How to cut or cut out mats on a cat yourself

Fluffy long-haired cats are very attractive. They are beautiful, graceful, elegant, have an independent and affectionate disposition. But when you get a long-haired cat, keep in mind that you will also get its problems. It's up to you to take care of the luxurious fur coat of this fluffy beauty. Taking care of your cat's fur includes regular brushing, infrequent washing, and removing any tangles that have formed.

Why does a cat have mats?

When breeding long-haired breeds, the emphasis was placed on the properties of the coat. Cats with particularly thick and long fur were selected for breeding. Animals are sometimes unable to take care of such “fur coats” using only their paws and tongue. Therefore, there are often cases when, due to lack of care for long-haired felines, the hair becomes matted and forms tangles. Cutting out the formed lumps is not a problem, but it is better not to bring the animal to such a state.

What usually causes mats in cats:

poor quality nutrition with a lack of vitamins and minerals;
the presence of dandruff, which thickens the tangles and makes it impossible to comb the hair;
using inappropriate cleaning products when bathing, such as using shampoos intended for humans;
improper soaping during bathing and drying after it;
fur contamination that the cat cannot cope with on its own (grease, chemicals, etc.);
diseases: the fur first reacts to the animal’s poor health;
parasitosis.

The hairline is renewed cyclically. Some hair falls out every day, and new ones grow in their place. If the fallen hairs are not removed in time, a hairball will form, that is, a tangle. It can form anywhere, but most often it appears behind the ears, on the tail, on the neck, in the groin or armpits. Even short-haired cats are susceptible to matting, although this does not happen often. Usually this situation is preceded by poor health or severe soiling of the coat.

How to avoid tangles

The sudden appearance of tangles even with proper care may indicate illness. Oiliness and dullness of the coat can also serve as a signal.

Long-haired cats require timely care. Neglecting health will result in the cat being covered in tangles. The most common places for their appearance are folds - behind the ears, under the paws, in intimate places, in neglected situations - on the sides and back.

Cats require proper and balanced nutrition. When feeding dry food, it is worth remembering to add special vitamins to the diet.

Those who want to have a furry pet should know that a cat's long hair needs to be looked after. He needs to be bathed at least 2 times a month, carefully, without tangling the fur. After bathing, after getting wet with a towel, you need to carefully dry it. After this, the pet must be combed.

The appearance of mats is the fault of the owner. There are breeds that cannot take care of their hygiene and cannot do without an owner. Also, do not forget about balanced feeding.

Why tangles are dangerous and why remove them

The tangles prevent the animal from moving. During active actions, the cat may get caught on something and get injured. Subsequently, she may treat the furball as a sore spot, which will make it difficult for the owner to cut it off.

Of course, matted fur does not pose a threat to the life of the fluffy beauty, but mats, nevertheless, must be gotten rid of, since they can provoke additional problems:

first of all, it is the ugly appearance of the animal;
formed from lost hair, the hairball also captures the growing hair, tearing it out, and this is unpleasant and painful;
cats, as a rule, want to get rid of matted hair themselves and begin to lick and bite it, sometimes this leads to serious skin irritations;
a large amount of matted hair impedes the movement of air, the animal begins to sweat, and this is fraught with the appearance of various dermatitis;
A favorable environment for ectoparasites is formed inside the felt ball.

If your cat has a mat that is too dense, removing it will be unpleasant and even painful. Trimming is not advisable, since the hair of long-haired cats takes a long time to grow: up to six months.

What are called tangles?

Mats are voluminous clumps of matted wool. They are usually dense and resemble felt. It is almost impossible to untangle them painlessly, so the fur has to be cut.

Matted fur looks unsightly and disturbs the animal itself. It can get confused in different places: on the stomach, on the neck, on the paws. The cat often feels itchy, it is unpleasant for her, she gets irritated and tries to comb out the mat with her paws, which is why it becomes even larger.

Clods of matted hair can form in both long-haired and short-haired cats. But the latter have much less of them.

How to properly remove mats from a cat

You shouldn’t put off removing your cat’s mats until later, otherwise you’ll have to put in a lot of effort and make the animal pretty nervous, and in a neglected situation, you’ll have to cut out the flaws. Cats do not like to be kept in one place for a long time, much less manipulated in any way, so you need to ask your household members to help you. One cat may require two to four helpers - and this is no joke.

You can remove mats from a cat either with your hands or with the help of various devices. Before starting the process, be sure to use a spray that makes combing easier.

Untangle with your hands

The most preferred method is to untangle the tangles with your hands. This takes more time, but the animal is not hurt, and metal objects in your hands do not cause fear and horror in him, as is the case with using tools.

First, knead the area where the wool is matted well, then with both hands try to disassemble the tangle, as if stretching it from the center to the edges. This must be done carefully, monitoring the animal’s reaction. If you cannot untangle the wool with your fingers, you will have to use special assistant devices.

Remove with scissors and comb

As with all hairball removal methods, you first need to make sure that the animal is in good spirits and that you will have the opportunity to handle it. You should comb out your cat's mats as soon as possible: lay your pet down so that the area with matted fur is clearly visible.

