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After reading about putting olive oil on cat's matted hair, I was willing to give it a try. I really wanted to avoid any grooming salons if I could help it. I've tried combing the matted knots out, but I just couldn't they were too tight. This was my last shot before I was forced to take her to the groomer. I applied olive oil on a few spots. My cat was wondering what the heck I was doing. She'd rather be brushed than me putting a substance on her..It wasn't easy. I tried for 3 days, reapplying little by little. Well today, I could see they were kind of hanging there. Still attached tho. I thought.. this olive oil trick didn't work! I took out her comb and Wala! The mats came out super easy! I was so happy and I know my cat was too. I showed my daughter what came off and she was surprised. She was very sceptical. So, give it a try, even if it takes a few days. You will be amazed!
Posted by Susanne L. (Hartwell, Ga) on 09/22/2016 ★★★★★
In reference to my post less than 1 hour ago:
Litter didn't stick to oil; I only use coarse non-clumping unscented clay litter.
Planning on keeping cat (named Fluffy, ... not so fluffy at this time, but happier) in the kennel so I can brush him, spoil him, pet him so when I let him out it will be on a good note.
Also give him fish oil (poke with thumtag and squeeze it out of capsule) for his sore skin. Gave it to dog every before that hat inflammed skin from rash and it worked wonders after about a week or so. Not every cat is fond of fish oil and licks is readily of the plate like Fluffy does. I use a medicine container with a dropper that had antibiotics in it from the vet (cleaned out of course) and give it to my cats into their cheeks.
Posted by Kennywally (Midwest) on 09/22/2016 46 posts
Don't forget to give him minerals, just like on the farm, for him to lick, I say give it to the dogs too, and us people could use minerals as well, but the doctors never mention them, like they forgot or something. Farmers keep their animals pretty healthy by just leaving out the block to lick. And lastly, Linus Pauling said, "all chronic illnesses can be traced back to mineral deficiency"! Do a search and see for yourself!
Posted by Valerie (Danville, California) on 08/27/2016 ★★★★★
Oh my word! I just tried the cornstarch treatment on my cats' matted fur. It worked amazingly well! I just kept gently massaging it in while she was munching treats and the fur literally fell off in my hands! Miracle cure! Just have a small bowl of it near you so you can keep reapplying it as needed, and be forewarned that it is slightly messy but it WORKS! The cat is happy too!
When making the coconut oil mixture w the water do you melt the oil then mix in water? My coconut oil is in a jar & still at the mostly solid (white stuff) stage.
Regarding the coconut oil & water spray mixture for kittys matted coat....Do I melt the coconut oil before mixing with the water in the spray bottle? My coconut oil is still at the white semi solid stage in a jar.
Also are these being used for large matts? Poor kitty Main Coon/Siberian hybrid has matts on rear, by butt, and on lower belly from "splash back" from clumping litter combined with multilayer shedding. We've trimmed him some with scissors and 1 short short shaving session but there's still some to go. So before Shaving Round 2 Id like to rid as many as possible tq minimize the shaving necessary.
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
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Posted by Patty Wilfert (Cincinnati, Ohio) on 10/05/2015 ★★★★★
I was so happy to find this site with the perfect remedy to my 2 year old Maine Coon's ever growing Matt problem.... Between back legs and 'arm pits'. Had him shaved about a year ago, did not have to be anesthetized then, but this time had reluctantly scheduled to have him shaved, but anesthesized. I then looked for alternatives and found YOU....did the preliminary clipping with new blunt nosed grooming scissors purchased from Amazon. I then used a dropped filled with olive oil and rubbed into Matt with fingers. Some matts took a couple applications..lout soon, all were gone! Now, it is fall again, and hair is growing longer and new matts started forming....but I tweeted the matts with a tooth brush, with Benji lying on my lap, belly up.
