himalayan with matted fur twisting skin and causing bald spots

by angela
(north carolina)

hi i have a 9 year old himalayan i took in last summer, and have brushed him every day to keep him clump free. as the weather has warmed he has started shedding more and it has been impossible to keep all the mats out of his fur. he now has a huge mat under his front arm, very close to the skin and twisting the skin it is so heavy, and a large bald spot around the area. he won't let me touch it so i know it hurts him and i do not know how to get the mat free and make him more comfortable. please help.

Answer by Kate
Hi, oh poor kitty it must hurt so much. the only way to get rid of it is to cut it out using specail grooming tools and shears, if it is very painful they may also need a sedative or painkiller. the only people who can do this easily and as painlessly as possible are vets and professional groomers. It will be just to difficult for you to do and your cat probably won't let you get near it anyway. You could aslo ask the groomers/vet how best to grrom your cat yourself so that the mats don't return, there are special ways to brush a cats fur using special brushes to comb long cat fur.

best wishes
kate

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