Hold the skin with one hand so as not to pull it with a comb, with the other hand comb the tangle well several times so that one large one breaks up into several small ones. After this it will be easy to deal with the problem. If all else fails, try making vertical cuts and then carefully combing through the lump, starting from the edge. This method will allow you to preserve the coat at least partially.

Comb out with a tangle cutter

You can buy a special device called a tangle cutter at a pet store. It looks like a comb with blunt teeth. Between the latter there is a blade that helps trim matted hair.

The mechanism for using a tangle cutter is similar to the mechanism for using a simple comb. You need to fix the animal on a hard surface, holding it under the belly with your hand, and carefully comb the problem area with a tangle cutter until the lump disappears. The direction of movement should be in accordance with the growth of the coat, in no case is it against it. Otherwise you will hurt the animal.

Cut your hair

The last resort is to cut out the mats. In particularly advanced cases, the cat will have to be completely trimmed. If you are skilled in hairdressing, you can do it yourself. If you are not sure that you can handle it, or do not know how to get rid of cat tangles using a machine, it is better to contact a professional groomer.

Typically, experts leave hair in the area of the muzzle, paws and tail, since it is extremely undesirable to get rid of it in these places due to the location of the whiskers. You can make a model haircut so that the shaved areas look like an original idea.

How to remove tangles

The procedure for removing tangles can be done as follows:

if the cat is aggressive, ask someone to carefully restrain it or wrap it with a towel;
Take sharp scissors and very carefully cut the tangle lengthwise. The tangles often adhere very tightly to the skin; watch this carefully so as not to injure the animal;
disassemble the lump with your fingers, comb out the remaining hairs with a special brush.

You can also use a special furminator for removal - a comb with a cutting edge, which can significantly simplify the procedure for removing tangles. If the fur is matted over a large area, or there are a lot of such areas, it is better to completely shave the pet, with the exception of the paws and head area. This is a much less painful procedure.

If you are afraid to carry out this procedure yourself, contact a veterinary clinic.

Video of removing a mat from a cat using a furminator.

Why is a haircut completely or partially undesirable?

Nowadays cat haircuts are gaining popularity. Paying tribute to fashion, owners forget that this is not at all useful for their pet, and sometimes even dangerous. Veterinarians unanimously say that cats can be cut only in case of urgent need: for various skin diseases, in the presence of serious mats in cats, and also in preparation for surgery.

The structure of the coat changes after grooming: the newly grown one becomes thinner, matted areas quickly form ꟷ in this case, the solution again will be to trim the cats’ mats. In some areas the fur does not grow back or takes too long to grow. As a result, the animal’s skin also suffers - it becomes less elastic and elastic, and body temperature decreases. All this can lead to serious illnesses.

Animals have an extremely negative attitude towards the grooming process itself and its result. There are cases of cats trying to injure themselves after being groomed.

Grooming also disrupts thermoregulation - some cats even in the hot summer begin to freeze after a grooming. What can we say about the cold winter? A short-haired cat simply will not move away from the battery.

There is a less serious, but quite important reason for owners of purebred cats, why they should refuse haircuts. The fact is that the appearance of the animal undergoes changes, the fur changes and may begin to curl. Such a cat will no longer be appreciated at an exhibition. Before you cut your pet's hair completely or partially, think about whether your pet needs a change of appearance - or if it's just your whim.

Self-removal

You can eliminate cat tangles yourself at home if the situation is not advanced. An inexperienced owner is advised not to deal with tangles, but to entrust the procedure to a professional. A frightened cat often breaks out, but may not be able to do so.

The procedure must be performed with extreme care. Lumps that have formed close to the skin, even when slightly pulled away, cause intense pain.

You can trim the tangles with nail scissors or a hair clipper. Small and loose hairballs can be easily untangled using a comb and special veterinary products to make combing easier. A dense ball of wool will have to be broken up with a tangle cutter.

How to use a cat hair cutter

A modern and popular device for breaking hairballs in long-haired pets is called a mat cutter.

Externally, the tangle cutter resembles a comb, but is equipped not with teeth, but with thin steel blades (4-12 pieces). The tool is completely safe for animals. When choosing a product, it is necessary to take into account the breed characteristics of the coat: the longer the hair, the longer the blade should be.

The quality of a mat cutter for cats is determined by the following parameters:

the number of blades (for breeds prone to forming lumps, you should choose a hair cutter with the maximum number of sharp teeth);
the length of the blades (in advanced cases, when large trichomes appear, you will have to purchase a product with long teeth);
material (a high-quality webbing cutter is equipped with blades made of high-strength steel);
comfort of the handle (the shape should be optimal for gripping and holding, the surface should be rubber to prevent slipping).

For a cat with large trichomes, a vertical mat cutter is suitable. To combat regularly appearing small lumps, a horizontal product resembling a vegetable peeler is convenient. In a horizontal device, the rounded blades are directed parallel to the handle; they are safe to use, since they are sharp on one edge and blunt on the opposite.

