The comments below reflect the personal experiences and opinions of readers and do not represent medical advice or the views of this website. The information shared has not been evaluated by the FDA and is not intended to diagnose, treat, or prevent any disease or health condition. Always consult a qualified healthcare professional for medical concerns.
Vegetable Shortening
Posted by Nicole (Redmond, WA) on 07/23/2009
★★★★★
My German Shepherd got tree sap on his back. After reading that tree sap is also known as "pine tar," I tried the Crisco shortening that you recommended for getting out tar. I used about 1 tsp and rubbed it into his fur with my fingers, then wiped it with a paper towel and followed with a pre-moistened towelette to remove excess. (I didn't want to give him a full bath b/c the sap was only a small amount, and he HATES to be bathed!) It worked pretty well to get rid of the sap; the fur is still a bit rougher than the surrounding fur, but no longer sticky. I'm guessing it will be back to normal after his next bath. He did try to eat the shortening, but most of it was already removed by the paper towel and towelette.
Baby Oil
Posted by Pat Carlock (Tulsa, Ok.) on 03/18/2009
★★★★★
We have an American Bob-Tail cat and they have very thick hair. She got matted hair all on both side, put baby oil on just the matts and worked into the hair, it works great, matts are gone and she is so happy!! Don't try to comb or brush then it does no good and is very painful to the cat. They will fall out or be gone in about a week , it is wonderful. Hope this is a help to someone.
Baby Powder and Conditioner
Posted by Kay (Menomenee, Wi) on 03/10/2009
★★★★★
cat matts: I found that baby powder works pretty good and maybe some conditioner put that in the matt to loosen it and bath your cat after your done.
Baby Oil
Posted by Steve (Sedalia, Missouri) on 03/10/2009
★☆☆☆☆
NAY
It did not work. We left the baby oil on our Persian cat's severely matted fur for over 48 hours, and it did nothing whatsoever to help the problem.
I am wondering if the people who said that it worked allowed their cats to groom themselves freely after the baby oil was applied? I'm asking this because on another website, it mentions that baby oil is scented mineral oil, and that mineral oil will block the intestines when consumed.
So, we put a cone on our cat to prevent her from grooming and thereby consuming the baby oil.
In other words, the baby oil by itself does nothing. It's more likely that it is the constant licking the cats do to try to clean the baby oil off of themselves that actually pulls the matted fur out over 24-48 hours.
How is the health of any of the cats whose owners used this remedy? Did they encounter any problems from their cats consuming the baby oil?
Baby Oil
Posted by Betty (Eureka, CA USA) on 10/22/2008
I'm planning to use the baby oil treatment for matted hair on one of my cats. His is really big though...like 5 x 3 1/2 inches wide probably, and about 2 1/2 inches tall...do you think it will work on one that big? It's on his back in front of his tail. I've cut and shaved some off, but it's really hard to get anything to work on it because it is all stuck together. I'm afraid if I try to shave it from the bottom, I'll cut his skin...so I'd rather try this.
Baby Oil
Posted by Prissy100 (Santa Barbara, California) on 10/14/2008
★★★★★
I poured some Baby Oil first on just a couple of matted/tangled fur lumps. Yes indeedy, this definitely works. Within a few days they fell off. Thank you so much, my cat I'm sure feels better now laying down on his sides, it must've hurt. I have about 4-5 fur lumps left to do. I've been brushing him daily and this has helped too. I looked at other links for answers and there weren't any that mentioned anything about using Baby Oil.
Baby Oil
Posted by Minta (USA) on 10/13/2008
Like Linda from Long Island, I would like to find the original article about using baby oil for matted hair. Do you soak it? Do you just rub it in all over? Do you just rub it in at the base of the mat? It would sure be nice to have more than one remedy article posted at a time!
Baby Oil
Posted by Pam (Maybell, CO) on 08/16/2008
★★★★★
Thank you for the advise on the Baby oil for the large matts on our cat. I applied it close to the skin and the small ones came off the next day, and the large matt came off in two days. I have tried everything in the last few months trying to get the matts out. I couldn't believe how easy it was and how fast it worked.
Baby Oil
Posted by Jill (West Long Branch, New Jersey) on 08/11/2008
★★★★★
I tried the BABY Oil this past weekend. It is truely amazing. The cat was very uncomfortable and I just squeezed the baby oil close to her skin soaking it with the baby oil. I did not touch or rub it in because it hurt her for me to touch her. The large matts fell off in 2 days. I gave it a second doze of baby oil on the second day. I usually shave her twice a year but I didn't get to it.
