Old Cat Has Matted Hair

This can lead to dry scaly and sometimes irritated skin.

Old cat has matted hair. If your cat has stopped grooming altogether this could be a sign of a serious health issue and a trip to the veterinarian is in order. Illnesses such as hypothyroidism hyperthyroidism hypertension and kidney problems can cause dandruff and matted fur and these conditions are common in older kitties. But if there are one or two spots of stubborn matted fur you should be able to take care of them at home. Dental issues the easiest place to start your investigation into why a senior cat isn t autogrooming as often is their mouth.

At a minimum your cat s fur should be groomed twice a day. Matted cat fur on the other hand damages tissue by preventing oxygen and moisture from reaching it. Longer fur will grow greasy and dirty faster than short hair. Skin flakes dead fur dust and skin oils cause matting.

Keep in mind that shedding dead hair is normal and it s a process. When a cat no longer shows an interest in grooming it s important to look for the underlying causes as an old cat with matted fur may be indicative of an underlying health issue. Mats are clumps of hair that have become entangled or knotted over time. This will go some way to replicating a cat s natural cleaning regime.

Matting occurs more in spring and autumn when cats are molting. Although it may not appear ugly at first glance these conditions are not good for a cat s fur. Often it looks as though the hair has been glued together. Introduce grooming to your cat s daily routine if you have not already done so.

Alternatively an old overweight long haired cat is likely to require regular even daily brushing attention to prevent knots and matting. See our related article for much more about the causes of matted hair in cats. How to prevent matted cat hair contains substantial information on proper grooming for tangle prevention. When your cat notices this change they start to groom more which could increase the amount of hair they ingest and cause other health problems.

Most mats will come out with brushing but hard mats can require extra work. Matted fur occurs more frequently in long haired cats but this doesn t mean it won t happen to short haired cats. While a lack of grooming sometimes is just part of old age many times there may be a medical cause for it in your elderly feline. The matted clumps can vary in size from barely noticeable to very large clumps.

The mats can become uncomfortable and even painful for your cat.