Cat tangles: reasons, how to get rid of them. Prevention of tangles in cats with long hair

The tangles that form on a pet are a real scourge for owners of long and wire-haired dog breeds.

Luxurious flowing mane, which is the pride of the show animal, requires daily combing and skilled care.

This is the only way you can avoid the occurrence of areas that have fallen into hard-to-disassemble lumps.

The main causes of the appearance of tangles

What are the most common causes of frizzy hair?

1. Knocking down wet clean wool. This happens if a redeemed dog with long thick hair, do not dry with a hair dryer after washing, leaving the hair to dry naturally. In addition to tangles, this method of drying is also fraught with overheating of the cover.

2. The formation of the so-called "water tangles", appearing through the fault of inexperienced owners, washing and rubbing the dog too hard. To avoid this trouble, apply the detergent gently, in the direction of hair growth, gently driving it in with fingertips, rather than tangling your hair, trying to better wash your four-legged friend.

3. Clothes for dogs can also lead to the formation of knocked down lumps. Most often this occurs at the points of contact between the body and the seams of the product. To avoid this, try to buy jumpsuits with slip fabric lining.

4. burrs and thorns, found in abundance on the run, also lead to tangles. Fighting them is quite difficult - when you try to pull it out, the prickly ball breaks up into small segments that are difficult to pull out of the wool. Some owners recommend examining the dog several times during a walk in order to pull out the burrs immediately, or, when going to a forest or field, put anther on the pet.

5. Most owners, who do not have special experience and knowledge in caring for their four-legged friend's coat, consider that a light smoothing of the hair with a massage brush is enough for a good condition of the coat. Comb with short teeth, without penetrating to the very body, leaves under the top, well-groomed layer, a dense downed felt, which, in especially neglected cases, even experienced groomers do not dare to touch. The only way out in this case is to cut the animal bald.

6. Very often leads to the formation of tangles excessive attention to the dog from loving owners. Constant stroking, including against the pet's coat, attempts to ruffle it or inaccurate games can lead to tangled and then downed areas appearing on the coat.

7. The condition of the coat depends not only on cosmetic care. The health of the internal organs and the general tone of the dog, as in a mirror, are reflected in her appearance. If, in addition to the increased formation of tangles, the pet's hair has a dull, inanimate appearance, the skin is sprinkled with dandruff and crusts, it may be worth checking his well-being. After all fleas, worms, liver and kidney diseases can also lead to a deterioration in the quality of wool.

8. Another common case in which the structure of the coat deteriorates - dog pregnancy and childbirth. While the bitch is waiting for puppies, especially in the last stages, the owners, protecting her peace, stop carrying out daily cosmetic procedures. Childbirth and the stress associated with them, lactation, small puppies, while sucking knocking wool - all this leads to the formation of multiple tangles, which are extremely difficult to disassemble.

Experienced dog breeders recommend, if the quality of the coat allows, cut the dog as short as possible before giving birth, or, in extreme cases, remove the overgrowth on the dog’s belly, around the mammary glands, to zero. If, due to the structure of the cover, it is not possible to do this, the dog's hair is removed into papillots, disassembled 2-3 times a week, or they are stabbed with rubber bands all over the body, fastening them together.

How to get rid of tangles with the least loss

If trouble occurred, and tangles nevertheless appeared, the main thing is get rid of them with minimal losses. It's no secret that show wool requires an unusually careful attitude, and simply cutting a piece would be a big loss for the animal's hairstyle.

Experienced owners of long-haired dog breeds know many little tricks that will help you emerge victorious in the fight against insidious tangles. Here are the most effective ones:

1. Soft hair under the arms and behind the ears, prone to tangles, will be much less tangled if, immediately after combing, it is abundantly sprinkled with regular zinc-based baby powder and combed again with a slicker brush.

2. In order to disassemble the tangle without damage to the wool, it is recommended to moisten it with plain water with a small addition of oil for the skin of babies, and leave it for a while. After such a mask, tangled hair is easily sorted out by hand, without requiring extreme combing.

3. When using commercially produced anti-tangle products, carefully read the instructions.- some of them, designed for certain breeds of dogs, intensively wash out the undercoat, which can adversely affect the appearance of breeds with a rich coat (Pekingese, Shih Tzu).

