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The litter tray

Join our community of cat lovers on the Mumsnet Cat forum for kitten advice and help with cat behaviour.

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Original poster

Matted Cat :(

44 replies

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 17:20

One of our cats is 95% ferral, never comes in, is fed by everybody, I had seen her out and about and she was looking scruffy and I asked everyone to stop feeding her, eventually she came back home, I am shocked and ashamed, she is matted, has possibly an infection under the matts, we tried to have a good look at her this afternoon, my hands are ripped to shreds as you cannot handle her, she's hiding and wont come out, and she will take any opportunity to escape back outside. We will take her to the vet tomorrow, I am shit scared of getting into trouble, we also have 2 other cats, a dog and 3 guinea pigs and they are all in perfect health.

I am disgusted at myself for not trying harder with her.

OP posts:

thecatneuterer · 21/04/2013 17:44

Don't feel bad. Even some of the most tame and friendly cats can be difficult to brush. Semi-feral ones are more or less impossible. The only thing you can do is take her to the vets who will sedate her and then shave off the bad bits. Good luck with getting her into a carrier to go to the vets!

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 17:47

Thanks, your post made me cry, I just wish I was able to get near her without me bleeding to death :(

OP posts:

RandomMess · 21/04/2013 17:51

Poor you, sounds like a good check over by the vet is in order to find out why she hasn't kept on top of her grooming.

Jenda · 21/04/2013 17:54

its not your fault. My mum has a cat which is now in most of the time as she's 22 but she has terrible matting on her stomach. Occasionally she will let someone hold her while someone else cuts the clumps from her tummy. Its not easy because its pulls on the skin. Last week my mum took her to a vet and she as told put her arm under the cats front paws so she was standing on her back legs and the vet quickly shaved her. She didn't need sedation and it was very quick. If you can catch yours and get it into a carrier it might be worth doing it regularly... but its not your fault

cookielove · 21/04/2013 17:55

My childhood cat was completely tame but a bugger to brush, she had long hair and was out in the middle of fields all day she use to come home with her belly matted, it use to clump in chunks which were able to cut out ourselves but a least once a year she had to go to the vets as it was just to much of a battle and not nice for her or us!! Her little tummy came back all silky soft

Claimed i am sure you know its better for you and your cat that the vet manages, after all they have the drugs know how

cozietoesie · 21/04/2013 17:55

Well you're sorting the situation now so that's the main thing. I don't imagine you'll 'get into trouble' at all - just explain to the vet that she's a feral cat who you've been feeding/keeping an eye out for.

Do you know (given her feralness) if she's neutered? (Chipped, de-flead and wormed as well of course.) It sounds to me as if she might be entire and I was wondering if neutering would calm her down. You might wish to consider getting her situation regularized once and for all.

Would probably also be a good idea to warn the practice that you're bringing in a 'live one'. If she's truly a hellion, the vet will likely have to sedate her to remove the matting and could do fleas, chip etc at the same time. Neutering, if required, might have to await any infection clearing up - on that one I'm not sure.

BabsAndTheRu · 21/04/2013 18:01

How old is your cat? We had a cat that got really matted as she got older as she couldn't reach round to groom herself so we used to pour a cod liver oil capsule over her food which helped her coat and also loosened her joints a bit and she was then able to start grooming herself again. She wouldn't let us brush her either.

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 18:04

She is long haired so needs brushed but also never comes near a human to get brushed.

She is neutered we got that done at 6 months, she is just wild, we got her from the cpl 10 years ago as a 7 week old kitten, she spends most of her time in the fields, until we moved here she got her jabs yearly as we lived in a flat that she trashed and we were able to get her to the vet. We tried telling the vet she was wild the vet laughed took her out the box got attacked then went to get a nurse and big gloves as back up!

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cozietoesie · 21/04/2013 18:05

Ah well. Looks as if it might be an annual trip then.

RandomMess · 21/04/2013 19:11

Long haired cat fur is strange, some cats don't get matted and some do - our siblings have completely different fur types and the one that adores being brushed doesn't get knots and the one who hates being brushed gets matts really easily fortunately she's an obsessive groomer and very soppy to getting the knots out isn't an issue once they are ready to pull off.

Hope it goes well at the vets!

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 19:15

I have already convinced myself that I will end up in court on animal cruelty charges :(

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 21/04/2013 19:16

No you won't. Just get her to the vet.

acceptableinthe80s · 21/04/2013 19:21

Don't worry, the vets won't judge you, some cats just hate being handled. Probably best to get the coat clipped shortish all over every few months. I recommend a large, thick bath towel to get cat in basket. Good luck!

DeepRedBetty · 21/04/2013 19:24

Cats go Walkabout sometimes, like yours. Vets know this and so does the RSPCA. Stop worrying!

acceptableinthe80s · 21/04/2013 19:26

Just to put your mind to rest, de-matting is practically a daily procedure in most vets, there's really no need to worry about that.

specialsubject · 21/04/2013 19:29

don't worry. If the animal beats you up when you try to help, all hail you for still trying! The vet will entirely understand.

I knew an elderly cat that couldn't groom itself and used to purr happily while having the mats cut off - but she was a rare beast.

put some gloves on before attempting capture tomorrow.

Talkinpeace · 21/04/2013 19:34

And on a long term basis ....
a REALLY thick towel
and hairdressing scissors : sharp but rounded on the end.

stuff that combing malarkey for outdoor cats : snip the mat through the middle - not too close to the skin - and the cat will do the rest
you should be able to get two or three a week with the cat bundled into the towel hissing
BUT
pilchards in tomato sauce cure all humiliation

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 19:42

You are all so kind, we have her trapped in the house and she just assulted both the dc ankles, I gave her some roast beef and she kinda got slightly friendly with me but swiped my hand when I got too close, she is the most cutest looking cat but just so bloody evil.

Thanks everyone for making me feel a bit better, still feel as guilty as hell :(

OP posts:

aJumpedUpPantryBoy · 21/04/2013 19:54

I was just coming on to post exactly what Talkinpeace said.

We had a semi feral who used to mat dreadfully - he didn't have long fur but he had a perfectly smooth tongue so couldn't groom himself properly.

I used to cut the mats out. To start with he hated it but after a while he seem to realise I was trying to help and would allow me to do it.

DH had a go once and nicked him with the scissors - the cat never let DH near him with scissors again.

Jayne266 · 21/04/2013 20:23

Don't worry about it we don't think abuse and it's more common than you think. You will be fine.

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 21/04/2013 20:38

Thanks Jayne266 are you a vet? The animals stress me out more than the kids, I have an over sized staffy and I am not scared of her but terrified of the cat, madness!

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Jayne266 · 21/04/2013 21:39

I know exactly how u feel (I have 2 staffies as well). Give me a nasty big dog am all cool and calm and give me a feral cat and I get all worried.

Fluffycloudland77 · 21/04/2013 22:23

We've had Persian chinchillas dematted at the vets, you just can't comb the buggers that's the problem.

It happens.

Original poster

ClaimedByMe · 22/04/2013 09:53

She is booked in at 8.50 tomorrow for a sedation and de-matt, the vet receptionist was lovely, hopefully they wont get me arrested!

OP posts:

cozietoesie · 22/04/2013 09:54

You (and, importantly, she) will be fine.

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