form close
to the skin. So, I never did try either at-home or professional
shaving, but it might be an option for some people.