Then I got the bright idea after trimming Matt as much as possible, to just moisten mt fingers with a little soft butter....voila...the matts disappeared within one day! ( and I think less messy than any oils, plus the kitty must've enjoyed his buttery job, licking his fur! ). Good luck to everyone who tries BUTTER, I think it's the perfect solution to Matt removal.....that no groomer would ever tell yu about!
What about lanolin? I would think it being a natural animal product (mainly from sheep, I think) it would be safe and effective? I'm sure it would make his coat nice and shiny, but I'm wondering if it would help the mats in his fur any. :)
Posted by Sue (St. Jospeh, Mi) on 05/12/2015 ★★★★★
Several people have posted that they used oil on their cat's matted hair. I have tried it before and never had any luck, but my cat must have gotten into some sap or something very sticky, so I tried it again. She was so matted up. I didn't even know where to begin. Out of desperation, I got out the bottle of olive oil and really soaked some of the big matts. I really felt sorry for her because there were so many. I want to tell you, that it really does work. I think that I may not have soaked the matts enough on my past attempts. Also, it didn't take just one time. I could see after a couple of days that they were definitely coming lose so I reapplied again and sure enough, they came loose enough that I could cut them off. She still has more but I am working on them a few at a time. So, if you have tried it before and it didn't work, just keep oiling until you see them coming loose. It might take a few days before you notice it.
Posted by Pam E. (South Western California) on 11/28/2023 148 posts
This article (Matted Fur Remedies) suggests using Witch-hazel. I don't have any Witch-hazel, tho, so may try Aloe vera gel. And give a tiny bit of MSM mixed in their food.
Posted by Penwright (Bloomington, Mn, Unite States) on 07/07/2013 ★★★☆☆
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
I used the olive oil, and within a day, those mats are gone. But so is his fur, in those spots. In other words, I have a, partially, bald cat. Is this supposed to happen? I have to treat his whole body as he is a Maine Coon with mats all over him. No amount of brushing has helped keep them away either.
One thing is, I changed his litter back to natural and got rid of clay, which cats will eat off their paws. This concerned me for two reasons. Blue Grand has a bowel situation if his food is wrong or I am using the wrong litter. I discovered cats do not like perfumey smells or if they don't like their litter, they won't groom themselves. I believe that was the problem.
Anyway, I am concerned we are going to have an all bald cat. Any ideas? I have to do some more treatment today.
I was so happy to find this information. I have been so upset and worried about my 16 year old cat. He is not grooming himself anymore, and has long hair, so a lot of matting. I could not keep up with the matts even with brushing all of the time. He has a rather large one on his lower back by his tail and very close to his skin. I have been worried sick about it because I know it has to be painful. I tried the mineral oil on him last night... I see one matt might be loosening up a little bit. The big one has not yet, so I applied more today. We will see!!
Our 15 year old white short haired cat also began getting matted a month or so ago. Reading about the hazards of mineral oil for cats I have determined that rubbing mineral oil (baby oil-unscented) into our cat's fur is not dangerous at all. The concern about mineral oil is that it is a light/odorless/tasteless liquid that when placed in front of a cat's mouth/nose he may enhale the liquid into his lungs because he cannot smell or taste it. Basically the cat doesn't realize anything is there until he's inhaled the liquid. When the oil is rubbed into the cat's fur, the cat cannot [in essence] drown in the liquid if he licks it off his fur.
I'm a reasonably intelligent person, but it took me a little while to unravel the concerns that were being expressed and realize there are no "dangerous fumes" or anything that the cat would inhale if the mineral oil is rubbed into his coat.
True, mineral oil is useful as a laxative and/or stool softener. Our old feline is also a little "sluggish" so I'm hoping this matted fur remedy will also help his digestive tract as he IS licking and grooming himself now. We did apply mineral oil to his coat two days ago and have noticed good improvement in the [formerly] matted fur. Yesterday I used a medicine dropper to apply the oil closer to the roots of the fur. Our little cat is no longer growling and hissing at us when we rub him anywhere near those mats. He seems to be feeling much better already! I think the oil itself is soothing to his tender skin underneath the mats.
