My black three year old Maine Coon has, in the last month or so, started to "mat up" all over his back- for no apparent reason. His twin brother shows none of this. The mats themselves are almost rake-proof as they are so close to his skin. He is acting normally, however. My questions are these: should I take him to a vet for a diagnosis? a groomer for a partial shave? Is there a super-shampoo I can administer? I comb them constantly but these mats almost seem to spring up overnight. Any ideas as to what could be causing them? Thanks, Chris.

-- Anonymous, April 19, 1999

Answers

Hi there, You don't indicate what part of the country you are from or if your boys play together a lot. Aside from the matting do you detect any other skin conditions? The seasons this year have caused a lot of un normal sheding (or lack therof)/ Depending on the type of coat (more coarse, or silky, your brush could be adding static electricity and matting. For those that are close to the skin, try a seam ripper- a sewing tool available in most notions stores. This is much safer than scissors as the guard goes against the skin and the blade is relatively small and protected. Bathing the cat without eliminating the mats can worsen the situation. I would have the vet check the cat as your boy may be doing a lot of scratching (fleas, allergy, dry skin or ???)Good luck. Farrell

-- Anonymous, September 16, 1999