What to do with tangles in fluffy cats. Cat tangles: how to get rid of. How to remove mats

The tangles that form on a pet are a real scourge for owners of long and wire-haired dog breeds.

Luxurious flowing mane, which is the pride of the show animal, requires daily combing and skilled care.

This is the only way you can avoid the occurrence of areas that have fallen into hard-to-disassemble lumps.

The main causes of the appearance of tangles

What are the most common causes of frizzy hair?

1. Knocking down wet clean wool. This happens if a redeemed dog with long thick hair, do not dry with a hair dryer after washing, leaving the hair to dry naturally. In addition to tangles, this method of drying is also fraught with overheating of the cover.

2. The formation of the so-called "water tangles", appearing through the fault of inexperienced owners, washing and rubbing the dog too hard. To avoid this trouble, apply the detergent gently, in the direction of hair growth, gently driving it in with fingertips, rather than tangling your hair, trying to better wash your four-legged friend.

3. Clothes for dogs can also lead to the formation of knocked down lumps. Most often this occurs at the points of contact between the body and the seams of the product. To avoid this, try to buy jumpsuits with slip fabric lining.

4. burrs and thorns, found in abundance on the run, also lead to tangles. Fighting them is quite difficult - when you try to pull it out, the prickly ball breaks up into small segments that are difficult to pull out of the wool. Some owners recommend examining the dog several times during a walk in order to pull out the burrs immediately, or, when going to a forest or field, put anther on the pet.

5. Most owners, who do not have special experience and knowledge in caring for their four-legged friend's coat, consider that a light smoothing of the hair with a massage brush is enough for a good condition of the coat. Comb with short teeth, without penetrating to the very body, leaves under the top, well-groomed layer, a dense downed felt, which, in especially neglected cases, even experienced groomers do not dare to touch. The only way out in this case is to cut the animal bald.

6. Very often leads to the formation of tangles excessive attention to the dog from loving owners. Constant stroking, including against the pet's coat, attempts to ruffle it or inaccurate games can lead to tangled and then downed areas appearing on the coat.

7. The condition of the coat depends not only on cosmetic care. The health of the internal organs and the general tone of the dog, as in a mirror, are reflected in her appearance. If, in addition to the increased formation of tangles, the pet's hair has a dull, inanimate appearance, the skin is sprinkled with dandruff and crusts, it may be worth checking his well-being. After all fleas, worms, liver and kidney diseases can also lead to a deterioration in the quality of wool.

8. Another common case in which the structure of the coat deteriorates - dog pregnancy and childbirth. While the bitch is waiting for puppies, especially in the last stages, the owners, protecting her peace, stop carrying out daily cosmetic procedures. Childbirth and the stress associated with them, lactation, small puppies, while sucking knocking wool - all this leads to the formation of multiple tangles, which are extremely difficult to disassemble.

Experienced dog breeders recommend, if the quality of the coat allows, cut the dog as short as possible before giving birth, or, in extreme cases, remove the overgrowth on the dog’s belly, around the mammary glands, to zero. If, due to the structure of the cover, it is not possible to do this, the dog's hair is removed into papillots, disassembled 2-3 times a week, or they are stabbed with rubber bands all over the body, fastening them together.

How to get rid of tangles with the least loss

If trouble occurred, and tangles nevertheless appeared, the main thing is get rid of them with minimal losses. It's no secret that show wool requires an unusually careful attitude, and simply cutting a piece would be a big loss for the animal's hairstyle.

Experienced owners of long-haired dog breeds know many little tricks that will help you emerge victorious in the fight against insidious tangles. Here are the most effective ones:

1. Soft hair under the arms and behind the ears, prone to tangles, will be much less tangled if, immediately after combing, it is abundantly sprinkled with regular zinc-based baby powder and combed again with a slicker brush.

2. In order to disassemble the tangle without damage to the wool, it is recommended to moisten it with plain water with a small addition of oil for the skin of babies, and leave it for a while. After such a mask, tangled hair is easily sorted out by hand, without requiring extreme combing.

3. When using commercially produced anti-tangle products, carefully read the instructions.- some of them, designed for certain breeds of dogs, intensively wash out the undercoat, which can adversely affect the appearance of breeds with a rich coat (Pekingese, Shih Tzu).

4. Another disadvantage of professional tools is their high cost. If the dog has an exhibition ahead, it makes sense to invest in an expensive bottle, but for home use, it is better to use more budget folk recipes.

