Clumps & knots

Hi all,


I was wondering if anyone had any tips on getting clumps of hair unknotted....


The reason for why, (as my Dad likes to say)....


Diddy, the nearly 15 year old is a long haired blue point birman. Recently very ill with a double stroke and renal failure, she has grown very skinny and could not until now tolerate even a soft haired brush on her. She was never partial to having her stomach brushed before she got sick, and now it is practiacally impossible, unless you catch her in a really good moment.


Sadly she now has loads of knots of hair that are very close to the skin,mainly around the edges of her underside as I have managed to get all the ones right on her belly area. I have managed to cut quite a lot of the clumps away but there are some that I dare not cut as I am worried I will cut her skin as well.


I have a friend who helps me by holding her so that I can try and do whatever needs doing each time she is there to assist and she is down this week, so if anyone has any suggestions, please let me know.


I did wonder if conditioner would help in teasing out the knots??


Many thanks

I used to have three long haired Persians and although brushed daily, they would get terrible knots and clumps. Unfortunately under the belly is the hardest area to do :( I used to bath them and found the knots teased out easier when the fur was damp , and some mild conditioner may be a good idea to try . But it depends if your cat likes water ! The only other method was to cut them out, but this is risky when they are close to the skin, as you mention. You can just cut the top of the knot . Your cat probably will not let you do this anyway without trying to get away . The other way is to shave the cat . I had a small electric safety clipper with a safety plastic shield that we used to use but it took a long time for the cats to get used to the noise, but it was very effective. A good idea is to have someone help you hold the cat too. If it's too stressfull for you , you might be better to get a vet to give her a mild sedative to work on her .