Advice for cat with hair mat problem

Our question this week was:

Isabeau, my cat, had a very small mat. I took her to a groomer but the woman was combing her hair backwards. I next took her to the vet who said not to worry about it. Now her entire back is matted and I’ve no idea where to turn. Please help her.

Thank you,

Susan Self

Answer

Hi – thanks for your email. Sorry to hear about your cats mats. Is your cat feeling okay? Eating okay, drinking okay, not loosing weight and active? Still grooming? The first thing I worry about when they say their cat has a mat problem is if the cat feels okay. One of the first signs of some cats not feeling well is not grooming which can lead to subsequent mats.

It sounds like now you have quite a problem.

You can try working to get the mats out but you may want to just take her to your vet or groomer and see if they can shave them off. I think (personally) that this is way less frustrating and then you are done and have a clean slate to work with. Once the mats are gone, you can try to groom your cat on a regular basis and prevent future mats.

Best of luck!

Dr. Debra