Over the years your furry companion may fail to groom himself as well as he used to possibly leading to matted fur and dandruff on his coat.
Cat hair matted and falling out.
See our related article for much more about the causes of matted hair in cats.
Tips to help prevent matted cat hair.
The problem tends to be more common in older or overweight cats who either can t groom themselves anymore or who can t reach parts of their body like the back.
Mats are clumps of hair that have become entangled or knotted over time.
The chance that cat flea allergy is likely the cause increases if the hair loss is accompanied by bumps or scabs.
Indoor only and shorthaired cats can also get mats from a buildup of dust and dander.
It s more severe with long haired cats who have excessive fur that falls out.
Hair loss is a common condition because cats spend so much of the day preening themselves.
Matted cat hair can easily go undetected.
Whether you are a first time cat owner or a seasoned cat owner cat grooming tips may come.
What are matted fur clumps the clumps are basically tangled hair.
Cat hair loss or thinning hair down the middle of the back to the rump indicates a flea problem.
Your cat will usually experience matted hair on hard to spot areas where it isn t usually groomed such as behind the ears the groin into his arms or around the collar area.
If left for long your cat won t only look messy but he ll experience the following.
Obviously your cat may be uncomfortable and it may make your cat lash out by biting or scratching.
Most mats will come out with brushing but hard mats can require extra work.
Using a fine toothed flea comb gently start combing through the mat piece starting at the very tip of the hairs.
The symptoms to watch out for include hair loss very dry skin and irritation with rashes appearing which get worse because your cat keeps scratching at them.
A little help grooming will help prevent these issues but visit the vet to rule out a medical cause.
Ringworm is a real issue your cat may have caught ringworm which is a fungal skin infection and nothing to do with worms whatsoever.
Starting with a separated section of the mat use your non dominant hand to hold the base of the mat down with thumb and forefinger so the comb won t pull hair out.
If your cat s hair is falling out it s very important to do some research to work out what are the possible causes solutions and especially the alarm bells which will help you know when to take your pet to the vet.
Matted fur can happen to cats with all lengths of hair.