Messy fur in a long-haired cat? If you feel that you can’t solve it without scissors, you better read on. We can try baby powder or cornstarch – these fine powders act as miracle products that can untangle even the worst knots without major problems.
Every owner of a long-haired cat knows the feeling – you are stroking your pet and suddenly you feel a stiff ball under your fingers. Our first instinct logically leads us to the scissor drawer, but that is the most dangerous route because a cat’s skin is paper thin and one twitch is enough to cause disaster. Instead of risking a haircut, head to the bathroom for regular baby powder or the pantry for cornstarch, which can work wonders on cat dreads without a single drop of blood.
Also check out the youtube video from Effie the Kittie:
Make a quiet moment out of the procedure
If you decide to use the powder method, the most important thing is to take your time and create a calm environment for the cat and yourself, where nothing will disturb the cat. Then apply directly to the tangled area and gently work it with your fingers deep into the center of the tuft so that the powder reaches all the stuck hairs. It is patiently massaging the powder into the depth of the “dreadlock” that is the most important step, as it loosens the hairs from each other and prepares the ground to start detangling them with your hands. You will often find that after a few minutes of exposure, the originally impenetrable lump begins to crumble under your fingers and break up into smaller parts that no longer seem so hopeless. And that’s just the first step to success.
Choose the right powder
However, when choosing a helper from the box, we must be very careful about the composition, because what is safe for us may not suit the sensitive cat’s organism. While cornstarch is basically harmless in reasonable amounts, with baby powders we must fundamentally avoid those that contain talc, which could be toxic to a cat if inhaled or licked. It is always better to go for variants based on , which do not contain strong perfumes, so that your pet is not unnecessarily stressed by a foreign smell, which he will then want to ferociously clean from his coat – how else, than with his tongue.
Proceed from the edge to the center
Combing itself should then rather take place with the help of fingers and a comb with wide teeth, which you will proceed very slowly from the edges of the tuft towards its center. Never pull with full force against the skin, because that’s exactly the moment when the cat loses patience and a pleasant petting turns into a fight for bare life (hers – and actually a little bit yours). If you hold the fur close to the body with one hand so that the skin does not stretch, and with the other hand gently comb out the loose fibers, you will be able to remove even the worst knots without unnecessary cat stress. It’s a lot of work, we won’t hide that, but the reward will be a satisfied animal, which will have its beautiful coat intact and without unsightly bare or sparse spots.
Sometimes there is no other way
Of course, prevention is always easier than the subsequent resolution of crisis situations, but even with the best intentions and care, some dreadlocks sometimes appear, especially during the shedding period or in older cats that don’t take care of themselves as much anymore. Look mainly at the places under the paws, where the knots form most often and are the strongest. When you learn to use powder as first aid at the root of the problem, you’ll find that scissors will have virtually no place in your grooming kit.