I do agree with some of the other posts; I'm not sure if the fragrance in baby oil is dangerous for cats, but the purer form of plain mineral oil seemed to be a better choice "just in case".
I have been looking for a way to rid my older norwegian mix cat of matts. I have been cutting them off but have not been able to get them completely free, and he is a lumpy mess. He was a rescue cat and we got him when he was oldr and no one must have groomed him as he hates being brushed but over the past 4 years I have been able to have him tolerate me brushing but the matts pull and he growls at me so I am hoping this will work. Getting the baby oil tomorrow. Thanks for the suggestions..
Posted by Julie (Brighton, Sussex, Uk) on 06/14/2016
We have a ragdoll and a Norwegion ginger boy about 8 years old and the last two years he has got matted and this year worse than ever. I found that it was because he is lying in the long grasses and turning and twirling about is matting the fur. He has got quite lazy too. I have had to cut some of the matted bits off but making sure your fingers are holding the mat right close to the skin, then work off the above bits; and if any cutting would be to your self. and then get the top parts off by your means you mention. Oh, for the love of cats! Julie with thanks.
Posted by Rainy (Preston, Lancashire) on 05/11/2011
omg I can't wait to try it, I tried combing babba's fur to get her mats out and she got so stressed out I felt cruel, I know it is painful for her. She's having a snooze right now so I will try it when she wakes up. Great suggestion I hope it works for babba
Posted by Rainy (Preston, Lancashire) on 05/13/2011 ★☆☆☆☆
BIG FAT fail olive oil didn't work and now beacuse she is a white cat, she has a dubious looking yellow patch on her back, looks like something weed on her and tats are worse than ever ;((
I just read all the reviews, went and got the baby oil, cause my cat is so knatted on her back. It is hard to touch her there. I just squirted her and she took off. I will check her later to see maybe so hair somewhere other then her back, will let you know the results.
Posted by Babyjoenala (Hamilton, Ontario) on 06/30/2012
Since I don't have baby oil, I am going to start with Olive oil. I can't wait to try this. My girl has a huge matt above her tail. I tried cutting it out but she gets really nasty. I will send an update. If that doesn't work. Im in for the baby oil.
I used canola oil and it seems to work well. I put a liberal amount on my cat and worked it in. Made fur very oily but most clumps are working out nicely. Maggie (my 18 year old long hair) is grooming it out and as she is grooming the clumps come out. It is also much easier to comb her, and I'm betting it will help with my wife's alergies.
Try to get near kitty's skin. Be gentle and patient. Mats will loosen. Please don't cut with scissors or clippers as hard to see where fur and skin is. Keep it up.
Never cut, too risky, if you slip you'll have one sore cat and could end up paying the vet a lot of money to stitch her up. Keep up the oil! Flannel off excess with pure water, never soap.
Posted by Ann (Bingley, Yorkshire, England) on 06/01/2011 ★★★☆☆
BETTER BUT WITH SIDE EFFECTS
Thanks so much for the baby oil suggestion. Our long haired cat is 19 years old and has stopped grooming and coat covered in mats. We have been trying to cut out but frightened we might hurt her. Think she wouldn't cope with a full coat shaving as recommended on some web sites. Read your postings re baby oil and decided to give it a try. To our amazement it is working and mats are sliding off. Not sure how its working but it is. Be grateful for any advice re what to do now with one very oily cat. Mats are going but coat now covered in oil. Will it eventually wear off or do we need to do something to remove oil? Be grateful for advice.
I would suggest bathing him in dish liquid or something similar that cuts grease. They use it on birds that get oil on them from oil tankers that spill in the ocean.
Great thread guys! I used vita oil on my himalayan but it was to thick so now he's a greasy matted static mess. I'll try some oil on the large grouping of smaller matts then wash him down with dish soap. Has anyone used human shampoo and conditioner on your cat?
