Expert: Tomay - 10/11/2006

Question
I own two 6 year old cats, one short hair and the other long hair.  Recently (past year) they have both been getting knots of matted hair.  They both don't mind the grooming clippers so it's not been difficult to shave the matted hair off but I'd rather avoid it.  My wife does brush them periodically but it doesn't seem to make much a difference.  Any idea what is causing this?

Answer
Hi,
You can avoid the whole shaving issue by being consistant with brushing and more importantly, combing, the coat, especially the longer coated kitty.  This should be done consistantly at least three times a week.  The shorter haired one will benefit from combing, as well as using a rubber curry brush to help remove loose and dead coat.  Sometimes diet can have alot to do with the condition of the coat.  The kitties would benefit from a premium diet, such as Precise, Innova, or Wysong.  These foods help promote healthy skin, thereby improving coat condition.  Also, as cats get older, they don't groom themselves as much as they did when they were younger.  This can lead to an overabundance of coat, leading to the matting you are finding.
Hope this has been helpful for you.  Thank you for your inquiry and your intrest in this site.
Tomay