4. Another disadvantage of professional tools is their high cost. If the dog has an exhibition ahead, it makes sense to invest in an expensive bottle, but for home use, it is better to use more budget folk recipes.

5. Many groomers, to facilitate combing wool, use high-quality human hair cosmetics. Before applying it to your dog, lubricate a small area of ​​skin on the belly or behind the front paws. If after a day there are no signs of allergies, feel free to use the liquid to get rid of the problem.

6. A lot depends on when, before or after washing, comb out the mat. Most groomers are of the opinion that better sort out dirty hair. Remedies for tangles in often have a greasy base, and, having untangled the hair, it will be possible to safely wash it after that. In addition, tearing washed hair negatively affects the condition of the cuticle, which leads to the fact that the hair is split and broken.

However, those who prefer to disassemble the dog after washing also give their arguments. According to them, a dirty undercoat is much more difficult to comb out than a clean one, besides, a universal hair dryer-compressor, with which you can quickly and easily dry a dog, will help you break the naughty tangle, which you previously combed with a special comb, with a stream of air. To understand which method is right for you, you need to try both options in practice, and then choose the most appropriate one.

7. If the tangle is so neglected that you cannot do without scissors, do not rush to immediately cut it radically. Try to make a few cuts along the tangle, and then try again to disassemble it with your hands or a comb. So you save some amount of wool, saving the animal from an ugly bald spot on the body. Or use a mat cutter, it will cut the mat apart and allow you to save more wool.

Having dealt with all the tangles, once again carefully comb the pet completely and try to monitor its coat in the future so that tangles do not form. Indeed, in addition to aesthetic rejection, they also cause considerable suffering to the dog. Sometimes animals with soft hair fall off in such a way that the only way to avoid torment is a “zero” haircut with a machine that takes soft wool, incl. in cats, rabbits, guinea pigs.

Long-haired cats attract with their beauty, grace, independent and affectionate disposition. But sometimes the owners do not even think about whether they properly care for the hair of their demanding pets. But this is an extremely responsible task. Otherwise, the cat's tangles will not keep you waiting. Hair care is extremely important for the appearance of the mustache.

When breeding long-haired breeds, the emphasis was on the quality of the coat and the importance of caring for it. And sometimes cats with unnaturally thick and long hair are simply unable to take care of it on their own. The coat becomes tangled, faded, strays into tangles.

The formation of tangles is one of the most common problems of long-haired cats, which brings a lot of inconvenience to both the animal and their owners.

Hair problems are provoked by the following factors:

Wool is constantly updated and fallen hairs must be removed in time. If this does not happen, they become tangled with growing hair, forming a thick, tangled bundle - a tangle. Most often they appear on the neck, behind the ears, under the paws and on the tail.

It is worth saying that short-haired cats can also face this problem. But this is a rather rare occurrence and more often it is preceded by contaminated wool, the unwillingness of the animal to take care of itself because of poor health.

Reasons for deletion

It is important to remove the balls of rolled hair as quickly as possible, since during the game the animal may accidentally catch on other objects with it or deliberately pull it to get rid of the hindrance. As a result, the cat will be injured, and touching the mats will only be associated with discomfort and pain, which will make it much more difficult for the owner to remove them.

If you constantly comb the animal, you will be able to notice the resulting tangle in time. Even when stroked, it immediately feels like something rough and unnatural among silky fur. The removal procedure is very unpleasant, but necessary, focus on this.

How to properly remove tangles from a cat:

1. If the lump has appeared recently, try to disassemble and stir it up with your fingers.
2. To try to keep at least some of the hair, try cutting the cat's tangles along the hairline, and comb them out with a fine-toothed comb, trying to separate the old hair with your hands. Lumps usually adhere very tightly to the coat, so it is important to first fix the animal (you may have to bring a helper) and be careful not to injure the pet.
3. For these purposes, you can purchase a mat cutter - a special device with blades that facilitates the process of removing rolled wool.

If the animal is categorically against such measures, the mat can be cut off, but then a not very beautiful bald patch forms in its place. When there are a lot of tangles, and they fit snugly against the skin, it is pointless to try to remove them yourself. Take care of your and cat's nerves, contact the specialists in the grooming salon.