The wonderful Theresa from Minneapolis, MN has been helping pet owners and their beloved pets around the world on Earth Clinic since 2013.
About Theresa
Theresa from Minneapolis was born and raised in the inner city, always wishing she had been raised on a farm.
Her love for creatures great and small began at an early age, starting with caterpillars - which continues to this day, along with an interest in all insects and 'creepy crawlies'.
Theresa's interest in pet health started with a bird keeping hobby at age 14, where she learned from another hobbyist that the simple addition of Apple Cider Vinegar (ACV) in a bird's drinking water kept fungal infections away; she was able to share this with her avian vet who in turn prescribed it to her own clients; Theresa was surprised to learn that she could teach her vet a thing or two. This important lesson - that each of us can be a teacher - was a turning point for Theresa, and fueled her quest for the knowledge held in lore, and remedies passed by word of mouth. That quest for knowledge continues to this day, as new and old remedies alike are explored. She may not have experience with a particular issue, but she will research it to the best of her ability and share what she finds freely, in the hopes that you can heal or improve your pet's health.
-----------------------------
How To Show Theresa Your Appreciation
If you would like to thank Theresa for her helpful posts, she asks if you would please consider making a donation to one of her favorite local rescue organizations, or by making a donation to help the genius contributor, Ted from Bangkok, recover from his stroke.
Human shampoo should be fine on your himi as long as you follow up with a final vinegar rinse to restore the balance of the PH on the skin - use 1 part vinegar to 10 parts water. Do keep in mind that when you wash and dry matted fur the mat shrinks when it dries; this could cause tremendous pain for your himi. Please consider cutting the mat out or seeing a groomer if you cannot work the mat out.
No please don't use any dishwasher or soap just sponge her with water then towel dry. Putting any soap unless special vet soap is toxic and makes Matt's worse.
Posted by Joan (Dubuque, Iowa) on 07/18/2010 ★★★★★
Our poor 16 yr. Old longhaired cat had many areas of matted fur, as he doesn't groom himself as well as he used to do; also, he wasn't allowing us to brush his fur. Read comments about the baby oil, and he does let us put this on the mats, and I did soak them well! It's amazing how effective this is; we did reapply baby oil to several stubborn areas. It has been a week now and all but a few spots are mat free. The mats mostly fell off; I did have to clip a tiny bit at a very large one which was loose and hanging. I sprinkled a little corn starch on his fur to get rid of some oil, and brushed it very lightly in the areas which are mat free. Will do this to his legs and tummy once those mats are gone. The baby oil works like a charm and hasn't made him sick; he is now letting me brush him for brief periods. I think brushing was hurting him before.
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.
Posted by Angela (Kittery, Me) on 01/09/2012 ★★★★★
I have to say, it is working!! I started off with olive oil on my very matted Maine Coon cat and that seemed to loosen them up but they weren't really falling off. So about 4 days later I purchased baby oil, and it's working!!! My old man is soooo matted.. He is 16 years old and it has gotten worse since his companion cat died 5 years ago. Every time I check the ones between his legs are hanging more and coming along... But for us is it's not a 24 hour thing, I think it will be another week of reapplying before they come off completely, but he is super happy. I'm not trying to brush him as he hates it!! I use a baby medicine dropper syringe to apply and I have put blankets on my couches to soak up any oil so that I don't ruin my couches. I think the prob is I'm doing it just a little at a time and not just drenching him bc I don't want my furniture ruined.
Posted by Upset Cat Owner (Peterborough, Cambs) on 05/28/2012
I have a half chinchilla/half burmilla 2 year old cat. He has severe mats and I have been so upset about them. I know he is upset as well. I was scared of taking him to the vets to get him shaved, I am so happy I found this site, I am going to try the baby oil on him, I will do one area at a time. Fingers crossed I hope this works for him. I will let you know what happens. His fur is like a huge matted lump all down his back and differents areas.
