Help! Problems with MC coat

Hi everyone! Have only just joined and was wondering if any other members have had problems with their cat's coat. I have a 7 year old Maine Coon girl called Mandy, she is an absolute dream and I love her to bits!

The only thing is her hair is matting quite a lot and in very hard lumps, especially around her back area and down towards her tail. I feed her Royal Canin Feline No. 1 (she also loves Maine Coon kibble) and she also likes the wet food, Intense Beauty, but with this problem suddenly developing, I am worried that it will cause problems with her skin.

She is groomed in the mornings and loves it (she's an ex show cat, so is used to it).

Any ideas and info would be really appreciated :smile:

Hi there

I've got the same problem with my boy, his tummy fur is like cotton wool and gets matted between his legs where he sweats. When we try to groom him I think it tickles and he just thinks it's a game.

We've found the best way to get the knots out is by gently pulling them apart although my vet has given us the option of shaving his tummy - a zipper cut so we get rid of the knots and he should be cooler over summer....

hi all! Neevie also gets a few knots on her butt from time to time - I just cut them off because she won't let me groom her there - she does take care of it, though, so it doesn't happen often -
I'm no expert, I never had a show-baby - but I don't think diet has anything to do with it? I think it's just... all that luxurious goodness is a lot to keep up with, I guess? ;-) she looks like she has a cozak trousers on, and when she sits down it makes a funny "valence" style skirt around her butt :-D
if she gets to a point where it mats too much I think I'll just shave off the area, or just cut it shorter so it's easier to groom - I don't think she'd mind, and practically, if she can't keep up with it, there's no point making things difficult...

I had a male MC that got matted as he got older around 13 yrs or so. He hated to be groomed, but he let the groomer shave him and so taking him in and having a lion cut was my only option. His sister never did mat up. It seems to me like the first layer get greasy and than it starts to mat up. He hated baths so that was out of the question, when I would bath him he sounded like a child screaming NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!! so funny :)

I think you get some MC's with silky fur, that never seems to knot and some with woolly fur that can be a nightmare and some in-betweeners. If it is a plain knot/mat then either try a detangler and try gently combing it through but if it's a solid knot be kind and just cut it out. If it is greasy then perhaps try something like groomers goop. You massage it into the skin, where the oil comes from, rather than the actual fur. Once you have sorted it then a quick comb every day will hopefully keep it at bay

Marshall is the same he has a very thick coat, judges have mentioned at shows just how thick and full his coat was for a kitten and yup he gets awful matts in between his back legs I'm always snipping mats out but he hates it so much!

Thank you everyone for your suggestions! My hubby has sorted it out now, he's been busy snipping away - Mandy gets lots of head rubs from me when he's snipping and also some catnip for a treat, she's a great girl as she sits still (sometimes!!). The lumps were so hard and matted, also quite sweaty.

Thanks again!!