Medium haired cat, old and beginning to get matted :-(

[LinkyPlease]

My lovely boy is 10 and I've noticed he's beginning to get matted under his chin and neck. I have been dreading this day.
He's not long haired as such, but not shirt either - medium I guess.

What should I do? Is it a vet every month / quarter kind of thing? Or should I start trying to brush him? Bit of both?

I would use a brush v gently when he's relaxed. Mine doesn't get matted but he adores being brushed! Will sit for ages purring while I groom him

OK really stupid question now... Cat brush or a human brush which looks appropriate?

Brush daily with a cat brush. Get one suitable for his length of fur. Old girl needed grooming twice daily in her final years.
Just a thought. If cats are old and stiff through arthritis they tend to struggle to groom their hindquarters. And 10 isn't that old. As he's matted around his mouth it could be worth having his teeth checked?

Mine is around 15, and was really badly matted on his hind legs. I got my spaniel comb and used that....funnily enough he seemed to understand that I was helping. Feeding him helped too, so he was distracted. Didn't take long at all, and I've gone over his coat a few times now with a silicone spray (mane and tail) that I use the dog and its helped massively.

Zoom groom brushes are nice, they seem to relax. Am I being dim but how does a cat clean his chin and neck, iv e never really thought about it.

OK thanks tons. I'll pop to pets at home and get something to try out. My boy is very passive and cuddly so I think he'll just sit there while I brush him.

He's not due jabs for another 6 months and his teeth were fine at his last check... But so was his fur, so I guess they can go downhill quickly?

Why do you think he will go downhill , does he have health problems. Maybe he's just a bit arthritic .

Just to add to previous posters. If you can’t keep on top of the grooming yourself then I’d recommend finding a groomers rather than vet.

I took my late longhaired cat to the vets a lot, then discovered a local groomer who was much cheaper, better, didn’t give her a general anaesthetic to do the grooming (several vets said she fought them so they had to ) and overall she was much less stressed by the experience.

If he's cuddly he'll love it. My longhaired boy gets super excited when we get the brush out. If I hold the brush up he does his own face (he can hold it himself when lying down but he's usually too excited to do that!).

I find my girls prefer brushing with a human brush. I have a metal cat comb but usually use a tangle teaser on them. Normal human combs are quite effective as well.

Soft baby brushes are always welcome too