Prevention education

To avoid the appearance of tangles, it is enough to provide the cat with proper care for long hair:

• You need to comb the animal at least 1-2 times a week, and some - daily.
• Try to use conditioner shampoos that prevent tangling and make combing easier.
• While bathing, the shampoo should be applied with stroking movements along the growth of the coat, and for wiping, it is enough to run it over the coat several times without rubbing it with a towel in different directions.
• The use of special antistatic agents for cat care allows you to remove static stress, due to which the falling hairs are tangled with live hairs and ensure the softness of the coat. It is only important to choose the right product in the pet store, taking into account the breed, length and thickness of the coat.
• Some owners practice using a hair dryer to dry their pet after bathing, which helps to prevent clumps caused by improper drying and comb the pet properly.
• Provide your pet with a balanced diet.
• As a supplement to the diet, use special additives designed to improve the quality of the coat.

For combing a pet, it is important to choose the right comb, taking into account the length and thickness of the coat, and also to accustom him to this procedure from an early age. Timely removal of tangles should become your habit and be the norm, and not an emergency measure.

If, despite proper care, the coat continues to roll into clumps that cannot be untangled, the cat's health should be examined by a veterinarian to determine the cause of this phenomenon.

Video review of grooming care for cats

Do you have any questions? You can ask them to our site staff veterinarian in the comments box below, who will respond to them as soon as possible.

The owners are very proud of the beauty of long-haired cats. This beauty is given by daily work, because in order for a pet to please its owners, its coat has to be regularly looked after. If a short-haired cat copes well with the task of grooming on its own, then luxurious beauties simply need help. When the process is already running, the cat has tangles, and naturally, the owners face the question of how to get rid of this trouble, and why his beauty had this problem.

Many owners of luxurious pets often wonder why their pets have a tangled bun in their hair, which interferes not only with the owner, but also with the animal itself. The appearance of tangles is the most common problem of long-haired cats. The most common causes of such problems are:

1. Hairballs that appear on the neck, underarms, and on the stomach are formed due to regular movements, during which the cat's coat is affected.
2. Improper bathing of the pet. A long-haired animal needs to be washed more carefully than its short-haired counterpart. Movements during washing should be stroking, slightly scratching the pet's coat. If a cat's coat is ruffled, then it will become tangled, it will have lumps that are difficult to comb out. After washing, you need to dry your pet no less carefully, since lumps may also appear at this time, which will be quite difficult to get rid of. In no case should the cat be rubbed during drying. It is best to just blot it with a towel at this time.
3. Often the appearance of tangles is the first heralds of health problems in a cat. Usually at this time, the animal's coat grows dull, a fatty imbalance appears. At this time, it is not at all easy to take care of the luxurious hair of a pet, sometimes it is impossible to get rid of lumps of six.
4. Another reason, physiological, wool is constantly updated, the old one falls out, a new one appears. If the old hair was not removed in time, then the pet has a tangled patch of hair.
5. An unbalanced cat diet can also lead to this problem. A cat, especially a long-haired one, should receive all the necessary food ration. If she eats natural food, then it is necessary to include beef, vegetables, vitamins and various mineral supplements. When an animal is fed dry food, one of the important rules is not to buy cheap low-quality varieties of food. To maintain a beautiful hair in a cat, you can add special additives to the diet that improve the structure of cat hair.

What is the danger of tangles

Firstly, such a cat does not look very aesthetically pleasing. The whole feature of long-haired beauties is a rich head of hair. If there is no time for proper care, then you can think about whether it is worth getting a pet of this breed.

Secondly, hairballs can damage the pet's skin. They do not provide normal ventilation and contribute to the appearance of dermatitis.

Thirdly, mats are not only untidy and ugly, they are a breeding ground for bacteria, infections and fleas.