5. Many groomers, to facilitate combing wool, use high-quality human hair cosmetics. Before applying it to your dog, lubricate a small area of ​​skin on the belly or behind the front paws. If after a day there are no signs of allergies, feel free to use the liquid to get rid of the problem.

6. A lot depends on when, before or after washing, comb out the mat. Most groomers are of the opinion that better sort out dirty hair. Remedies for tangles in often have a greasy base, and, having untangled the hair, it will be possible to safely wash it after that. In addition, tearing through washed hair negatively affects the condition of the cuticle, which leads to the fact that the hair is split and broken.

However, those who prefer to disassemble the dog after washing also give their arguments. According to them, a dirty undercoat is much more difficult to comb out than a clean one, besides, a universal hair dryer-compressor, with which you can quickly and easily dry a dog, will help you break the naughty tangle, which you previously combed with a special comb, with a stream of air. To understand which method is right for you, you need to try both options in practice, and then choose the most appropriate one.

7. If the tangle is so neglected that you cannot do without scissors, do not rush to immediately cut it radically. Try to make a few cuts along the tangle, and then try again to disassemble it with your hands or a comb. So you save some amount of wool, saving the animal from an ugly bald spot on the body. Or use a mat cutter, it will cut the mat apart and allow you to save more wool.

Having dealt with all the tangles, once again carefully comb the pet completely and try to monitor its coat in the future so that tangles do not form. Indeed, in addition to aesthetic rejection, they also cause considerable suffering to the dog. Sometimes animals with soft hair fall off in such a way that the only way to avoid torment is a “zero” haircut with a machine that takes soft wool, incl. in cats, rabbits, guinea pigs.

Lovely fluffy domestic purrs are more popular with most people than shorthaired cats because of their adorable coat. It is a great pleasure for a person to stroke and squeeze a home fluffy. But the same luxurious fur coat gives the animal and its owner a lot of unpleasant minutes if trouble happens to it and instead of silky fur, the hand comes across tangles from the cat.

You need to deal with the situation as soon as possible, otherwise the only thing that can be done when the wool has time to completely fall off is to cut out coarse hairballs, ruining the beautiful fluffy skin of your pet for a long time.

Reasons for the formation of tangles

Most cats do not develop hairballs if they are healthy and able to take care of their fur. But some of the breeds, which have a long fluffy "cotton" coat with a very thick undercoat, are more prone to the formation of matted and compacted wool. This and .

At the same time, such long-haired domestic animals as "Siberians" and Maine Coons suffer less and less often from tangles, since they have a long awn, and mostly lumps form in places of a very thick, wavy and curly undercoat - on the "collar ” and on the “pants”.

Such wool tends to cling to neighboring hairs and becomes strongly compacted, forming a felt - this is the tangle. It occurs in most situations in the following cases:

• the animal is poorly monitored or not combed at all;
• often formations appear during the period when the hair begins to actively climb, and no one helps the cat to get rid of it;
• often the fact that the cat's hair began to fall off indicates that the animal is sick;
• in rare cases, the animal refuses to lick itself, so the owners have to follow its fur, and they wash it with their own and, when lathering, vigorously crumple the wool, resulting in a dense felt;
• tangles are a frequent occurrence in lazy and obese animals.

In most situations with health problems in animals, a person is to blame, so all owners should know exactly how to get rid of tangles in a cat and how to prevent their formation in the future.

Many cat lovers dream of having a fluffy long-haired cat, but not everyone, for many reasons, decides to have such a pet. One of the most common reasons is the need for constant and painstaking hair care. And this is quite fair, because such a fluffy pet needs to be combed out regularly and correctly, and the coat should be treated with special means. Many owners of long-haired cats complain that it only takes a little “start” care, as tangles appear. However, tangles in a cat can also occur for other reasons, which we offer to learn more about right now.

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Why do tangles appear?

Tangles or trichomes occur in both long-haired dogs and cats and are a pathological condition of the animal's coat. With trichomes, the hairs of the wool stick together and tangle with each other into a dense inseparable lump, which feels like a dense felt. Tangles most often occur in hard-to-reach places and where the coat is most exposed to friction: the abdomen, groin area, tail, inside of the paws, less often on the back or neck. Veterinarians associate this phenomenon with poor animal care, as well as with local pathological processes.

