Grooming
Grooming a long-haired cat without a fight
Mats form faster than most owners expect, and the cat decides how the session goes. Short, frequent, and boring is the whole technique.
Last reviewed
A long-haired cat needs grooming whether or not it enjoys the idea, and the coat does not wait for a convenient weekend. Mats form close to the skin — in armpits, behind the ears, along the belly and the back of the thighs — and once formed they tighten and pull.
Frequency beats duration
Five minutes daily works. Forty minutes on a Sunday does not, and it teaches the cat that grooming is an ordeal that has to be endured. Aim for sessions short enough that you stop while the cat is still relaxed, not after it has had enough.
Work in sections
Start where the cat likes being touched — usually the cheeks and shoulders — and work outward. Hold the fur at the base with one hand so any pull happens against your fingers rather than the skin. Save the belly and hindquarters for last; they are the most sensitive and the most likely to mat.
Mats: what not to do
Do not cut a mat out with scissors. Cat skin is thin and lifts with the mat, and this is one of the most common ways owners cause a wound that needs stitching. Small mats can often be teased apart with fingers, working from the outer edge inward. Anything tight, close to the skin, or larger than a coin is a job for clippers in the hands of a groomer or a vet.
If the cat says no
Stop. A cat that has been held down for grooming remembers, and every subsequent session gets harder. Build the association back up with a session that is nothing but a treat and one stroke of the comb.
Sudden intolerance of being groomed in a cat that previously accepted it is worth a vet visit rather than more patience — pain is a common reason, and arthritis in older cats is easy to miss.
Bring it to a meeting
Handling is far easier to learn by watching than by reading. Grooming clinics come round regularly, and someone will happily demonstrate on a cat that is used to it.