Coat and skin
Brushing a long-haired cat: the areas everyone forgets
Where the mats actually form on a long-haired cat, why those are the spots nobody brushes, and the one bit of handling that changes the whole session.
Why this does not get fixed later
A mat in long hair does not come undone by itself and, past a certain point, will not comb out at all. It tightens with every movement, pulls on the skin, and ends up forming a felted plate stuck to the surface.
Under that plate, the skin no longer gets any air. It stays damp. It becomes sore. It gets infected. The cat then associates brushing with pain, struggles harder, and the situation worsens with every attempt. Plenty of long-haired cats arrive at the groomer for a full clip under sedation, not through neglect, but because the owner tried too late and in the wrong places.
Where the mats form, and why there
Mats do not appear at random. They form where hair rubs and where the cat grooms badly.
The armpits and inner thighs come first, because the hair there is fine and under constant friction. The breeches and the base of the tail follow, especially in an overweight or arthritic cat that can no longer reach the back of its body. A collar, where there is one, creates a zone of its own. So does the lower back, for the same reason of reach.
That is the exact reverse of what an owner does, brushing the back and the flanks because those are the areas where the cat puts up with it.
A cat that stops grooming its back end has not turned lazy. It is in pain somewhere, it has put on weight, or it is getting old. A coat that deteriorates sharply from the line of the hips backwards is a clinical sign, not a brushing problem.
The method
Two tools are enough: a metal comb with wide teeth on one side and fine teeth on the other, and a soft brush to finish. Avoid slicker brushes with metal pins. They tear out the undercoat and hurt the skin as soon as you push.
In small sections. From the tip towards the root, never the other way. One hand holds the base of the section against the skin so the pull is not passed on to the skin itself. It is that piece of handling, holding the root, that separates a cat who accepts it from a cat who runs.
On a mat that has already formed, you do not pull. You split it in two along the line of the hair, with your fingers or the point of the comb, then repeat. A mat stuck to the skin is cut with round-ended scissors slid flat against the skin, never at right angles to it. A cat's skin is thin and lifts with the mat, and accidental cuts during home de-matting are common.
Length matters less than frequency. Three minutes a day on the high-risk areas beats an hour on a Sunday. A cat tolerates a short session that stops before it loses patience far better.
Start with an area the cat enjoys, cheeks and chin, finish with the difficult areas, and stop before it asks to leave. A cat you let go comes back. A cat you hold on to stays wary for months.
When to hand it over
Felted plates stuck to the skin, impossible to separate with your fingers. Skin that is red, hot or smells under a mat. A cat that cries or claws as soon as you touch an area. Hair coming out in patches, or a cat that suddenly stops grooming. In those cases home de-matting makes things worse, and the clipping is done by a professional or under veterinary sedation.
Frequently asked questions
My cat has stopped grooming its back end, is that laziness?
No. A cat that can no longer reach the back of its body is in pain somewhere, has put on weight, or is getting old. A coat that deteriorates from the line of the hips backwards is a clinical sign.
Can you cut a mat out with scissors?
A mat stuck to the skin is cut with round-ended scissors slid flat against the skin, never at right angles to it. A cat's skin is thin and lifts with the mat, and accidental cuts are common during home de-matting.
Which tool for a long-haired cat?
A metal comb with wide teeth on one side and fine teeth on the other, plus a soft brush to finish. Slicker brushes with metal pins tear out the undercoat and hurt the skin as soon as you push.
This article explains and points the way. It is not a diagnosis and is not a substitute for a veterinary consultation. It is published as a preliminary version and will be signed once a veterinary surgeon has approved it.
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