Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair – A Natural Cat Mat Remedy

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Matted cat hair can be stressful because they are difficult to handle. Cutting out mats is the last thing you want to do, and it is important to consider your cat’s skin too. Often, if you have a cat that has sensitive skin, then you may leave them to their own devices to look after their own coat because too much brushing can really irritate their skin. Finding the balance of how often you need to groom your cat can be difficult, and sometimes, this may lead to mats forming in their fur. Getting rid of mats is a taxing job. It is important that once you have found matting, you should try to get rid of it straight away. Otherwise, the mat will not only just keep growing, but it will become more difficult to remove. There are a few remedies that are good to use for removing cat mats. One of the best ways to remove cat fur mats is using natural remedies. The following guide is a run-through of the best ways to use coconut oil to get rid of mats from your cat’s fur, in a safe manner.

Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair

Table of Contents

Does Coconut Oil Help with Matted Cat Fur?

Coconut oil is a fantastic remedy for cat hair mats because it is 100% natural and will not irritate sensitive skin.

If your cat suffers from dry skin, it is also a great solution for not only getting rid of the mat on their fur but moisturizing their skin too.

How to un-mat your cat’s fur using coconut oil

While some short-haired cats should be able to keep their fur in check, sometimes they can also get stuck with small mats in their fur. Long-haired cats will have a more difficult time keeping their coat in check on their own and should be groomed regularly.

If you have found a mat in your cat’s fur, follow this simple guide on how I recommend you remove a mat from your cat’s fur.

Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair

Unmatting your cat’s fur

  1. Start the unmatting process by petting your cat and getting them nice and comfortable. Keep talking to them throughout the process in a calm soothing voice while petting them. Keep repeating this throughout to keep their minds calm. If you are finding this too difficult to calm your cat, it may be worth bringing your cat to a professional, such as a groomer or vet.
  2. Once you have found the location of the mat, take some coconut oil (or even olive oil), and rub it around in the palm of your hand. This will help to liquefy the oil if it is in solid form.
  3. Next, rub the oil into the mat with your thumb and index finger. Massage the mat for a little while. You can leave the coconut oil on the mat for up to 24 hours.
  4. After this time, you can check on your cat’s mat and try to tease it out with your fingers or lightly pull at it with a brush. If this does not work, you can repeat the process again a couple of times, trying to detangle the mats as best as you can. You can usually break down larger mats into smaller ones by this process, which will make it easier to deal with. If the mat is quite big and you are finding it difficult to tease through you may need to resort to more

Recipe for Detangler Using Coconut Oil

Coconut oil is a great product for your cat’s fur. When applied to their skin, it can make their hair shinier, which helps to reduce the damage. This is thanks to the lauric acid found in coconut oil. This fatty acid is a special chemical that makes it easier to separate individual hairs with more ease.

Ingredients

  • Just coconut oil!

Instructions

  1. Pop your coconut oil in a microwave-safe container and stick it in the microwave. This will heat it and turn your coconut from a solid to a liquid. Make sure you don’t leave it in the microwave for too long, and this can cause burns. 10 seconds should probably do it.
  2. If it is still solid, stir the oil or try to break up the big clumps. Place it back in the microwave for another 10 seconds.
  3. Check the temperature of the oil before you put it on your cat’s skin, you should be able to easily put your hand into the oil without any pain at all.
  4. Dip your fingers into the oil and massage it around in your hand before using this to massage into the hair mat on your cat.
  5. Rub it around the mat so it has penetrated the mat completely. You should leave the coconut oil on the mat for at least 20 minutes which will give the coconut oil time to work into the mat.
  6. Next, you should tease out the mat using a wide-tooth comb. Hold onto your cat’s skin and use a soothing voice, then from the outside, start to tease out the mat. If there is no movement, you can add more coconut oil to the mat and leave it for up to 24 hours.
  7. Slowly try to tease out the mat using your comb. If there is still no movement, then just keep reapplying coconut oil every 24 hours for up to a week. Often, their hair mat can fall out naturally while your cat is grooming themselves.
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Tips for using coconut oil for cat hair mats

Coconut oil is a natural product and won’t make your cat sick if they lick it out of their fur. But, be aware not to put too much in. Especially if you are doing this over a prolonged period.

There is a lot of fat in coconut oil which could cause your cat to put on weight if using this method over time. Saying that they may not like the taste and avoid licking that area altogether.

Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair

How to Prevent Matted Fur

There are a few different preventative methods that you can use in order to keep your cats fur on top condition. This is the best way to ensure you won’t find yourself in the same situation again!

Proper Grooming

Do you have a long-haired cat? Or even a short-haired one who is getting a little older and less able to look after itself? It is important to properly groom your cat in these instances at regular intervals. Pet grooming is quite dependent on the following three factors:

  • being timely
  • using the correct grooming tools
  • and using the right cleaners

Cats are self-grooming animals, meaning you won’t have to give your cat a bath. Saying that it is important to regularly check their fur in order to see early signs of tangles and mats.

If you do want to give your cat a bath, make sure that you are not just using any type of shampoo on your cat. Make sure that you use a cat shampoo and conditioner. These products are specifically produced with your cats hair and skin needs in mind

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After bathing your cat, make sure to pay attention to what you are using to dry your cat’s fur. Also, ensure you stay gentle when trying to dry them. This can be another cause for matting – vigorous drying.

Finally, it is important that you regularly brush your cat’s fur using a cat-friendly brush. This helps to remove any of their shedding fur, while preventing any irritation to their skin.

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Diet

Ever heard that the food that you eat can eventually affect the quality of your hair? Well, the same goes for your feline friend!

Diet actually plays a super important role in the quality of your cat’s fur. This makes it very important to provide your cat with a healthy balanced diet. This will result in a soft silky coat. Dry foods are actually known to be notorious for causing damage to the condition of your cat’s fur. This then results in your cat’s fur being very susceptible to mats and tangles.

If you are considering a diet switch for your cat, you should try adding fish oil capsules. They are great for keeping your cat’s skin and fur healthy. Healthier hair will also be much more manageable. This will decrease the amount of time that you need to spend grooming your cat.

Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair – A Natural Cat Mat Remedy

Coconut oil for matted cats’ fur – solved!

Hopefully, this guide will help you to detangle those pesky mats from your cat’s fur. Sans the need for taking any further action, such as cutting out the mat.

It can be unsightly having to cut out chunks of your cat’s fur. So following the tips and tricks I have outlined will be a great way to prevent having to do this. If you have any questions or queries, let me know in the comments section!

Coconut Oil For Matted Cat Hair FAQs

Can You Apply Coconut Oil To Cats?

You can use small amounts of coconut oil on your cat’s fur to remove mats and to help moisturize their skin, but do not introduce too much too quickly. It can cause upset to your cats stomach.