Of my 3 raggies, only 1 seems to develop matts. The other 2 are half-brothers, & I was wondering if the type of coat varies with different lines? Anyway, I noticed that my Dele was getting some matted hair on her backside. Now, when I was petting her last night, I found matts under her front armpits! :(Should I cut them & then shave the area? I will definitely comb her twice a week instead of once a week as I have been doing. Her fur is like a giant poof of fluff, not bunny-like like the 2 boys. Thanks for any tips!
Yes, fur can be different from different lines. My girls' fur is so different from each other. Simone's is so think and full that I have to be careful and groom her daily, whereas Samantha's is bunny-like fine and grooming is just something I do because she likes it. If you can just cut them out hopefully you won't need to shave, but if it is so close to the skin then you may need to shave it off. Just be very careful if using scissors....I accidently cut my prior cat Simon and while it didn't seem to bother him, I cried like a baby over it. I know Jane's (FluffyHuffy) husband one time cut their persian removing a matt and it required a vet visit and stitches....their skin is just so thin and cuts so easily!
Carefully remove the matt. It will only get worse.
On those locations consider that the cat furniture and sleeping areas are at fault. Remove fur from them and you may find the cat no longer matts. On furniture that is carpeted, a slicker brush is a good tool - it is a style of brush that is bad for the coat, but works well on carpet.
Our cat does get mats also. I groom him as best I can but he really only loves a light touch, so it is difficult to give him the vigorous grooming he needs. I do think he is an especially fluffy ragdoll. The area that is the most prone are his front leg pits, just like you found and he also tends to get them on his haunches. I think there is a seasonal aspect as well, he's not getting any now and he was over the winter. Bathing may be helpful but once again our cat does not like it and as kind as we can be, he gets pretty traumatized at bath time.
I use a very high quality and sharp scissors that has bent blades and blunt ends, I think they are the kind typically used for cutting gauze. Don't pull on the mat too much, this irritates the cat and pulls the skin into the scissors. Move the surrounding hair away and lay the scissors kind of on the cat, snip carefully! A helper can be useful if your guy is feeling particularly ornery.
Safety scissors are wonderful (rounded ends). I used to use them to cut my kids fingernails, so easy.
I found this tip very helpful...a seam ripper-the type used for sewing. Chloe started matting a few months ago airmpit area and some on her chest. I can only get the mats when she is completely relaxed. I also have had to cut a few.
Mocha matted one time, I was thinking of cutting it out but when I got up the next morning the matt was lying on the floor. He had chewed it off.. must have been bothering him!
Coat type can also vary within lines-- my boys are littermates and have totally different coat types!
The Bernina Mat comb is best at safely cutting the mat and leaving the most fur. You push the blades under the mat with the dull sides toward the skin and then saw up through the mat. You can then work out the smaller sections or cut through again.
http://www.cherrybrook.com/index.cfm/a/c...a_Mat_Comb
Thanks, everyone, for the tips. Luckily, Dele is quite laid back when it comes to grooming - I think after I have thoroughly cut out & combed the matted areas, I will try giving her a bath. Furminator makes a very nice deshedding shampoo that I use on some of my dogs (it is approved for cat use as well).