Mitzi matts "there" too - she has VERY thick, long fluffy fur (heavy fur? ). Like Jen said, short brushing sessions - a little at a time, do work -- at least Mitzi will tolerate that and give her a treat afterwards for being a good kitty. I use a wire brush on her as her fur is so very thick and dense; not sure if those grooming gloves have long enough bristles for this kind of fur. I also found that gentle combing with a flea comb in that area seems to be tolerated a little bit better. As for the dandruff, my vet suggested a little bit of flax oil in her food. It seems to have worked -- her fur is slowly getting shinier, the dandruff is gone and she has fewer matts. HTH