Topic: Chubby's matted fur (Read 4858 times)

thekittensmittens · « **Reply #21 on:** January 05, 2012, 11:42:07 AM »

So pleased you got it sorted...he reminds me of my uncles cat tigger when we were kids

, he looks so happy in that vid bles him

i managed to cut out mos matts on her legs and tummy, a joint adventure with daughter holding mo in the air over bath and me with a pair of scissors...thankfully mos matts seemed not to go close to the skin but seemed to be growing out ones from when i got her so managed to cut without getting close to skin ...thank god!

funkiechicken · « **Reply #20 on:** December 28, 2011, 23:36:20 PM »

Aww what a lovely video

Glad the matts have gone!!

sheilarose · « **Reply #19 on:** December 27, 2011, 15:43:38 PM »

http://www.flickr.com/photos/16861371@N06/6581845215/in/photostream

Chubby being friendly !!

Purring so much it made him cough, bless.

Sorry about the heavy breathing - camera was balanced under my chin.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #18 on:** December 14, 2011, 15:21:30 PM »

Quote from: sheilarose on December 14, 2011, 10:21:45 AM

He's got a lovely big purr that makes him dribble when I groom him this way. Not sure he's really ever used his purr before because he seems to be quite surprised at himself

How cute is that!

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #17 on:** December 14, 2011, 10:57:55 AM »

Thats wonderful

Dawn F · « **Reply #16 on:** December 14, 2011, 10:29:37 AM »

bless him! he must feel more comfy now

sheilarose · « **Reply #15 on:** December 14, 2011, 10:21:45 AM »

OK, the matts are off. I ended up taking Chubs to the vet last week as he just wouldn't sit still long enough for me to angle the matt splitter correctly. It's a sharp devil and I feared if I got it wrong I'd end up slicing him open.

His newly revealed under-coat feels grimy and greasy, I've managed to comb his backside a couple of times since, and he's still a little sensitive around that area so I think his skin must have been quite sore under the matts.

Even with the matts off, he can't seem to reach round to groom this bit of his back himself, so it's going to be Mummy's job from now on.

Thankfully I managed to catch a hold of him this morning, although he struggled for a minute, he doesn't want to hurt me and I got him to sit nicely on my knee for a good ten minutes being zoom-groomed and massaged.

Hopefully this will become routine for him now. He's got a lovely big purr that makes him dribble when I groom him this way. Not sure he's really ever used his purr before because he seems to be quite surprised at himself

sheilarose · « **Reply #14 on:** November 19, 2011, 16:37:06 PM »

When (if) it ever arrives this will be my first experience with a matt splitter. I guess you just insert the narrow bit under the matt and pull firmly in the direction of growth, splitting the matt ball in half.

It did occur that maybe this tool could be used to slice the matt clean off by lying it flat against the cats' body and slicing through the new hair underneath the matt.

ouch?

Anyone done this ?

AliCat · « **Reply #13 on:** November 19, 2011, 14:10:27 PM »

Quote from: sheilarose on November 19, 2011, 13:08:48 PM

This ended up with me at the front of the house in me nightie calling "Chubby, come and get it!"

Nice frontline technique. Hope all goes well on Monday.

Anka · « **Reply #12 on:** November 19, 2011, 14:04:53 PM »

Quote from: sheilarose on November 19, 2011, 13:08:48 PM

H me at the front of the house in me nightie calling "Chubby, come and get it!"

Any chubby neighbours/postmen/milkmen in the area?

Can we have a photo of this pls?

sheilarose · « **Reply #11 on:** November 19, 2011, 13:08:48 PM »

His appointment is Monday, the matts are getting worse but couldn't get near them with the matt breaker this week (and the matt splitter still hasn't arrived

) but he has allowed me to run my hand over the top of them so I can tell they are bigger than last week.

I can feel flea dirt in his fur, and he's been folding one ear flat when I touch his head, so determined to do the right thing we had a game of "chase me" over his breakfast this morning, as I'd added a capstar to his Sheba. This ended up with me at the front of the house in me nightie calling "Chubby, come and get it!"

Can only imagine what the neighbours made of that one

After all that, Sam ate the dosed food so I was forced to consider the unthinkable - Frontline.

So, an hour later (and properly dressed hmm) we hunkered down in our usual safe position, Chubby on one side of the metal bedstead me on the other, separated by iron bars, I set about tickling his face and neck, feeding him Dreamies and combing his mane out (he loves all this) gradually made a hole in his fur and SQUIT - done it! Chubbys first ever Frontline at home. Four more dreamies and he's forgotten already.

Hopefully this will clean him up in time for his haircut on Monday.

thekittensmittens · « **Reply #10 on:** November 19, 2011, 11:52:44 AM »

I do find talc great also on greasy areas, the problem with matts is they tend to grow overnight and spread like fungi

it may be best to get him done under sedation if hes not used to the handling or a decent groomers.
I have the same problem with Mo (on general cat thread) , shes got mats underneath but at the moment i dont think she would be able to endure being sedated so im just trying to keep on top of the rest of her fur intill shes strong enough to get it done, hopefully as we build up trust together she will let me closer (hers are under her belly area..an area most cats dont like messing with

).
its marvelous though that your baby has come this far...you have done well

sheilarose · « **Reply #9 on:** November 12, 2011, 17:58:50 PM »

Agreed. The matt breakers are good for compliant cats (with many treats) and work well on Pursley and Tuffs, each of whom have very different problem coats. Tuffs has a long silky coat that is so whisper fine it's almost like angora. Pursley has two or three layers of thick fur which bunch up underneath the top coat, the matt breaker is perfect on both types, and to be honest has done a brilliant job on Chubby so far, but I think he's already too tender to withstand even the slight pull from the breaker.

