My cat has a scab and matted fur on her back. What can I do at home?
Updated On September 23rd, 2025
Pet's info: Cat | Mixed Breed | Female | 15 lbs
My cat, 7 years old, has a 2 inch scab on her back which feels like her hair is matted. It has even there for about 2 months now. I have no money Togo to Vet. What can I do?
2 Answers
Most Helpful Answer
Published on September 20th, 2017
If her hair is matted then she will need to have the hair trimmed with a pair of clippers. She could develop a skin infection if the matted hair is against her skin. You could also bathe her and see if that helps.
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Related Answers from Veterinarians
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Published on October 3rd, 2017
This sounds like it is an infection either from trauma or allergies since it is falling off in chunks. You can try to gently brush or clean the area since it does not hurt her. If it is not improving then she may need antibiotics from a vet
1Pet Parents found this answer helpful
Health & Wellbeing
Hi, some few days ago I give bath to my persian cat Cyrus. After bathing I noticed that his furs got tangled. I used comb to get him untangled. But it didn't work. I also used scissors to cut some of his tangled fur. But if I cut all the tangled fur
Grooming long haired cats can be a difficult endeavor. I can understand your concerns about trimming all of the matted, or tangled, fur off of Cyrus, but these mats can be quite painful. If Cyrus' fur has become matted, it would be best to trim all mats. It is quite common for long haired cats to be groomed in a "lion cut" to avoid these mats. While their appearance isn't quite the same without the fluff, they can still be quite cute with a shorter haircut! Instead of using scissors, consider using electric clippers, as it is much less likely to damage or cut the skin accidentally.
The lesion that you noticed on his skin appears to simply be a small, healing scab. If he has numerous scabs, conditions such as flea, environmental, or food allergies are more of a concern.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hi...my cat Paws is between four and five years old. He has got matted hair on his back and I wondered what I should do? He had this before but it grew out and fell off by itself but this time it didn't do this...have you any advice for me. Thanks (I
Poor Paws!! I suspect that maybe Paws has been having some difficulty grooming himself in this area. If the mat of fur will not come off easily you will likely need to have a groomer or your vet shave it off with clippers. To help prevent the problem recurring be sure to brush Paws regularly (daily is best) to help remove the dead fur from his coat that is accumulating into a mat. If Paws will tolerate it then occasional bathing can be helpful too.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat has two scab like things on her back and it's been there for almost a year. Also if you rub the area around the scabs it makes a dandruff like substance.
Thanks for using Boop by Petco! This could be a skin infection. You can try to use an anti-microbial shampoo to bathe her to see if there is improvement. You may find this online or at your local pet store. If there is no improvement or in the meantime this appears to be getting worse, have her evaluated by a veterinarian for further assessment and treatment. Good luck and have a good night!
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Grooming
My older cat appears to have altogether stopped grooming herself. Is there anything I can do to help decrease the amount of clumpy, matted hair she has? I'm fearful to cut or shave any matted hair since I don't want to cut her skin.
Definitely don't cut! You are very likely to cut the skin if you use scissors. You can use shaving clippers or take Calico to a groomer. Once the mats are gone, you will need to brush her daily to remove loose hairs to prevent the mats from coming back. I would also recommend having Calico evaluated by her vet to see if she has arthritis preventing her from being able to groom. Medications may make her more comfortable.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
My cat is 18 years old and lately I have noticed his hair has a lot of clumps in it. Is this normal?
As cats get older, they tend to stop grooming themselves as much causing the fur to mat. If you're able to, brushing him daily will help prevent these mats from developing. I suggest taking him to a groomer or vet so they're able to groom him and prevent the mats from getting bigger and causing discomfort.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Hello. I found this behind my cat's ear. The fur that was there was matted and fell off. He likes to hang out in the backyard sometimes. Any idea what this can be?
It looks like a scab might have fallen off. It is common for cats to over-itch this part of their head near the ears when they have ear mites, ear infection, or other sources of itchiness. I would recommend that you have your kitty looked at by a vet so that it can get appropriate treatment to limit further damage caused by itching.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I think my calico cat is shedding excessively and her fur is matted quite a bit, especially on her backside and sides. Never outside. I believe she is around 13 yrs old.
This could be due to Kitty's age. When cats are older, they can groom themselves less effectively than younger cats, sometimes resulting in hair matting, skin odor, and inflammation. It could also be that she has arthritis, making it painful for her to reach around to groom her backside and sides. I would make an appointment for her with a groomer. They can brush out her matts (they may need to be shaved), and get her coat back into a better condition. Then you should brush her daily to prevent further matts from occurring. It's very important to get those matts removed asap, as they will be pulling on her skin and it will be painful for her. I'd also make an appointment with her vet for a health check, geriatric blood panel, and urinalysis just to see if everything is ok health wise for her. The vet can also examine her to see if she has arthritis, and can prescribe pain medications as needed. Please do not give her any human pain medications, many are toxic to cats and are f
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Approximately 1.5 months we have not carried out combing of our persian cat ... resultantly cat hairs became clogged .. alonthwith this we found skin problem as shown in the pictures ... 2 weeks before we get it trimmed from a vet ... kindly advise r
It looks likes it may be infection and over groomed--where he is licking it constantly.. This may be from the mats in the fur that were pulling on the skin and causing inflammation. You can wipe the area clean with a wet clothe but she will need to be seen by your vet for medication to clear it
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
Luna a rehome had a lot of Mats a long haired ragdoll. One Mat had a lesion under 1/3" long, vet gave antibiotics & ear drops for yeast infect. I check lesion behind fur mat today to see if better, it looks worse maybe 1" now.my vet is closed til n
It is likely this will not heal until all the matting is removed and it is kept open to the air and bathed daily - manuka honey can help with such slow healing wounds. It is possible she may require sedation for a full groom if she is very uncomfortable and a blood test to rule ot any additional complicating factors also
Updated on September 24th, 2025
Health & Wellbeing
I just managed to cut a small mat out of my cats fur, but there are round, red sore looking things. Are these sores? Like a skin ulcer? If so, how should i treat these? There are only like two from what i saw.
She could have irritated skin and possibly a skin infection from the hair mat. You could clean the area with an antispetic wound cleaner and apply an OTC antibiotic cream and see if that helps. Otherwise, she should be examined by a vet for treatment. She may need an oral antibiotic and anti-inflammatory to treat.
Updated on September 24th, 2025
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