Grooming a Cymric cat's hindquarters

The difference between a well-maintained long coat and a matted disaster is usually just the right tool used consistently — and the wrong brush on a long-haired cat causes more problems than it solves, especially with dense double coats. Cymrics are a brilliant example of that: that thick fur around the hindquarters and rump area is one of the trickiest spots on any cat to keep clear, and at eight years old, your cat's coat isn't going to get any looser on its own. Tell me — how often are you currently grooming, and is the matting already established back there, or are you trying to get ahead of it?

That tracks completely. A slicker brush is fine for surface maintenance but it just skates over dense undercoat mats — it's not built to break into them, and on a Cymric's hindquarters where the fur grows in thick, overlapping layers, it won't reach the root of the problem. With existing mats already in place, you need something that can work through the mat itself without yanking the whole thing out at once and making him dread grooming sessions. Before I point you to what I'd use, a couple of quick things: are the mats close to the skin, or do they have some give when you lift them? And is he generally tolerant during grooming, or does he shut down quickly?

Good — five minutes of cooperation is actually enough to make real progress if you're using the right tool and working methodically. Close-to-skin mats do need care; you never want to pull or saw at them from above because you risk pulling the skin up with the mat. What you need is a de-matting comb with rotating teeth — the teeth turn as they move through the mat, which means they separate the fibres rather than dragging them. The one I'd go to for this exact situation is the Safari De-Matting Comb. It's a well-established tool, the rotating tines work gently through dense mats without the ripping sensation that makes cats bail on grooming, and the handle gives you good control when you're working in an awkward spot like the hindquarters. Start at the outer edge of each mat, hold the fur at the base with your other hand to prevent pulling on the skin, and work inward in short strokes. Ten minutes across two or three sessions and you'll see serious progress on what's already there.

Yes — once you've cleared the existing mats, switch to a wide-tooth metal comb (not the slicker) for that rear-end area two or three times a week. The metal comb gets down through the layers and catches tangles before they tighten into mats. The slicker is fine for his back and flanks, but the hindquarters need something that penetrates. A light spritz of a cat-safe detangling spray before you comb also helps enormously in that area — it relaxes the coat slightly so the comb moves through without resistance. And given he's eight, it's worth checking that area after any bout of loose stools or digestive upset, because soiling accelerates matting badly back there. Keeping the fur around the hindquarters trimmed slightly shorter in summer is also something to discuss with a groomer if it becomes an ongoing battle.

You'll notice the difference quickly — especially once he realises it doesn't pull. The key is short sessions and always holding the base of the fur so the tension goes to your fingers, not his skin. He'll stay cooperative a lot longer once the sensation changes. Good luck with him.