Dana, the domestic medium-hair cat arrived at our shelter in serious discomfort, such was her badly matted body.
Her fur was matted all the way to her skin and in these circumstances there’s very little our vets can do except clip her hair clean off.
There’s an array of factors that could contribute to medium and long-haired cat breeds becoming uncomfortably and sometimes painfully matted.
You see, cats for the most part, can groom themselves. They are incredibly flexible and while over time some matting is inevitable if we don’t help them, they can usually handle things themselves.
A badly matted cat like Dana could mean she wasn’t groomed by her owner, but it could also be an indication of concern. Restricted movement and therefore an inability to groom properly could indicate arthritis, which is why discovering matting on older cats is not unusual.
Dana has clearly been someone’s pet; she was so relaxed it our vet’s nearly didn’t sedate her for the big shave. (It became clear when we tried to clip those big knots which were very close to her skin that sedation would be the best approach).
Within a few days of the grooming session she was declared healthy by our vets, made available for adoption and rehomed to a loving owner almost immediately which is a terrific result.
However Dana can be a reminder for owners of medium and long-haired breeds to regular check your cat’s fur and don’t ignore any noticeable matting.
Through May and June this year about 30-40% more dogs, more puppies, more cats arrived at our shelter than during the same period last year. We’ve noticed the length of stays with complicated requirements have extended as well.
The joy we get from seeing happy dogs when we approach them keeps us going everyday, but the overwhelming elation we get from seeing a happy dog who has never encountered joy is unbelievable.
