Would you like to lose almost 10% of your body weight in an hour? Poor Jacque came to Furkids from a sad situation, where his human passed away. When he arrived, Jacque weighed a whopping 24 lbs and was covered in the worst mats we’ve seen in our 18 years of lifesaving! Although it was the end of the day, our med team wouldn’t consider allowing him to suffer one more second and stayed into the evening to shave the horrible mess off his body - all 2 lbs of it! 

Between his obesity, which limited his ability to self-groom, and the pain of the mats that made him less mobile, Jacque had been suffering and in need of human intervention for a long time. Despite it all, Jacque is affectionate and as sweet as a cat can possibly be. We are so glad Jacque woke up this morning with a new summer cut. He must feel like a new cat!!

Cats have a great ability to groom themselves, but matting can still occur; especially with longhaired cats. Matting begins when a cat sheds their undercoat and that fur gets caught in the top coat. The fur then gets knotted and entangled and begins to get matted. The longer matted fur is left unattended, the more problematic it becomes, as the knots will grow tighter and tighter, causing pain, discomfort and health issues. In Jacque’s case, reduced mobility and flexibility from obesity impeded his ability to groom himself. It’s a common problem with long-haired cats, and can be easily prevented with regular brushing and removal of small mats before they get out of control.

It may not seem life-threatening, but Jacque was facing a shorter, miserable life span had he not come to Furkids. We’re relieved Jacque is with us now, and is super comfy and much cooler with his summer cut. When his long fur grows back, he’ll be the beautiful, elegant cat we know he once was. By then, we hope to have him down to a healthy weight as well. It will take several months, but we’re in it for the long haul. We always are! We’ll post updates on Jacque’s progress, so stay tuned!