I've ordered a Mikki matt splitter - a single blade in a housing that should simply slice the matts in half without pulling at all, it may help ease his discomfort.

If he won't have it, defo going to back off until I can get him to Neil because I really do want him to be

The good news today is that Chubby has discovered Dreamies, and he loves them (even with almost no teefs) so this might help with our bonding issues

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #8 on:** November 12, 2011, 17:15:19 PM »

I would just stop trying to get at the matts now so there is a little time for him to get back some trust until the vets and then once he gets comfortable again with you, you can start keeping his suit smart...........he is just gorgous

I also bought a mikki matt breaker but useless on really big matts and none of the cats like it even without matts!

sheilarose · « **Reply #7 on:** November 12, 2011, 17:08:45 PM »

I know

I have two matt breakers courtesy of Gillian's previous advice on Tufty's long tangled coat! But I got near the first one and he just flipped, he won't let me even stroke the clumps with my hand now, never mind the matt breakers.

You can actually see the difference the matt breakers have made already on the photo below. There is a distinct line where he's allowed me to groom him so far, his un-groomed back end is a different colour to his head and shoulders.

Tiggy's Mum · « **Reply #6 on:** November 12, 2011, 17:01:01 PM »

Gillian is offline at the moment but I'm sure she always recommends the Mikki matt breaker (she's a groomer) so fingers crossed that does the job!

Liz · « **Reply #5 on:** November 12, 2011, 15:56:15 PM »

My OH is working on Riley feral currently he has a knot near his tail and as he is still limping slightly he is in our upstairs study and OH has decided Riley needs to be friends with him so he is now up there working on Riley

Riley is a house cat by our choice as he was trapped and made a bit of a mess of himself on the trap, he is still nocturnal but I am trying to keep him on our time as he has lights on when its dark

sheilarose · « **Reply #4 on:** November 12, 2011, 15:51:20 PM »

Oh Gill, it's so frustrating, now he knows I know about the matts he's avoiding me again.

It's a patch around 4" across that seems to have four separate matts on it. Whenever I get close enough to have a squint at them, Chubby gets nervous and moves off so we're playing this strange stalking game around the house and garden. I feel bad that I hadn't noticed them before, but he's been so reclusive until now...

At least the matts are confined to a smallish area so it won't be a massive hole in his coat after he's been clipped, and he does sleep indoors when it's very cold, preferring his vet-bed lined kennel (oh yes, he's a very pampered feral puss) on fine nights.

I've got a vet appointment for Sam and Sly for boosters on Monday week. If I haven't got the matts off by then, I'll take him instead of Sam and ask Neil to clip them off.

His two broken toes' claws need clipping again anyway. His six monthly check-up (yes I'm a bit over-cautious with him because of his history, status and being hands-off) isn't due until Feb and there's no way I can leave his matts until then.

I'll try the talc on him when the matts are off and we're back on speaking terms to get the grease out. Thanks Liz.

I was hoping this was the beginning of a beautiful new friendship and now it looks like I'm going to be Mrs Baddie again.

Liz · « **Reply #3 on:** November 12, 2011, 15:38:29 PM »

We found using talcum powder of the ferals helped with the de greasing of an area and used a soft brush, I also have several of the double prong style grooming tools that I use of the dogs but work just as well on the cats and find little and often given with bribes a saucer of chicken or tuna works wekk cause me ferals love their food

If he is a house cat then go for a dematt at the vet, doesn't take to long and they will forgive you, I had no experience of having to shave a cat till we got Star one of Lotties NFC's here on foster, he is half shaved and then some of the trainee vet nurses used him as a training aid and got the rest out

I would bit the bullet as he is feral and get it done now before it gets to cold and his hair can grow back

Sadly a lot of folks have problems grooming I spend nearly an hour a day on my cats and I get Robin to help me with the boys Sky and Sunny at the weekend cause Sunny hates to be groomed and when I try on Sky his brothers want to help me

Gill (sneakiefeline) · « **Reply #2 on:** November 12, 2011, 14:42:17 PM »

I think its probably best to bit the bullet now and get it shaved.

Misa has very long fur and because of the situation with the barrier and stuff cant get to him to keep him groomed and it will take me 6 months to get out major matts, especially round his lower back and tail end, and thats a cat who loves me and trusts me most of the time, cept with his matts.

He seems to treasure them and lies on them so U canr get to them.........sigh

sheilarose · « **Reply #1 on:** November 12, 2011, 14:16:13 PM »

OK, anyone whose been following Chubbys adventures over in the FIV section will know that after nearly two years since he first showed up here, half dead, fully feral and FIV+, he's now showing some signs of becoming a pet cat rather than a wild animal living under my bed.

In the last few days I've got him so he'll allow me to stroke and comb his face and neck. His fur is very thick and very dirty, feels greasy and my hands have an unpleasant film on them when I've been handling him. Today I was going for the matted section of his back at the tail end, but the moment I touched the matt he flinched and snarled at me

The matts are much worse than I thought, must be pulling painfully on his skin, poor mite

. There's no way I can leave them, he's clearly in discomfort, but he won't allow me near his back end to tackle them. I'm sure he would allow me to comb him all over (he enjoys it so much) if I can just get him over this hurdle, I would keep him groomed for life.

I've ordered a Mikki Matt splitter and will try to get this to slice them apart bit by bit, but he really needs sedating and the matts working loose or a clipper running over the whole area.

If the matt splitter fails I'll have to risk breaking his newly found trust and get him to the vet. Oh bother !

I wish there was a non-toxic de-tangling spray for this sort of thing.

Author Topic: Chubby's matted fur (Read 4858 times)