My cat has mats. Can Gabapentin help relax her for grooming?

There is nothing OTC that you can safely give that will effectively calm her down enough for grooming. You may need to have her lightly sedated by your veterinarian so she can be safely shaved or clipped. Using scissors at home can lead to a laceration if you aren't careful. An exam is also a good idea to determine why Xena is not grooming herself.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! i would see if your Vet can do it first. They will be more gentle, it may not look the best, but they will be conscious over her age and fragility. If she can not tolerate it then they can discuss maybe using light sedation. I hope this helps!

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach. There is nothing over the counter that is likely to make much difference, though pheromone products such as the Feliway diffuser can definitely help cats feel more relaxed. There are prescription medications that can be safely given for situations requiring mild sedation or anti-anxiety relaxation, so if a pheromone such as Feliway isn’t enough, I recommend asking your vet for their recommendations for Peaches. Hope this helps!

If Pazzo will not let you work at the matt to get it out, you may talk to your vet about a sedative called Gabapentin. Its a capsule that you mix the contents with food. He will then get sleepy and this will last 8-12 hours. He may allow you to better get in there and get it out. Some vets offer minor grooming services and you may ask if the clinic could just use their clippers and buzz it off. Otherwise just keep slowly working at it as much as he will allow. I hope this is helpful and please feel free to post any additional questions.

Hi, thanks for using Petco Pet Education Center, formerly Petcoach! Poor Tulip! The mats are painful, cause itching and could cause skin issues. If she will allow you to shave them (do not use scissors) then great. Other options are traveling groomers that come to your house or scheduling a sedated shave down with your vet. Maybe they can provide an oral sedative before hand so you can catch her and make the car ride less awful. I hope this helps and happy holidays.

Removing those clumps will be stressful for your kitty. The best would be to make an appointment with your vet for a shave under sedation. There could be sores underneath the mats which should be taken care of as well. Once the mats are gone I suggest you regularly brush and later comb Star to help with his grooming and clumps and mats will not reoccur.

Some vets can sedate cats and then groom them or even clip them short so that you don’t need to worry about brushing as frequently. You could also try a pheromone diffuser or spray like Feliway if it’s available near you but it may not be quite enough to get the job done.