How to remove the resulting tangles

Removing the pellets formed in the pet's chic hair is not entirely simple and this is not a very pleasant procedure that requires patience from both the owner and their pet. For this you need:

• When problems with the hair have formed recently, you can try to stir up the spools with your fingers.
• In order to save some part of the cat's hair, you should not immediately cut out the caked lumps. First, you should try to cut them very carefully with a knife along. Lightly touching the old wool with your hands, while trying to comb the animal, you need to start from the ends, gradually rising up the hairline.
• You can use a tangle cutter - this is a specialized comb with blades that helps to remove the pellets from the cat's fur.
• If the process is sufficiently started and it is not possible to comb out the cat, then you should not torment the animal, you need to cut it with a typewriter. You can use both special machines for cutting animals, or you can take the human version. The nozzle on the machine must be larger than 2 mm. This procedure is best done with an assistant who will immobilize the animal, which is necessary for its safety. When cutting a pet, the skin should be stretched along the body, this procedure must be approached very carefully, since the skin of a cat is thinner than that of a person. Therefore, it is easier to hurt him.
• When the owner decided to cut the animal, then you need to remember that you do not need to cut the head and paws of the pet. If the owner is afraid, then to get such domestic lions, you can contact either a veterinarian or a hairdresser.

If your cat has tangles, it's best to delay taking a bath until the problem is fixed, as this can only aggravate the situation.

Prevention of the formation of tangles

For cats with a luxurious coat, the appearance of tangles is a rather serious problem. Especially if the cat is a show animal. After all, all pride and luxury is manifested in a well-groomed pet coat. If in this case you have to cut the animal, then this can be the cause of a real tragedy, since it will take up to 6 months to grow new wool.

Moreover, additional time will pass when the cat's hair will even out in length, and then, for this, you will have to cut the animal again. In addition, it is possible that the new wool will be slightly different not only in the structure of the hair, but also in color. Prevention includes:

• Regular washing of the animal with the use of special shampoos and conditioners for the care of cat hair will help to avoid such a nuisance. After applying these products, the handsome man's chic fur coat shines and does not stick together.
• The use of special vitamins will help the owner to cope with the problem of tangles.
• Daily combing of the animal will help to avoid the appearance of lumps on the coat of the intestine. If the owner does not have time for this event, then a similar procedure should be carried out no less than 3 times a week.
• You can use dry shampoo to care for cats, these products will help to avoid the appearance of static stress, make the coat soft and obedient.
• Some cat owners use a hair dryer to dry their pet after washing the animal. This prevents the appearance of pellets after improper drying of the animal and will help to properly comb the pet.

Long-haired beauties have a unique beauty and are the pride of the owner. But they themselves are not able to properly care for their luxurious fur coat. In order not to bring the animal's coat to a critical state, simple, but daily care is necessary, and then the cat will avoid such problems as the appearance of tangles.

Many cat lovers dream of having a fluffy long-haired cat, but not everyone, for many reasons, decides to have such a pet. One of the most common reasons is the need for constant and painstaking hair care. And this is quite fair, because such a fluffy pet needs to be combed out regularly and correctly, and the coat should be treated with special means. Many owners of long-haired cats complain that it only takes a little “start” care, as tangles appear. However, tangles in a cat can also occur for other reasons, which we offer to learn more about right now.

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Why do tangles appear?

Tangles or trichomes occur in both long-haired dogs and cats and are a pathological condition of the animal's coat. With trichomes, the hairs of the wool stick together and tangle with each other into a dense, inseparable lump, which feels like a dense felt. Tangles most often occur in hard-to-reach places and where the coat is most exposed to friction: the abdomen, groin area, tail, inside of the paws, less often on the back or neck. Veterinarians associate this phenomenon with poor animal care, as well as with local pathological processes.

The most common cause of tangles in pets is insufficient care or untimely combing. However, among all the factors that cause trichomes, experts include:

Tangles are not only an aesthetic problem: due to metabolic disorders in the skin, they cause discomfort and many skin diseases. Due to discomfort in accessible places, the animal itself may try to tear out or gnaw out mats, injuring the skin.

We remove tangles correctly

Removing tangles from animal hair is not so easy without special tools. Many do not do without scissors or clippers. However, we do not recommend immediately resorting to drastic measures, because this will ruin the pet's chic hair. Of course, if other methods do not help, then there is nowhere to go. The first thing you can try is to take it apart with your hands and comb the matted wool. The second popular and effective method of how to get rid of tangles in a cat is to use a tangle cutter.

Combing

The first thing a cat owner should do after finding tangles on their fur is to try to comb them. To do this, you need to fix the animal in a comfortable position and follow the instructions.

