Grooming Matted Cat Fur

Grooming King Arthur led to a sibling squabble and vomiting session

“You’re not thinking like a cat!” my wife says. I had tried holding my sweet, pudgy feline with my left hand, while I combed the matted fur out of his flank with precision strokes. But King Arthur protested at each attempt. It was grooming week at my house, with both dogs getting a good bath and brushing and each cat getting a nail trim and comb out. Everyone was looking smooth and beautiful except for Arthur and his scruffy couple of mats. My wife had followed him around all week working on him a little at a time, but I felt it was time to get the job done.

I was making progress, but Arthur began protesting the tangles and I had to tighten my grip to more of a scruff. I really didn’t feel I was hurting him, but he lamented as if I tortured him. The other animals began to gather, wondering what the heck the human was doing to their poor friend on the kitchen floor. I continued working despite the ensuing ruckus, with Arthur screaming and hissing and cats and dogs circling.

Before too long, my calico Patch snapped. She came at Arthur and me wailing and swatting. Poor Arthur, being held down at the time, got the worst of it. I shouted at Patch, sending her running. Arthur twisted free and fled in another direction, galloping from the kitchen, up the stairs, where he proceeded to vomit up his super. I remained in the kitchen with the comb hanging from one hand and a collection of bewildered creatures looking up at me.

Between my wife and I, we’d managed to get the rest of the family groomed to some semblance of tidiness. The dogs, especially. My wife had given them a nice warm-water, outdoor bath with the new kitchen faucet adapter I’d picked up from the hardware store. She then spent the next several days brushing out what seemed like pound after pound of fur, making our boys look and feel like a million bucks. But King Arthur, with his development of mats and sensitivity, remained looking more like a buck and change. This certainly wouldn’t do.

I told my wife that I’ll often take a minute or two and comb out a few mats from cats in for their annual checkups. Except for the saucy ones, most cats don’t seem to mind. I can usually read cats quite well, although I’ve been known to let a feral cat or two get out of control in the exam room. I know when to bow down my face and head for that affectionate head bump greeting, and I know when to get out the gloves. But I guess I didn’t read my own Arthur very well. No, I held him down while his sister put a pounding on him on the kitchen floor, making him run away and puke.

How Does Cat Hair Become Matted Fur?

- Guard hairs , also known as primary hairs, are the longer stiffer hairs that usually determine the basic color of your cat.

- Undercoat , also known as secondary hairs, are the fluffier softer hair that keeps the cat warm. It's also known as down. This is the layer that is shed the most and will most easily mat. This is the layer of hair that is the source of cat hairballs because they ingest this as they groom themselves.

- Awn are the finer hairs that usually form the basic coat of the cat.

- And then, of course, there are the whiskers. Differences in Cat Hair The ratio of primary to secondary hairs differs according to the age and breed of a cat. Newborn kittens do not have primary hairs. That's why they feel so soft and have such short haircoats.

However, by the time kittens are six months of age , they usually have a good amount of primary hairs. You will then find that their coats are longer and more coarse.

There are many variations amongst different breeds regarding texture, color and exact length of the cat hair coat. All of these differences in cat hair are largely the result of the ratio between primary to secondary hairs and the texture of the individual hairs. Cat Fur Problems: Cats Shedding

There is no such thing as a cat that doesn't shed. All hair dies and is then shed and replaced by new hair. The extent and speed at which cats shedding occurs is determined by factors such as nutrition, allergies, sex of the cat, breed, hormones, the temperature outside, the amount of sunlight your cat gets, age, etc.

From breed to breed and even within a particular breed, each individual cat will shed and grow new hair at different rates .

Indoor cats tend to shed continuously due to the artificial environment which has heat and light all the time.

Outdoor cats , especially those that live outdoors all the time, tend to shed just during major seasonal changes, usually spring and fall and for just a few weeks at that time. These cats usually have more secondary hairs or undercoat in the fall for warmth. In the spring, they start losing the undercoat and replacing it with more of the primary hairs.

Therefore, during different seasons, the ratio of primary and secondary hair changes.

The new natural cat, a complete guide for finicky owners

The Cat Bible, Everything Your Cat Expects You to Know

The complete book of questions & answers cat owners ask their vet

The Natural Cat, The Comprehensive Guide to Optimum Care

Guide to a Healthy Cat