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Most of my life, I've had medium to short-haired cats, and although I always dreamed of having one with long hair, I never guessed at how badly her fur could clump up. This poor cat! Her fur can get so clumpy that it gives her trouble going to the bathroom and she needs frequent grooming help from her humans.

I must admit that we did some mat cutting, and I've since read that it's not the best idea. Vets say that it's easy to cut your cats when you do this and it can cause a trip to the emergency room! That terrifies me. I've spent enough time with sick cats at the ER that I really don't want to cause a visit myself.

Instead, keep the cat's hair dry and brush out the mats that aren't too hard yet. Try a wide-toothed comb, and start at the end and work your way up. There's also a mat comb you can invest in that helps with these. Finally, you can use electric clippers to remove stubborn clumps to help you keep from cutting the cat.

How do you get rid of mats? Any special tips from your vet?