Old Cat Matted Fur

Dental issues the easiest place to start your investigation into why a senior cat isn t autogrooming as often is their mouth.
Old cat matted fur. This can lead to dry scaly and sometimes irritated skin. This is a natural part of the feline aging process. 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. Older cats have thinner skin that lacks elasticity.
This is a condition in which flies are attracted to matted waste on a cat s fur. Matted fur occurs more frequently in long haired cats but this doesn t mean it won t happen to short haired cats. Matting occurs more in spring and autumn when cats are molting. 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.
This is just as horrific as it sounds. Illnesses such as hypothyroidism hyperthyroidism hypertension and kidney problems can cause dandruff and matted fur and these conditions are common in older kitties. Matted fur can happen to cats with all lengths of 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.
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. Older cats may also need to use. What are matted fur clumps. These flies will lay eggs which hatch into maggots.