Baby Oil
Posted by Joe (Burlington, USA) on 04/23/2008
★★★★★
The idea of Baby Oil to rid my cat of matted fur worked great! Chyli, a jet black himmy, had numerous clumps hanging from him like saddle bags on a horse! This episode was the second of this. The first time this happened to him, we had our vet shave him. She could find no health reasons for the clumping, other than his age (16 years), and may not be as nimble when it comes to him cleaning himself due to his age. Not wanting to shave the poor guy again, I tried the baby oil and the mats fell off on their own. His fur grew back to its normal long silky texture quickly and he has not had any clumping in the last 8 months.
Baby Oil
Posted by Heather (Cranston, Rhode Island) on 07/05/2007
★★★★★
My long haired calico developed matted fur in a section on her back near her tail, i tried everything, brushing, buying expensive so called detangler from the pet store... NOTHING worked. i read this about the baby oil and the results are amazing.. within 2 days, a mat on her back the size of a half dollar completely loosened from her skin where it was once attached, and now, the 3rd day, it is barely hanging on!! i was skeptical at first because i didnt want to make her sick because i knew she would lick that spot after the baby oil was applied.. but she was fine! thanks for the advice!!
Baby Oil
Posted by Michelle (Las Vegas , Nevada) on 04/29/2007
★★★★★
Baby Oil is the ultimate best cure for clumped hair on dogs or cats. I had a cat that would not let you touch her she was so completely miserable from this matted up hair that was the size of my hand it was pulling on her skin and making her uncomfortable and very mean. no scissors no electric anything just get baby oil and squirt it on the matted fur generously and the animal does nothing the baby oil loosens the hair off the skin and the clump in 4 days just drops right off. baby oil didn't make any of the cats or dogs I have encountered sick they were so relieved and comfortable it didn't matter to them that now there is a bare spot where the fur was i mean it drops and loosens immediately within 4 days or less there will be no more matts but very happy cats. you may want to test an area just incase your pet is allergic to something somehow. it is amazing. some animals may be embarrassed if there all matts and they become but naked. I never had a complaint yet. thanks please let me know what you think.
Baby Oil
Posted by Pat (Kissimmee, Florida) on 07/21/2007
★★★★★
My cat had two large hair mats and no matter what my husband I did to remove them our cat just would not let us near them. We tried the baby oil on one of them and much to our amazement it was off in two days. So then we put some baby oil on the other one and also in two days it was gone. We cannot express how happy we are and also our cat is even happier. Thank you so much.We really did do alot of fretting about his mats and never realized the problem would be so easy to get rid of. Again thank you so much.
Baby Oil
Posted by Vicki (Orchard Park, NY) on 11/11/2007
★★★★★
My Himalayan cat Sophie was so unahppy with so many mats. When I read and tried your suggestion of baby oil - we were all very relieved. The only challenge we faced was getting her to hold still wrapped inside a large towel. Needless to say, Sophie wound up with baby oil all over her. You advice was true! within several days a couple of the mats did fall our. The huge ones did need an extra application to work. My mom, who is skeptical about everything, was amazed at the success. In any case, after about a month of looking pretty unhappy and a bit oily, she was as proud as every about her new look. For the first time in the three years we have had her (she was a pre-owned cat, she now allows us to pet and groom her. Thanks for making Sophie and her family so happy.
Baby Oil
Posted by Joseph (Burlington, NJ) on 01/26/2008
★★★★★
Regarding BABY OIL FOR CLUMPED HAIR, this method is a miracle. My Himmy Chily was a matted mess! He's 17 years old. All efforts failed to remove his clumps. Until the Baby Oil came along. It's true. On the second day there were clumps all over the carpet. Chily was acting more of his spry self. It took two more applications, but he enjoyed each one more than I thought he would. His fur is quickly returning to it's former grace and he is most happy for it!
Baby Oil
Posted by Linda (Long Island, NY) on 03/15/2008
★★★★★
I read your brief article and the few comments on using baby oil to remove matted fur knots from dogs and cats. I'm delighted to find an alternative to shaving my cat's fur. 1. Where can I find the original article commenters referred to? How much do you use - any directions for applying? 2. How do you keep from getting the oil all over your house while doing this cure? 3. Would pure mineral oil would work just like baby oil (isn't baby oil just mineral oil with fragrance added)? Big thanks, Linda (and "Blondie")
Baby Oil
Posted by Linda (Long Island, NY) on 03/27/2008
★☆☆☆☆
I tried this method on my cat, Blondie. Unfortunately, it was not effective, and we have quite an oily mess to clean up. I'll be bringing her to our vet so he can remove the mats. :( Had hoped to avoid shaving her -- you know how self-conscious our cats are about their appearance.
