Cats’ tongues are designed to move sebum from their skin through the hair, maintaining hair integrity, loosening dirt and providing cooling, writes Cliff Faver, DVM. Despite their assiduous self-maintenance routines, cats get matted when sebum doesn’t move through their hair.
Faver explains conditions that predispose cats to matting and advises groomers about degreasing cat coats when shampooing. Instead he suggests “close–open–close” or “condition–shampoo–condition” methods that help prevent matting by maintaining the protective sebum layer.
Source: Groomer to Groomer, October 2025, Link.
It is imperative to keep a cat’s hair and skin healthy to avoid the many health issues associated with matting. Prevention is always the best approach as long as the correct products and techniques are used to maintain healthy, well-distributed sebum and avoid matting.”
Related: Cat burrito drying hack, Groomer to Groomer, October 2025. Link. Misty Gieczys provides pictures to explain how she uses a three-towel burrito method to get cats dry after a bath.
Image: Link.