How To Gently Remove A Knot From The Fur On Your Cat's Tail
Posted on: 2 October 2017
Untangling a cat's fur is no easy feat, but when it comes to its tail, you have to be careful. Cats' tails are basically an extension of their spine, meaning that a wide variety of blood vessels and nerves run through them. Yanking on a cat's tail in any way can be devastating to their entire body, even if you mean the best and are just trying to get a knot out of their fur. Thankfully, it isn't an impossible task, so long as you know what to do. Read on to learn how to get knots out of your cat's fur on its tail.
What Not to Do
Under no circumstances should you grab your cat's tail while trying to remove the knot. This can frighten your cat, which could cause it to try and get away, which could result in you accidentally pulling its tail.
Secondly, never use a fur comb or flea comb for removing a knot from a cat's tail. Fur combs are very effective at loosening dead hair from a cat's coat, but the teeth are very closely spaced. The teeth will simply snag on a knot instead of gently unraveling it, and yanking hair out of your cat's tail is nearly as bad as pulling on it.
Cut If Possible
If your cat's knot has grown out far enough from the tail that you can safely snip it off, that's the easiest way to eliminate a knot without hurting your cat.
Take a look at your cat's knot. Is there at least an inch of untangled fur beneath it? If so, carefully snip a scissor through the untangled piece of fur, as far from your cat's tail as you can manage it. Then, gently brush through the fur to make sure that no tangle remains.
Undoing Knot
If cutting isn't an option, your only choice is to untangle the knot. You can do this easily by applying a little bit of oil to your cat's knot. Butter, olive oil, or any cooking oil will do the trick.
Gently massage it into the fur knot until it's well lubricated. Then, gently work the knot apart with your fingers, starting at the very end of the knot, furthest from the tail. Work your way up, slowly, until the entire thing is untangled.
Once the fur is untangled, wipe away the excess oil with a tissue and brush your cat's fur through.
Tangles aren't easy to deal with, especially when they show up in your cat's tail. If you're having regular difficulty with tangles in your cat's fur, consider working with a groomer to keep your cat's coat under control. It's much easier to maintain your cat's coat with regular groomings than to try and remove tangles. However, if you've already pulled your cat's tail or snagged the tangle, see a veterinarian immediately. Doing so can help to prevent further damage to your cat's spine and nerves.
Contact local veterinary services for more information and assistance.
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