Posted by Snuggle (Long Boat Key, Florida) on 01/05/2010
um well my cat wont let me put anything on his fur, i brush his fur regularly so it stops more matted fur from coming but he still has his old matted fur, sometimes he lets me cut it out or work it out with my fingers, but very very rarely. What should i do?
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?
Posted by Joujou73 (Sydney, Nsw, Australia) on 03/27/2011
Why not try Olive Oil, Paraffin Oil or Castor Oil instead?? All are edible and cannot do any harm to your poor old puss. May also help with going to the toilet. It helps my mum, lol.
I was a bit hesitant putting baby oil on my cat too so I used the Paraffin Oil and they have all dropped off. A miracle. I was too scared to shave the area myself because they are close to the skin and he is a Chinchilla and their fur is the softest finest fur of them all.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
Posted by Jc (Gulf Coast, Mississippi) on 03/23/2018
Curious as to how much baby oil did you use on the cat? Did you use cotton ball or put it on your hands? Did you pour it on the cat and rub it in? Anybody?
I use thinning shears to thin out/shorten the hair in areas prone to mats. You still need to be careful not to cut the kitty, but you don't necessarily have to cut down to the root of the fur. Once thinned out, then you can brush out the remainder of the mat. It leaves the fur looking a bit more natural than shaving or cutting with scissors.
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")
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!
Thanks for the baby oil advice! I rubbed a generous amount on each of my older (and fat) cat's back where I couldn't comb the mats out ( well - I could if I wanted lots of cat scratches on my hands) . Anyway - I watched her for a couple of days to see if she would bite or clean the oil and mats off ( as someone thought might be happening) but I never saw her once trying to groom her back ( which would be sort of impossible for her anyway)-- but what I did notice was little clumps of the hard fur here and there around the house. I just looked at her fur and it's perfect again! I did trim the clumps first - being very careful to not cut close to her skin. Now I have to figure how to wash the baby oil out without getting scratched to death!!! :)
Posted by Kit Thachuk (Vancouver, British Columbia) on 08/20/2016
Hi Diane: Isn't technology today a miracle.
I just read your letter re: baby oil to remove your cats fur lumps. Have been caring for a badly neglected Main Coon cat for 3 wks. & have been trying everything to help him get rid of these big fur lumps he is carrying around (10 yrs. old). Have been applying baby oil for past 3 days (1 lrg. lump at a time)slowly trying to get his trust and feel comfortable with me. Did you find a solution to get the oil off the rest of his hair...it is a mess. Any info. would be greatly appreciated. Thank you,
Posted by Suseeq (Sydney, Australia) on 08/20/2016
Hi Kit, use spray coconut oil. It doesn't matter if it is ingested by the cat and it is nowhere near as messy. Only spray knots, work through with fingers, then comb out - easy peasy.
My feral kitty has horrible big mats on his back, he will NOT let me near them, no vet either. and I cannot afford a vet anyway, any solutions? Can I give him a piece of Xanax to make him sleepy so I can cut them off??? HELP!!!!
I rescue feral cats who cannot be handled. My experience with mats is this.. they will eventually come off. I used to trap them, take them to a vet for sedation and have them shaved. The mats would return and in some cases be worse.. they will come off themselves, may take awhile.
No Xanax not the best. Put in cage and get vet to sedate and sort. Please never ever cut unless you get a fine tooth comb near skin and then hair at end however you need to be soo careful as many times you could end up cutting your precious fur baby and will end up paying heaps to get them stitched.Their pain and your finances will suffer. Good luck
Lather lather coconut oil to base and the whole Matt. Never ever cut unless you have fine tooth comb and then cut on top but even then you have to be super super careful. If you slip could end up cutting the cats skin terribly. Just keep the oil up and then when oil makes a mess in other places then just flannel of with just pure water never soap as toxic. Good luck.
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