long hair cat's fur matting

[redrhodie]

Help! Eddy's fur is matting. I brush him everyday, and comb a couple of times per week. Still, I can't keep on top of it.

Anyone have a great solution, prevention or cure? Special brush you love? I think he's mostly Maine Coon, with super soft fur, like an angora rabbit.

[newfsmith]

Fine toothed combs, like flea combs work the best on cats. You do have to be careful because cat skin is so thin it is easy to tear it while combing if you hit a knot unexpectedly. This time of year you may need to comb daily, or consider having a groomer shave out any matts that get ahead of you. Maine Coons tend to be big cats, so they may have trouble reaching around to groom the center of their back. If that is the case, concentrate your combing there and ask your DVM if he is getting overweight.

[BleeckerSt_Girl]

I have a pure Maine Coon and her undercoat is like gossamer swan's down. She cannot stand a fine tooth comb or the usual metal cat brush, since it pulls too much at the downy layer, pulling fur out and really bothering her.
She likes fat toothed combs and also a human brush with wide-apart plastic bristles that all have comfy rubber ball tips on each bristle. I'm mainly sort of raking the fur gently instead of brushing it. The soft 'raking' she likes- it's like a massage, and it keeps the fur nicely combed in one direction so it does not get matted.
Here is the type of brush she likes:

Look for one that is softer, not stiff-bristled.

Here is our 'princess', Pearl:

[Biciclista]

I never did find an answer after having two different long haired cats. As they got older, their hair matted worse and they hated me.
A friend of mine just has her cat's hair clipped twice a year. no muss, no fuss.

[Tuckervill]

My furry cat has some mats in places he's never got them before. I'm puzzled. He usually gets them in his lion's mane, and I can usually cut them out while he's lying about. His mane is a little off kilter, then. But this time they're on his haunches. I didn't notice them for a long time, so they are very close to the skin. That always scares me, because I have cut him a couple of times trying to get mats off.

I don't brush him much, but when I do he LOVES it. His hair makes my nose itch so I try to avoid it. He is about 7 now, so maybe it is that he's getting older and that's why he has more mats?

Karen

[Biciclista]

yes, as he gets older it gets worse. If you dont' want to brush him, take him to a groomer. It can/will get really bad.
Even my short haired cats need some brushing this time of year! i brush pounds of hair off their little bodies.