1. If the tangles have formed recently, they can easily be untangled with your hands. To do this, you must first divide the tangle into several strands, then try to disassemble the pieces of hair in parts. Starting from the bottom up, comb through them with a fine-toothed comb.
2. If the tangle was only partially disassembled, for example, the top layer of wool, then the bottom one can be carefully cut lengthwise with a knife or use a tangle cutter.
3. When combing the mat, the skin must be held so that it is not pulled hard and does not cause pain to the animal.

Never bathe your pet before unraveling tangles. This will only exacerbate the problem. However, experts advise to pre-treat the tangle itself and the hair around it with a special combing spray or talcum powder.

Koltunorez

The mat cutter is a modern, convenient and completely safe tool that helps to remove matted hairballs and tangles. In appearance, it resembles a paring knife. Such a tool is equipped with special blades (usually about 10 of them), which are parallel to each other and sharpened on one side only for safe use.

Photogallery "Koltunorezy"

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It is necessary to comb the matted wool with a mat cutter in the same way as with a regular comb. The blades of the tool should be turned down, movements - in the direction of the tangle. You can see how the splitter looks like in the video (pro100vesna).

Prevention of tangles

As experts say, it is better to prevent a problem than to get rid of it later. This is especially true for show animals, for which the removal of even minor areas of hair is a disaster. In the most fluffy long-haired cats, the coat after a haircut is completely restored only after 4-5 months. In addition, after cutting, the outer hair may change color. Therefore, for all thoroughbred show cats, the main rule of keeping is proper nutrition and high-quality regular care.

So, what is included in the concept of "regular care" and what does the prevention of tangles mean?

1. Regular combing of wool will allow to remove fallen hairs in a timely manner, to promote the proper metabolism of the skin.
2. Regular bathing of the animal with the use of special shampoos and hygiene products will help keep the coat clean. Clean hairs without skin problems do not fall off and do not tangle, they shine and lie evenly over the entire surface of the body.
3. A balanced diet and additional nutrients and vitamins will help maintain healthy skin and a beautiful coat.
4. If it is not possible to buy an animal in a timely manner, you can use dry shampoo. In addition to maintaining cleanliness, it will help remove static electricity, make the coat soft and shiny.
5. Always use a hair dryer after bathing and comb your cat thoroughly with a special brush.

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How to properly care for a long-haired purring pet so that there are no problems with the coat? Grooming expert talks about it.

Why do cats get mats?

It is believed that the formation of tangles is a sign of careless care of the cat, but this is not always true. There are factors that stimulate the occurrence of tangles. These include:

• hyperfunction of the sebaceous glands,
• intense shedding,
• excessively dry skin
• wool dehydration,
• change in the structure of the hair.

As you know, on top of the hair is covered with a cuticle consisting of scales. Scales in the coat of a healthy cat adhere to the surface of the hair and protect the deeper layers from external influences.

If the integrity of the cuticle is broken, the scales move away from the rod, as if opening, and then the neighboring hairs, not covered by the scales, stick together.

There is also a theory that tangles can form when the direction of hair growth is disturbed or metabolic disorders occur.

Your cat may be deficient in protein and minerals in their diet.

• Elderly age.

How dangerous are tangles?

Of course, the mats do not pose a danger to life, but their appearance should not be ignored. And the problem is not only in the unaesthetic appearance of the animal. Tangles can be annoying for a cat.

The skin under the mat is tight, which limits movement and causes pain. Under the mat, lesions of the skin are possible. So, excessive dryness of the skin leads to the formation of dandruff, excessive moisture - to inflammation and ulceration. Affected skin becomes a desirable habitat for bacterial and fungal flora.

What to do so that the wool does not fall off?

1. Brush your cat regularly.

2. Use anti-tangle lotions. They nourish the hair and prevent cuticle damage.

3. Bathe your cat with products to moisturize and nourish the coat.

4. Feed complete professional food.

If the tangle is still formed

When there are few mats and they are small, you can remove them with scissors, being careful not to damage the coat.

If there are a lot of tangles, they are close to the skin, it is better to seek help from a grooming salon or a veterinarian.

If, despite care, mats continue to form, it is necessary to conduct a complete examination of the cat by a veterinarian and try to find the cause of the pathology.