One challenge about grooming cats is how to handle them in the process, considering how sensitive their skin is. This is why some pet owners tend to go slow on how often they bathe or brush their cats. There’s no specific number of times you should groom your pet, but failure to do so will leave them with tangled and matted fur.
Apart from the fact that these make them unsightly, getting rid of them is also challenging because yes, a cat’s skin is sensitive. However as usual, there is a solution for cat owners whose cats cannot stand clipping or brushing. Forget about those traumatizing combs, brushes and clippers; you can salvage the situation using natural home remedies.
Just to mention a few, you can use baby powder, coconut oil or olive oil to help bring matted fur back to life. Today, our focus is on how you can use coconut oil for matted cat hair and in the process, we will review one of the best organic brands we have today by Viva Naturals.
Review of the Best Coconut Oil for Matted Cat Hair
Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil
Ingredients
This product guarantees you nothing but 100% Extra Virgin coconut oil, therefore you shouldn’t worry about traces of harmful ingredients which could be unsafe. Certain coconut oil brands tend to have unpleasant smell which could leave you uncomfortable, especially when used on the hair or skin, but this is not the case with this Viva Brand.
Here’s your chance to grab one of the few fragrant and delicious coconut oils that we have in the market today. Quality in the package is achieved through the cold-pressing process done to equally best-quality coconuts. This produces something you can count on when you need to add rich flavour to your favourite recipes.
Usage versatility
As hinted, this product has you covered for anything that touches on baking, cooking and moisturizing. What this means is that Viva Naturals Organic extra virgin coconut oil definitely qualifies as the traditional versatile everyday oil. This is undoubtedly a plus because all you have to do is stock-up a few pieces of the product and comfortably use it for countless things around your home.
Once you’re done detangling your hair, you can proceed and use it to bring you cat’s fur back to its original condition. It has a high smoking point of up to 350° F, therefore you can safely use it for all your sautéing, baking and frying needs. Away from cooking, the oil is natural enough to be used as a spread on toasts or muffins for an extra delicious and delightful flavour. So, in case you’ve run out of butter and happen to have this in the pantry, just use it as a replacement.
Manageability
Detangling and getting rid of mats on your cat’s fur is one thing, however if you don’t use the right substance you could still end up with messes to deal with. One of the common nuisances is sticky or greasy fur. Actually, this extends to skin care and that’s why you need to know more about the product in question.
With this nutrient hair and skin care treatment, you shouldn’t have to worry about any of that. You can comfortably use it as a lotion, detangler or moisturizer and still keep both the skin and hair in natural shape. Instead of sticky and messy end-product, what you get is a deep and nutrient-rich hydration.
Storage and usage
You don’t need any special skills to use this coconut oil, irrespective of what you intend to use it for. It’s easy to use and fits effortlessly into your everyday errands. One of the top exciting things about this product is that it doesn’t require refrigeration. Unlike certain packages which only stay in perfect shape when refrigerated, this virgin coconut oil will stay in its original form even under room temperature.
This is definitely a plus for people like me who spend most of their time away from home, meaning that you can comfortably carry it along to get you covered whenever you’re running your errands. The only thing you should avoid is keeping it exposed to extreme temperatures which will interfere with the ingredient compounds.
Pros
- Features organic ingredients safe for pets
- Usable on both human and cat hair
- Non-sticky and non-greasy
- Can withstand up to 350°F smoke point.
- Can be used for cooking
- Doesn’t require refrigeration
- Minimal likelihood of allergic reactions
- Infused with both aroma and flavour
- Versatile usability
- Available in liquid oil option
Cons
- Limited shipping areas
Tips on How to Remove Fur Mats Using Coconut Oil
Once you’ve acquired your Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin coconut oil, here are some of the tips you can refer to when it’s time to remove mats on your cat’s fur. These tips are also relative when you want to detangle your own hair, or that of any other pet in your home:
Warm It
Using coconut oil on the hair as it is might not be as effective, that’s why first you have to slightly warm it up until it turns liquid. You shouldn’t let it get too hot because one; that would make it unsafe for the cat, and two it would kill the natural extract components. However, you can also avoid the warming hustle by going for the liquid coconut oil options which you can also find on Viva Naturals’ Portfolio.
Use Your Fingers
Nothing is as gentle as your fingers, and that’s why I advise that you put away any grooming brush until the mats are fairly cleared. Combing through the mats can also put extra force on the fragile cat’s fur, leaving the underneath skin damaged. Therefore, just layer the affected areas with the liquid oil and work it in gently using your fingers.
Something to take home is that you don’t have to soak up the whole fur, since only small amounts of the oil is needed. As opposed to applying the oil using your hands, you can use spray cans or syringes which ensure that the oil penetrates through the fur fully. As you massage, the mats tend to get loose in the process, something you can make simpler by trying to loosen them even as you do so. The massage also helps keep the cat calm through the entire process.
Let it Rest
Once you’re done massaging and loosening the bits with your fingers, don’t rush to brush the remaining knots. You should give the oil enough time to work through the cat’s fur right through to the roots because with this, the layers get moisturized perfectly. With that, you’ll end up with manageable hair when brushing, which also means that you’ll be certainly not making the cat uncomfortable. Now, if you have successfully followed these through and the mats are still visible, you can redo the process or try other tricks.
How to Prevent Matted Fur
As we have already seen, removing mats isn’t something you would want to do every now and then. Thus, the best solution is figuring out how you can keep the cat’s fur from matting in the first place. Here is a simple guide which summarizes it all:
Proper Grooming
Pet grooming revolves around these three things: Being timely, using the right grooming tools and equally using the right cleaners. Cats self-groom, meaning that there’s no need of giving them baths every now and then. However, you should monitor their fur regularly in order to spot stains, tangles and mats which should be dealt with immediately to prevent further damage.
As usual, you shouldn’t use any regular shampoo on your cat, and that’s why you should only use cat shampoo and conditioner. These are often made with friendly ingredients which also leave the fur manageable. After baths, you should also pay attention to what you use to dry the cat’s fur, staying gentle throughout. Lastly, you have to brush the fur and for this, there are cat-friendly brands with which you can keep their skin safe. They also make it possible to brush through the fur layers as required.
Diet
Ever heard that whatever you feed on eventually affects how healthy your hair turns out? The same logic applies to cats and pets in general, meaning that you have to be selective with what you fed them. Dry foods are considered to be notorious for damaging the condition of cat fur, leaving them prone to mats and tangles. So as you consider a diet switch, you can also try adding oils like fish oil capsules in order to keep their skin and fur healthy. At the same time, this translates to manageable fur which also minimizes time spent when grooming your cat.
Conclusion
As we come to the end of our discussion, I would like to emphasize that coconut oil, or any other virgin oil in that case, only makes the un-matting process easier. Therefore, you still have to see to it that your pet is bathed and brushed as required. At the same time if you have to use coconut oil for matted cat fur, stick to organic brands like Viva Naturals Organic Extra Virgin Coconut Oil.
This is the only way you can be certain that the product doesn’t contain any harmful chemicals that can ruin your pet’s skin. Another important thing to remember is that coconut or olive oil will only come to the rescue if the mats aren’t that bad. So if the finger-massage and brushing option doesn’t work, you can explore other options which are best advised by a professional.