sticky, matted fur on cat's back

[saoifre]

As above, middle of his back a bit up from his hips so he can't reach it to clean. Does anyone have any ideas how to clean this for him? Or should I just let it be? Obviously can't use soap or hot water. He's not bothered but it's a bit nasty to touch. Not sure what it is or where it came from.

Hi,
You can buy special cat shampoo if you think that you will be able to wash out the stickiness and then comb out the matt with a cat brush. But your cat might not appreciate it!
There are also dry shampoos that work the same way but if the mat is bad you might be best of speaking to a local vet of groomer and having the patch shaved off. It doesn't sound pretty I know, but mats are uncomfortable for cats, and they can lead to infections in the skin underneath them.
If your cat is having trouble grooming himself it may be worth investing in a brush so that you can help him out on the areas that he can't reach. It may take time and treats to get him used to this, but some cats really like it straight away.
HTH.

There seem to be a few around saoifre. Have a read of this.

\link{http://www.mumsnet.com/Talk/the_litter_tray/1554748-Matted-coat-in-a-short-hair\thread}

Thanks for that. He's a gentle creature but I still don't think washing it out is an option. Might try the brush and dry shampoo. Thanks for the link to the other thread too, some ideas there too.