The most common cause of tangles in pets is insufficient care or untimely combing. However, among all the factors that cause trichomes, experts include:

Tangles are not only an aesthetic problem: due to metabolic disorders in the skin, they cause discomfort and many skin diseases. Due to discomfort in accessible places, the animal itself may try to tear out or gnaw out mats, injuring the skin.

We remove tangles correctly

Removing tangles from animal hair is not so easy without special tools. Many do not do without scissors or clippers. However, we do not recommend immediately resorting to drastic measures, because this will ruin the pet's chic hair. Of course, if other methods do not help, then there is nowhere to go. The first thing you can try is to take it apart with your hands and comb the matted wool. The second popular and effective method of how to get rid of tangles in a cat is to use a tangle cutter.

Combing

The first thing a cat owner should do after finding tangles on their fur is to try to comb them. To do this, you need to fix the animal in a comfortable position and follow the instructions.

1. If the tangles have formed recently, they can easily be untangled with your hands. To do this, you must first divide the tangle into several strands, then try to disassemble the pieces of hair in parts. Starting from the bottom up, comb through them with a fine-toothed comb.
2. If the tangle was only partially disassembled, for example, the top layer of wool, then the bottom one can be carefully cut lengthwise with a knife or use a tangle cutter.
3. When combing the mat, the skin must be held so that it is not pulled hard and does not cause pain to the animal.

Never bathe your pet before unraveling tangles. This will only exacerbate the problem. However, experts advise to pre-treat the tangle itself and the hair around it with a special combing spray or talcum powder.

Koltunorez

The mat cutter is a modern, convenient and completely safe tool that helps to remove matted hairballs and tangles. In appearance, it resembles a paring knife. Such a tool is equipped with special blades (usually about 10 of them), which are parallel to each other and sharpened on one side only for safe use.

Photogallery "Koltunorezy"

It is necessary to comb the matted wool with a mat cutter in the same way as with a regular comb. The blades of the tool should be turned down, movements - in the direction of the tangle. You can see how the splitter looks like in the video (pro100vesna).

Prevention of tangles

As experts say, it is better to prevent a problem than to get rid of it later. This is especially true for show animals, for which the removal of even minor areas of hair is a disaster. In the most fluffy long-haired cats, the coat after a haircut is completely restored only after 4-5 months. In addition, after cutting, the outer hair may change color. Therefore, for all thoroughbred show cats, the main rule of keeping is proper nutrition and high-quality regular care.

So, what is included in the concept of "regular care" and what does the prevention of tangles mean?

1. Regular combing of wool will allow to remove fallen hairs in a timely manner, to promote the proper metabolism of the skin.
2. Regular bathing of the animal with the use of special shampoos and hygiene products will help keep the coat clean. Clean hairs without skin problems do not fall off and do not tangle, they shine and lie evenly over the entire surface of the body.
3. A balanced diet and additional nutrients and vitamins will help maintain healthy skin and a beautiful coat.
4. If it is not possible to buy an animal in a timely manner, you can use dry shampoo. In addition to maintaining cleanliness, it will help remove static electricity, make the coat soft and shiny.
5. Always use a hair dryer after bathing and comb your cat thoroughly with a special brush.

How to properly care for a long-haired purring pet so that there are no problems with the coat? Grooming expert talks about it.

Part 1

Calm down the cat. Removing tangles is sometimes time consuming and the process can be potentially painful, which is why many cats dislike this procedure. It is very important to start the process while the cat is in a calm state (for example, after a hearty meal), and try to keep her calm throughout the work of removing tangles and detangling hair. Otherwise, it is better to postpone the procedure and return to it at another more appropriate time, instead of forcing a frightened or angry cat to endure the unpleasant process of detangling.

• If you start brushing your cat's coat regularly at an early age, she's more likely to be comfortable with tangle removal. But if the cat steadfastly refuses to tolerate the procedure without showing claws, trying to scratch, running away, and so on, then it would be better to contact a professional groomer or veterinarian.

1. Find and inspect all mats. Some dreadlock-like mats that form on the back or sides are easy to spot, while other mats may be in more hidden places but are also important to remove. Look carefully behind the ears, in the perineum, inside the hind legs, behind the front legs, under the neck and around the anus.

   • If the tangle is very large, such as larger than the ball of your thumb, it's probably best to have it removed by a professional. And if there are signs of irritation or injury to the adjacent skin, it would be wise to contact your veterinarian.

2. Try to untangle the matted hair with your fingers. The first tool you should try to untangle tangled patches of cat fur is your own fingers. Try to unravel the small tangles with your fingers, and loosen the large ones and divide them into smaller parts that will be easier for you to work with. Finger work is usually less painful and less stressful for the cat.