It is difficult to remove trichomes that have formed in hard-to-reach areas: near the ears, in the groin and axillary area, on the paws with a horizontal and vertical wedge cutter. A teardrop-shaped product is required, characterized by its small size and rounded shape, equipped with a single blade.

It is important to use the purchased tangle cutter correctly without causing harm to the cat. Basic rules for using the product:

Before the procedure, calm the cat, treat it with a treat, and caress it.
To be on the safe side, ask a household member to hold your pet while removing lumps.
Comb out clumps in the direction of hair growth.
Do not press the blades on the skin, try not to cause injury.
To make it easier to comb out dense lumps that have formed, use a softening spray available at a veterinary store.

A chain cutter is a tool used as a last resort. It is unacceptable to use the product regularly: it can seriously damage your cat’s coat. Therefore, it is advisable to prevent the appearance of tangles.

Combing tangles

You should not rush to grab the mat cutter; you should try to comb out the mat. If the lump is small and loose, it is not difficult to rid your pet’s fur of excess weight. For the procedure, it is necessary to use not a human, but a special comb for animals.

Wait for the cat to be in a calm and peaceful mood.
Place the animal on the pad, being careful not to scare it. The mat must be visible.
Pet the cat and talk kindly.
Place your palm on the tangle, and with your fingers firmly grasp the tangled strand at the base so that the animal does not experience pain during the procedure.
Using smooth, leisurely, short movements, move the comb over the tangle, gradually breaking it into several parts.
Comb each part in the same way.
Finish with a standard combing.

To easily remove large mats from a cat, you can use veterinary hair softeners - powder or spray.

Cutting out tangles

Trimming is the easiest way to get rid of large mats from a cat. But you should not rush to cut off the tangles, especially if the cat is a show cat. There is a high probability that the hair will change after shearing; the grown hairs will have a different shade or structure. Therefore, before cutting, you should try to comb out the tangles.

A cat's mats should not be cut off completely, but cut lengthwise with nail scissors. You should act carefully, trying not to injure your pet's skin. A lump divided in half is easier to comb out. It is unacceptable to cut it out completely: there will be a bald spot.

Causes of tangles

Dermatological disorders. The reasons for their occurrence may lie in poor nutrition, hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands, dehydration of the skin and hair.
Diseases. In a depressed state of the disease, pets are less willing to care for their fur. If the cat looks healthy and active outwardly, but grooms itself less often than usual, you can suspect diseases of the oral cavity that make this process painful.
Serious fur contamination that the cat cannot remove on its own: blood, oily liquids, feces.
Violation of the rules for washing a cat: using shampoos for people, movements when soaping and drying, leading to tangling of the fur.
Intensive shedding.

It is obvious why long-haired cats develop mats more often - when breeding such breeds, the emphasis was on thick hair, which became more difficult for them to care for on their own with each new generation. As a result, Persian, Siberian, Neva Masquerade and other cats cannot take care of cleaning their fur - this task falls on humans. Owners of short-haired breeds also cannot relax and forget about tangles - for example, in a British cat, their formation is quite possible, since its fur, although short, is dense and filled with thick undercoat.

The condition of any cat’s fur must be monitored with special care; it is an excellent indicator of the animal’s well-being. The appearance of mats cannot be ignored. They do not pose a danger to the life of the animal, but the consequences of advanced cases can be very unpleasant.

Prevention of tangle formation

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Preventing wool from matting and keeping it beautiful and shiny is not that difficult. You just need to more closely monitor the cat’s health and nutrition, learn the rules of care and bathing, and regularly visit the veterinarian. Prevention of tangle formation consists of several points that must be followed.

Combing

Long-haired and semi-long-haired cats need to be brushed every day, or at least once every two days. This will help remove dead hairs, smooth and ventilate the undercoat. In addition, combing with a comb or brush has a positive effect on the blood supply to the skin and regulates the secretion of sebum.

Daily brushing prevents mats from appearing

You should comb out slowly and carefully. You should not make a lot of effort so as not to damage the skin or accidentally tear out a tuft of healthy fur. Particular attention should be paid to the neck, belly, areas under the paws, and tail.

Bathing rules

You also need to bathe your pet regularly. In this case, it is better to use specialized care products that are sold in every pet store or veterinary pharmacy. If you can't buy cat shampoo, you can use dry shampoo. The water should be at the optimal temperature. And for bathing it is better to use the shower.

You should bathe your cat using special pet shampoos.

After bathing, the cat must be dried. To do this, you will need a hairdryer with a gentle setting and a comb. It is important to observe the temperature setting of the hairdryer so as not to dry out the skin. Once a day, brush your cat with a special comb. This is an excellent prevention of hair matting.

Balanced diet

For animals, as for humans, a proper diet is important.

Cat food should be enriched with vitamins and nutrients. If the owner does not know how to create a balanced diet, then a veterinarian will help him with this. As a rule, ready-made cat food, which is sold in pet stores, already contains the entire range of vitamins and minerals. Consulting with a veterinarian will also help you choose a good food.

And don’t neglect the services of a groomer—a hairdresser for cats and dogs. Regular visits to this specialist and a specialized haircut will help prevent the formation of tangles. But the main task in this matter rests with the owner.