Cat with matted fur under chin

[BarbaraVineFan]

My 13 year old long haired tabby is a generally happy chap, if a bit inclined to sleep most of the day, and generally grooms himself well with a brush from us once a day. However, I have recently noticed matted fur appearing directly under his chin- I have never seen him grooming there, so I assume that’s why. Unfortunately though , I am finding it almost impossible to get a brush under there- he just won’t have it at all. I am the only adult in the house, so a team effort isn’t possible. Does anyone have any suggestions please? I’ve added photos for the cat tax!

It might be sore under there. Have you felt with your fingers to see if there are any scabs? Honestly I would just leave him to it but keep an eye on it. Maybe get in a swipe with the brush when he’s sleeping.

He’s gorgeous!

There aren’t any scabs or anything- just these matted lumps of fur. I could try having a go when he is sleeping but he has taken a while to trust us (we have only had him a year, got him as a rescue) and I don’t want to freak him out!

Thank you! He really is :)

Cut them out, or as much off as you can .

Please don't try and cut anything without reading about / watching tutorials on cat grooming, they have thin and stretchy skin that can get nicked easily. How big are the mats? If they are quite small and not too tight yet you can get rid of them with your hands by holding the mat and gently pulling it apart ( you don't need to pull the mat away from the skin to do this, and obviously you're trying to minimise any tugging on the skin ) There are mat cutting tools on amazon too, but I'd still try and break the mat up a bit before going in with one of those. Good luck, cat grooming can be tough but he is a very handsome dude who deserves to look his best :)

He’s a very fine feline 🤗 🐾💗
Maybe get him on the kitchen top or windowsill, so he’s at at good height with something interesting stuck to it like a fragrant treat , so he’ll look up and use a gentle detangler brush on it . Cut it with blunt end scissors if that doesn’t work . Bless his tiny heart ❤️ xxx

You could try using something on your finger & stroke him there with that on. I think you can get finger stall cat & dog soft toothbrushes for example, which could help the tangles - have a look on Amazon using "cat tooth brush" as the search (sorry, kept getting a fail when I tried to link)

Also - you've probably thought of this - but get his teeth checked because he may be drooling from a mouth problem.

He is a most handsome boy!

And if he won't tolerate a brush, use your wet finger or a little damp cotton wool instead.

I've got this brush which I don't like on my own hair, so I randomly brushed MrCat with it one day. OMG he absolutely loves it! Grabs it with his claws and rubs his face all over it. Once he's had a good face-rub, he lets me tuck it under his chin and rotate it. It's useless as a grooming brush, except under his chin. Maybe it's worth a try?

My long haired cat gets a Matt there too. I cut it out with a pair of hairdressing scissors