   Try to comb out the tangles. Before taking on more serious tools, after manual work with your fingers, you can try to comb out the tangles with an ordinary cat brush or a flat comb with sparse teeth. Grab the wool under the tangle with your free hand as close to the skin as possible in order to less pull the skin in the process. With quick and short, but at the same time careful movements, begin to comb out the tangle. Work towards the ends of the hair (away from the skin), while starting to act from the area of ​​​​the tangle furthest from the skin and gradually move closer to it.

   • However, don't overdo it. The cat will not be delighted with the tugging of matted wool with a brush and will try to make it hard for you too. If necessary, move on to other tangle removal methods.
   • Although cat lovers may not like this statement, the article "How to Comb Tangles on a Dog" contains a number of good recommendations that apply to cats.

3. Use specialized tools to deal with complex tangles. If you can’t untangle the cat’s hair with your fingers and a brush, then you still have a number of specialized means of dealing with tangles at your disposal. Various people claim to use a wide variety of tools effectively (for example, furminators are quite popular among others), so you will probably need to go through trial and error in this matter. In addition, when choosing specialized tools, you can always consult a groomer or ask a veterinarian for advice.

   • Tools such as tangle cutters allow large tangles to be separated into smaller ones that are easier to untangle later. Between their teeth are sharp blades. At the same time, it is necessary to cut a large tangle into pieces with sawing movements of the tool. Whip cutters are generally considered to be fairly safe as their sharp blades do not protrude beyond the teeth, however even they must be handled with care. After dividing the tangle into small parts, it is necessary to return to unraveling the wool with your fingers, and then with a brush or comb.

4. Cut off the tangles if you can't get rid of them by other means. While the surest way to remove tangles is to cut them off, this should only be done as a last resort. Because of this, the cat not only develops bald patches, which are overgrown with hair for many months, but also increases the risk of injuring the animal. The skin of cats is noticeably thinner and more delicate than that of humans, so it is easy to cut it with scissors or a blade and even injure it by simply rubbing the tool against the skin. If in doubt. that you can perform the procedure safely for the pet, take the cat to a professional.

   • A razor comb (also known as a tangle comb) works like a regular comb, but has blades that shave off hair. Work with it in the same short and quick strokes as you would with a regular comb. Be sure to use your free hand to protect the cat from twitching and always move away from the cat's skin.
   • A clipper will also help to quickly remove tangles, but do not rub it against the cat's skin when working. Friction and hot clipper blades can cause damage to delicate cat skin.
   • Scissors seem like an obvious choice in this case, however, if you are a non-professional, we do not recommend using them. Otherwise, there is a high risk of inflicting stab and cut wounds on the animal. If you decide to use scissors, be sure to place a flat comb or your own fingers between the cat's skin and the blades of the scissors as a precaution.

5. Seek help from a professional. It will not be superfluous to repeat once again - if you doubt your own abilities and that you can independently and safely remove tangles on your pet's coat, do not even try to do this. Tangles often form in rather sensitive areas - on the abdomen, under the neck and in the genital area. No need to take risks, as your accidental mistake can have serious consequences.

Part 2

1. Be attentive to the needs of the cat. As a rule, young, active and healthy cats with short hair are able to take care of their appearance and cope with tangles. On the other hand, older, overweight, and long-haired cats need to be brushed regularly (even daily) to prevent tangles and tangles.

   • The article "How to keep your cat free of tangles" provides important information about proper cat grooming to help prevent tangles.

2. Brush your cat's coat regularly. Even if your cat is grooming well at the moment, regular brushing will make it easier for you and more comfortable for your cat if they become really necessary for her in the future. It's best to start training your cat for brushing as early as possible (while the pet is still a kitten) so that it becomes a completely normal (and ideally enjoyable) routine.

   • Short-haired cats are fairly easy to brush, and you can use almost any type of brush, but many people prefer to work with a rubber-bristled mitt brush. Whichever brush you use, be sure to brush your cat only in the direction of its hair growth.
   • Long-haired cats require more specialized tools, such as slickers (wide brushes with metal bristles) and long-toothed flat metal combs. Use both types of tools to comb both the surface layer of the coat and what lies noticeably deeper. Carefully comb the hair on the belly and neck in an upward direction towards the chin. Then divide the hair on the back with a central parting and comb each side separately.