First Long-Haired Cat--Grooming Tips?

[Too_Old_for_Pony_Club]

My kitty is a 9-month-old extra fluffy little dude.

He spends a lot of time grooming himself, but is still developing matts of hair, mostly under his armpits and on his belly. There was also an unfortunate incident in which I had to cut some petrified poop out of the hair on his tail :S

He’s plenty flexible and spends lots of time grooming himself. I also brush him every couple of days–I have two brushes (a knock-off Furminator and a wire slicker brush. The Furminator worked great with my old cat, but isn’t very effective with this one), and he’s reasonable about the process. I’ve had to cut some matts out, which leaves his coat weird and patchy.

What am I doing wrong? How can I prevent more matts, and what’s the best way to deal with them when they occur?

[beowulf]

I like to use one of those handled-pulling combs on my cat. As a PCer I am sure you know which one I am talking about. It works well and I usually only groom her once or twice a week with no issues… She is very fluffy.

[macmtn]

2 words…
Lion cut

[ElisLove]

You need a comb. A brush can just work over the top of the coat and not get to the roots. You also really have to make sure you get all the way down to the skin and make sure to get in all the nooks and crannies or armpits, between/insides of back legs, by the tail, etc. 5 mins everyday will likely go farther than only doing it every 1-2 weeks as you’ll be able to keep ahead of any tangles.
If you can’t keep up with it, you may have to go to the groomer. THey may be able to keep the matts at bay on a good brushing schedule or you may have to go with a shave.

[Jhein12]

A furminator brush will damage the hair, causing split ends, which will cause the hair to mat easier. You need a good cat comb. I believe Chris Christensen makes one. I would also take your kitty to a groomer or vet and ask for a sanitary clip. They can clip around the anus and belly area and armpits for you. Those areas are hard to maintain and you don’t want to attempt to dematt in those sensitive spots. If there are mats all over the body the best way to deal with them is to have the cat shaved by a professional. It is dangerous to cut them out with scissors, especially with cats because their skin is frighteningly thin. If it gets cut the cut will spread and spread… I’ve seen it, it’s scary. If you can, get your cat used to bathing now. While cats do “groom” themselves, they could use a shampoo about once a month, especially a longhaired cat. Keeping your cat clean and combing daily will prevent mats from occurring.

[apcohrs]

I swear by this one!!
http://www.amazon.com/UGroom-Non-Slip-Rubber-Rotating-2-Inch/dp/B001FG2I26/ref=sr_1_1?s=pet-supplies&ie=UTF8&qid=1432522585&sr=1-1&keywords=UGroom+Non-Slip+Rubber+Grip+Pet+Rotating+Pin+Comb%2C+5-1%2F2-Inch

[Gestalt]

While I love the look and feel of a long hair, they do require extra grooming and attention overall. My previous long hair was silky and easy to comb. My new one has hair like a cotton ball. :eek:

There are two feral cats that always look hideous due to the big clumps of hair hanging on them. I’ve been searching on cat sites to see if there is something I could add to the food I put out that would help them shed. Any ideas?

[DMK]

I have Maine Coons, so I know the pain of long haired cats, especiall ynow that shedding season is (still) in full force (OK it’s always shedding season, but some seasons shed more than others).

So I went with what the pros use for show cats - a “greyhound comb”

Hnads down the best (and simplest) thing ever. In fact it is more effective than a furminator. I broke down and bought one, use dit about 6 times and thought, “I will be dead of old age before I finish grooming with this thing!” And back to a good old fashioned greyhound comb. Twice the hair, half the time. But you have to be smart about it, lots of short grooming sessions on the favorite bits before you tackle the sensitive places with mats.

http://www.revivalanimal.com/resize/shared/images/products/14832-724.jpg?lr=t&bw=520&bh=520

[Leather]

Ditto the greyhound comb in short regular sessions.

I also used an undercoat rake on my Ragdoll for shedding–worked a lot better than the Furminator. (He had a cottony coat, not sure if this would work on more silky hair.)

Something like this: http://www.marscoatking.com/

I’d also take him in to get clipped once in a while.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=macmtn;8163506]
2 words…
Lion cut[/QUOTE]

Since we are thinking outside the box, would it be so wrong to double dare someone to braid corn rows into their long haired cat?

I want to see that.

[betsyk]

We had a ragdoll with the most beautiful coat - no thanks to us, because he took care of it himself. In his later years, the metal comb that DMK recommends was the perfect tool (and for the yorkie, too). Has anybody figured out whether certain feeding programs make a difference? We saw a HUGE change in all our cats’ coats when we switched to really good dry food, and another big improvement when we went to all wet (even though it’s Friskies…). I wonder if managing the shedding through diet will help with the matting problem on your long haired guy? anyone with experience?

[Feliz]

I use a cheap pet comb that has alternating long and short tines. As others have said, brushes just go over the top of the knots.

I had to clicker train the Big Fluff, as he really didn’t think he needed to participate. Now he will lie upside down in my lap, purring, while I work on all the tricky bits you mentioned. But he does get impatient after 5 – 10min so I try to comb him every few days when his coat is changing.

