Short Haired Cat Fur Matting

Seriously matted cats require veterinary attention.

Short haired cat fur matting.

Removing matted hair from your cat 1. Long haired old or sickly cats usually require a little assistance from their owners with the process. How to unmat cat fur. If mat has just started to form the best thing to do is to simply brush it out.

The reason mats develop is that cats naturally shed their dead outer fur to make room for newer hair to grow. Mats are clumps of hair that form when loose hair gets tangled onto the rest of your cat s fur. If your cat doesn t like brushing have him get used to it through touching him at first. Austinkirk via flickr 2 start from the base.

In short a simple mat can mess up your cat s whole system. Use the proper tools when brushing your cat s hair using a rubber brush for short haired cats and a long tooth metal wired brush for cats with longer hair. Although matted cat fur is commonly found in long hair cat breeds short haired cats can also develop mats in their coats. The help of a pet parent is often required to remove tangled bunched up hair.

This can lead to dry scaly and sometimes irritated skin. Matted fur occurs more frequently in long haired cats but this doesn t mean it won t happen to short haired cats. You can also gently pick individual mat parts out of your cat s skin. Matted cat fur on the other hand damages tissue by preventing oxygen and moisture from reaching it.

When your cat notices this change they start to groom more which could increase the amount of hair they ingest and cause other health problems. With short haired cats a small slicker brush may be used next to slowly and gently brush through any remaining tangles. Although most short haired or younger cats should be able to keep themselves mat free without issue. Long haired cats are more prone to mats than short haired cats.

Remember to groom the undercoat and hard to reach spots as well. Keep in mind that shedding dead hair is normal and it s a process that cannot be avoided. Hold under the mat s surface so that you won t be pulling their skin. Matting occurs more in spring and autumn when cats are molting.

Start from the base of the mat using a straight comb. Over time small mats can turn into large clumps and dreadlocks causing your cat pain and suffering for no reason.