long haired barn cats

[mzgarden]

We inherited <<wink wink>> two adorable and sweet kittens that appeared in our barn. We got them healthy and then got them fixed and they are good mousers. They run the barn and the fields with the goats. They have no interest in coming indoors.

BUT, they are long haired cats. I've had cats all my life, but always short haired. These cats are getting very matted on their undersides. They are sweet and gentle and let me trim out the mats but there has to be a better way. In the summer, I'm thinking I can trim their undersides short, but winter time it's cold.

I'm really not interested in brushing out my barn cats every day, but I don't want them to get skin infections because of the mats.

Ideas? Inputs?

[Skandi]

You might be able to get away with brushing them once a week if they'll let you. I hadn't really thought about it but all the cats round here are shorthaired, not seen anything longhaired since I moved country!

[aoconnor]

I would definitely get them brushed at least once a week or every couple of weeks. Keep the belly hair trimmed off, as well as the backside area that can get very dirty and infected if not taken care of.

I have long haired cats, but they are indoors. My short hair kitty is my inside/outside cat that doesn't come back in with sticks and leaves hanging off him!

[here to stay]

Maybe you could design a cat door to a place they like to go that has a brush built into the bottom so they sort of "self brush" when they squeeze through? I'm not a cat person so have no idea whether this would work.

[Maura]

Matting can be caused by diet. Consider what you are feeding them along with the mice. I’ve had long haired cats, some mat more than others, even with a change in diet. If you already feed a high quality (expensive) cat food, add a little fat every couple of days.

Get them used to being brushed and carefully use a slicker brush once week. Matted fur does not keep animals warm.

[willowgirl]

Oh lord! We spent a good bit of time on Sunday shaving the mats off Fluff, one of our long-haired outdoor cats. She is friendly and while she doesn't exactly enjoy our efforts, she doesn't put up much of a fight. It's still a pain, though!

We made two of the long-haired kittens housecats. That's probably not the solution you're looking for, though, eh?

[mzgarden]

willowgirl, we ended up taking them to the vet and they basically nearly shaved them down. It's been 3 months and they're growing out pretty slowly. What shaver do you use on your Fluff? I figure as long as they're down to nothing now, this is time time for me to get a handle on this early so we avoid this mess again.

[Maura]

Again, diet is a key. Feed them a high quality diet (thinking Taste of the Wild). Even so, they may need more fat in their diet since they are active.
You can get a cat slicker brush with plastic teeth instead of metal. Feed treats while you run the slicker over them. If you do it weekly you will be pulling out fur as well as detangling and spotting mats before they are a problem.