What always amazes me is HOW MUCH skin & fur there is in his armpits! I’ll think “right, all done” and then find a big patch that’s not combed yet. I find if I stretch his paw right up, then hold the fur back with a finger, comb towards the finger pulling out a little bit more fur from under the finger each time it’s very thorough yet gentle. Of course to do the whole cat like that would take forever but it’s good for the areas that are prone to matting.

If I’m short on time Mr F holds him upside down like a baby (he loves to be held like this) and I will quickly locate forming matts and comb them out.

We went away for a month last year and he wouldn’t let my house-sitting friend brush him so we came back to one matted cat. The vet clipped out the worst areas and it was a lot easier to maintain him through spring like that.

[FLeventer]

I have a very fluffy Himalayan. He gets combed and brushed daily. He also has just recently been clipped. I gave him a lion clip by suggestion and it was a lifesaver. Before the clip we gave monthly or biweekly baths.

He gets salmon oil in his food and a quality dry food. His coat improved greatly from when we adopted him from the shelter. He came with thick matts in his coat. Poor baby boy.

[thatmoody]

I have three fluffies, all brought in from outside with huge mats. I’ve seen a HUGE difference in their coats since they’ve had a while on the new diet (wellness chicken pate). They were all a PITA to comb at first, but of course taking CARE of the coats has helped, and only one of them (the himalayan who looks like a cotton ball) still has any issues with his hair, and it’s better. So yes, a good diet that has sufficient fat and protein does help a bit. I like the rake as well - the REALLY fluffy one is very difficult to get into her coat with anything else. Her hair is so dense that I consistently think she’s fatter than she is - I have to weigh her to actually know. I’ve never SEEN her skin due to her very dense undercoat.

[chestnutmarebeware]

[QUOTE=Feliz;8166043]
I use a cheap pet comb that has alternating long and short tines. As others have said, brushes just go over the top of the knots.[/QUOTE]

Yep, this kind of comb is designed for dogs with double coats, and it works great on my long-haired kitty! It catches and removes tangled hair at all levels, and really takes care of the super-fine fluff that mats so easily.

[mvp]

[QUOTE=Jhein12;8163607]
A furminator brush will damage the hair, causing split ends, which will cause the hair to mat easier. [/QUOTE]

It will?

I always thought it looked like it would cut hair as well as pull some out. How are fulminators said to work? And how do you guys think they actually work on the fur?

Maybe my cheap, old school mom saved us from slicing up her cat’s coat.

[DMK]

I’m not sure if a furminator will split the ends, but a slicker brush surely will. But the furminator is just SO annoying. Hair flies everywhere while you are using it, you have to clean it out almost every swipe and you get maybe 25% of the hair you would with a greyhound comb. Oh yes and it will not address mats at all. So you know big ol’ FAIL for me. But if I had one who just flat out was gonna kill me over a comb, I suppose it is a solution. But still not for mats, but maybe a very labor intensive way to prevent mats.

When it comes to coats, diet plays a huge role, but speaking as a person who feeds raw rabbit and TOTW dry, and has two Maine Coons, I am here to tell you, I still need to groom the 7 year old at least 4-6 times a week. I used to think it was because he was older and had more coat than the now 2 year old, and I am sure age plays a role in coat density, but I am starting to think the 2 year old just has a silkier coat with less undercoat and that is just him (the jury is still out a 2.25 year old MCC is still kind of a kitten, so more coat is definitely going to happen, but his coat is just different). So yes to diet, but be prepared to be trumped by genetics.

[beowulf]

[QUOTE=macmtn;8163506]
2 words…
Lion cut[/QUOTE]
ok but, how do you do? slip roofies in the cat’s food and then shave her down when she’s asleep? or, bribery?

at the behest of this thread i went and clipped my cat… she’s been miserable the past week in the 80+F weather, so i just said to hell with it… but she was the WORST customerr and her new 'do is absolutely atrocious… next time i’m thinking of drugging her.

if she wasn’t hiding from the paparazzi i’d snap a picture of her.

[Tab]

[QUOTE=beowulf;8167652]

if she wasn’t hiding from the paparazzi i’d snap a picture of her.[/QUOTE]

the mark of good paparazzi is patience and creativity. I expect pics soon.

And as soon as I feel better I will braid my cat’s fur for the benefit of CoTH. You’re welcome.

[Hippolyta]

Greyhound comb is best bet, as everyone above says. It is indeed what the pros & cat show types use.

I have found long haired cats are actually better in terms of being able to keep cat hair in check- what does come off is more easily removed from my clothes/backpack/whatever. Brushing any cat regularly reduces vacuuming requirements & hairballs, obviously.

I had one cat the just ROCKED the lion cut. I swear he thought he looked extra handsome when he got one, and pranced about even more than usual. He was a ginormous red tabby. A pro groomer will round off the face edges & make it extra-nice. I could do it, but it never looked quite as good.