Learning how to demat a cat is always interesting.
The average cat owner will want to alleviate their cat’s concern, but it’s not going to be easy. There is a learning curve involved in understanding how to demat a cat the right way.
Unfortunately, a lot of cat owners make mistakes and/or use the wrong tools for dematting cats. This leads to an uncomfortable experience for both the cat and yourself.
This comprehensive guide will demonstrate how to demat a cat, which dematting comb to use, and how to make sure your cat is as cozy as possible during the process.
Best Dematting Comb for Cats (EDITOR’S CHOICE)
- The original professional quality dematting tool. Over 18,000 people can't be wrong. Comfortably and quickly get a...
- Clear all different mats and tangles. The double sided pet comb has a different number of teeth on each side. The lower...
- Multiple uses with a single comb. The pet grooming tool not only works great as a dematting brush or detangling comb, but...
Last update on 2023-05-11 / Affiliate links / Images from Amazon Product Advertising API
The GoPets Dematting Comb is one of the finest tools to have at your disposal in this situation. It’s ergonomically designed, lightweight, and consistent. This double-sided dematting comb offers slick control for handling even the most stubborn mats. Simply run the comb through the area and watch as it starts to detangle the fur in seconds.
It’s a pleasant, well-designed dematting comb that’s built to last and offers a sense of confidence needed during a situation such as this.
Enjoy the perks of this dematting comb and start to make your life easier during the process. It’s a must if you are serious about doing a good job!
How To Demat a Cat at Home
Start with a Good Dematting Comb
The first thing you are going to do is buy a good dematting comb for cats.
The idea behind using the right type of dematting comb is to make sure the tangles are seamlessly removed without aggravating the skin. It can take a bit of time to understand what works and what doesn’t, but the goal has to remain to use a good tool.
What does a good dematting comb have to offer?
- Consistent Dematting Through Tough Tangles
- Balanced Weight Distribution
- Comforting Stroke for Cat
It’s imperative to make sure the cat is as comfortable as possible. If your cat is moving all over the place, how are you going to finish the job?
It will take too long and that can be thoroughly frustrating!
Be diligent and make sure to keep this tool by your side during the process. It’s a must. If you try to use your fingers or a generic comb, it won’t work and is eventually going to cause the cat quite a bit of pain.
It’s important to note the tangles can be frustrating and tough. This means they are not going to easily break down and will cause considerable discomfort when tugged on.
Use a Bit of Talcum Powder
Let’s assume you are trying to prepare the cat’s body for the dematting process.
What are you going to do?
It’s recommended to go out and buy talcum powder or baby powder. This is going to be applied directly to the matted area before you begin. By doing this, you are going to alleviate some of the tangles and loosen them.
If you head into the process with nothing more than a dematting comb, you may tug incorrectly and cause the cat to whine or jump.
By applying a bit of talcum powder, you are going to prepare the area correctly, and it might become slightly easier to manage the situation in front of you.
Talcum powder or baby powder work great because they loosen the matted area right away. This is especially true if you take the time to massage your fingers through the fur.
The goal is to work the powder into the matted area, so the comb can slide through without making too much of a fuss!
It’s important to note, you don’t want to get this powder into the cat’s face. This will cause them to jump and that is also an uncomfortable experience too.
Your main purpose is to take a concentrated amount of powder, apply it to the area, and then rub it in. Do this right away and let the powder sit for at least 3-5 minutes. This will let it settle and then you can start using the dematting comb on your cat.
If you rush the process, the powder won’t have time to settle and that defeats the purpose of using it! Let it get into the fur and watch as it makes your life easier.
Massage the Area First
There are several ways of learning how to demat a cat, but sometimes it comes down to the basics.
You have to understand the matted area is going to be stubborn, tough, and ridiculously difficult to work through in certain parts of the body. This means you have to be patient and understand what the cat is going through.
A common reaction to something like this involves grabbing a dematting comb and simply running it through the area without a second thought. As you can imagine, this rarely turns out well as it will make the cat uncomfortable.
You have to prepare the cat and this can be done in a number of ways.
One of the ways has been mentioned above involving the use of high-quality talcum powder for cats. However, you also have to combine the powder with good massage techniques. The idea is to run your fingers through the area with the powder on the fur.
Which masage technique is best for a situation such as this?
You are not going to be restricted to one type of technique. Instead, you want to take your fingers and run it through the matted area gently. Don’t pull on the fur. Just like it glide on top of the area and continue to work your way around the body.
Eventually, you are going to get the hang of things and it will become easier to respond to how your cat is feeling.
The main thing all cat owners need to do is to allot time for this part of the process. Don’t rush through it because learning how to demat a cat starts here. It’s easy to rush everything but that’s not how you should approach a task such as this.
Your goal as you learn how to demat a cat is to follow each step properly.
Always Pay Attention to the Cat
This is an underrated piece of advice all cat owners need to think about.
When you start to learn how to demat a cat, it’s easy to lose focus. What this means is, you get so lost in the idea of following steps (i.e. combing, using powder, massaging) that the thought of focusing on your cat goes out the window!
You have to make sure to pay attention to your cat’s reaction to each step. How is the cat feeling when you start applying talcum powder? What about massaging your fingers through the cat’s matted areas?
Does your cat flinch at certain points? Is your cat in a state of panic as soon as the process begins? These are important details to think about and focus on.
There is nothing worse than making your cat sit through a torturous experience.
They are not going to be fond of you and it is going to make them apprehensive about being around you in the future. Rather than hampering your bond with them, why not focus on easing their nerves and gently talking to them?
If they are apprehensive, it’s okay. This is natural.
You have to work with them, even if it takes a bit of your time.
Final Thoughts
This is what it takes to learn how to demat a cat.
Yes, the process can be challenging at first, especially when you want to make things as comfortable for your cat as possible. However, using the tips and tricks listed here, you are going to be well on your way to a safe experience!
The goal remains to use a safe dematting comb, continue to work through the tangles one by one, and make sure the cat is at ease.
The first few times will be nerve-wracking but it’s all about using talcum powder and massaging the area beforehand. This will alleviate most of your nervousness and is also going to keep the cat in place for as long as you need.
Along with the tips listed here, feel free to go through the following guides for more information on making a cat’s life easier – Quality rope for cat scratcher, interactive pet camera for cats at home, how to use a good cat harness, great cat scratching post for cats.
When you take the right approach, everything starts to fall into line as a cat owner. Learn how to demat a cat and watch as your cat’s quality of life improves immediately.