Why you don't de-mat your cat with scissors

[columbine]

Now he's sick to his stomach. Doc says discontinue his antibiotics; he's probably had enough and that's probably what's disagreeing with him. It's very weird for my little munchkin to not have the munchies!

Love, Columbine

ETA: Yep, I discontinued it and he ate, at least a little! Little puzzles, they are. It's so satisfying when something works to make a little one feel better.

[jenluckenbach]

I am SO sorry that you had to go through this.

I know that you meant well.

I tell anyone who will listen to me NEVER use scissors on a cat. I have been a pet groomer over 20 years now, and if I don't feel it is safe, it is NOT safe.

Smudge will heal and forgive you. So now you need to forgive yourself.

[columbine]

His "weird haircut" has mostly grown out - and I've finally found a comb that will lift out the tangles before they tighten into mats. It's called an Undercoat Comb, and has alternating long and short teeth. It also dislodges some of his omnipresent dandruff, which I think the tangles were forming around. So as long as I comb him regularly with this one, I should be able to prevent mats from happening in the first place. His fur is just so dense and fuzzy that the slicker brush, shedding blade, and even the human comb wouldn't reach far enough into his coat to find the tangles.

Love, Columbine

[jenluckenbach]

the undercoat comb you speak of is EXACTLY what I use. I use that comb at work and at home, it is truly the best thing I have found.

[columbine]

And now that I've dislodged all of the incipient mats, and the weather's dried out a bit, I can usually get him to stand still long enough for a sufficient combing by holding the slicker brush for him to itch his face on. At first he didn't like the undercoat comb because it had entirely too much work to do!

Love, Columbine

[cassiesmom]

I'm just re-reading this thread from 2010 on mats. Cassie has started to get clumps of fur at the base of her tail. I just combed out another one this morning. She's been surprisingly good about letting me comb her enough to wiggle them loose. I found two great ideas in this thread: 1) try a human comb; and 2) get an undercoat comb. I have a comb with wide and narrow-spaced teeth and she has never minded being combed. I thought I read a tip somewhere on PT about trying a bit of Vaseline to help loosen up a very tight mat, but I could very well be wrong.

Edited to add: Columbine-- Cassie would give "cheek bumpies" to your slicker brush all day long if you'd like to hold it for her !