Right got another Foster kitty coming tomorrow hopefully she is a huge Persian and has been on the street for a bout 3 weeks so got completely matted.

I have been told that talc works.... ot tried it before
With Tilly i gave her a bath and bit by bit de-knotted and cut the really bad bits away any other tips

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clip claws - bath, soak in conditioner and brush out what you can before rinsing *thoroughly*

however if majorly matted kindest thing is just clip and keep groomed as it grows back in

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yeah i dont know how bad it is yet but she got lost on her way to a home and got out been on the streets the poor thing

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Poor little love!
Look, I have never bathed and de-matted a cat so could well be talking rubbish, but I think I read that wetting the fur will actually make matts and tangles worse, tighter.
Being a Persian she should be used to being groomed so that might make your job a bit easier, if not....would the rescue fund a groomer or clipping at the vet's?
I know when I took a rescue Persian in to Patsy at Rusden she was covered in big matts and had 'shoes' on her poor little feet.....the experienced ladies groomed her with a basic comb quite vigorously I have to say and she sat as good as gold and let them do it.

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Millie and Monty, the White Devils!

yeah was suprised Ruby the foster wasnt from Patsy's tbh she normally has them but she is from Feline Network so if it is that bad i can get her de-matted hopefully i can do it as the poor thing is still quite shaken up from her escapades that will teach her from running away lol

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tight matts/fur matted to fur = don't wet

mucky matts (mud/gunk/poo) = the soaking with conditioner


as mentioned above though - it depends on the cat

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With regard to bathing and wetting the fur, I agree with Paddypaws - apparently it only makes the knots and the matting situation worse

Yes, perhaps you might have thought that a good bath with some shampoo & conditioner might do the trick, but I have read that you just end up in a worse situation.

Non-perfumed baby powder ( like Johnsons ) and a metal wide tooth comb I think is the way to go.

How old is the Persian?

With my Afghans I "never" bathed a dog with any tangles/matts in its coat as it made matters so much worse,making the matted hair far tighter,I assume the same principal applies to cats.If the matts are to bad for a comb and brush it would probably be kinder to cut/shave them off as a cats skin can be very thin.

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i seem to remember that Ruby is quite an elderly lady. i was overjoyed to hear she was found as i know how lacking in street skills my elderly persians would be if they ever escaped. [I am assuming she is the persian who escaped in Essex]. i totally agree about the not bathing. hopefully Ambercat will be along to give some advice she's a fellow persian cat owner and is a professional cat groomer. you can get matt splitters which will help.

I had a persian from a rescue many years ago and he had to be shaved cos he was so badly matted grew back lovely though and didnt take long either really! Poor little thing

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