Aw, that is sad. My family’s cat has never been mistreated, she just likes to pretend that she is aloof and doesn’t need anyone… but it’s a total lie, she’s actually desperate for attention and will go to great lengths to get it. She’s old enough now that she’s abandoned the scramble-across-the-table-and-watch-them-come-running-with-the-spray-bottle game, but she’s found other ways to make up for it.
Heh, not quite. She was an only doggie. 
What a mess that would make.
But what fun! 
This makes me very, very glad that we got two cats instead of just one. I’ve never wanted just one cat anyway, just for social reasons; I’ve always preferred raising two littermates than anything else. I hadn’t even THOUGHT about all the grooming they do for each other, and they do, a LOT of it.
I hope the clumps come out ok; you’re Cleo’s beautician now 
Hey, over time, the gentle brushing might get her a little more accustomed to you being close without feeling the need to swat.
I’m on my second Himalayan. Spectacular looking cats, but the fur clumping is unreal and seems to be a characteristic of the breed. As soon as the weather starts turning cool, fur (dense fine undercoat and long guard hairs) starts growing, and growing. By January the coat is as poofed up as it will get. In February/March - that is clumping season. One way or another (usually by sneaking up on him while he’s asleep, I can clip away at the top part of the worst clumps, and work at them a minute at a time with a comb, off and on - he likes being brushed, but not if it hurts; sometimes I just yank out one half grown out clump a day with a comb, oww!, but just once a day - pull and run like hell) where was I - oh, by the time summer comes around he’s a different looking cat altogether. He’s SLIM, sleek, much lighter in color, not a walking rectangle of fluff like in the winter. Poor guy is hot in the summer, I always say I’m going to get him a lion cut, and this year might be the year…Shame there are very very few cat groomers around - but as said above, it’s really a job for a vet.
Yea, I have two Himalayans, also. The older one tended to get mats when he was younger, but now that he’s well into “middle age” (11 years old) he seems to not have much of an issue with it anymore. They’ve never been good friends, really… I wish they would groom each other but I guess they never will.
Instead, the younger cat, age 8, gets matted this time of year. She has an extra-fluffy undercoat that is very cottony, and I just pull the mats apart with my fingers and actually go so far as to “strip” the undercoat by pulling it out. She loves the attention.
Anyway, OP, I think you’re going to have to go take Cleo to the vet and have her clipped. Then you should be able to gently ease her into maintenance with brushing.
Warning: It will cost more than you think.
We have an appointment on Monday morning at 8.
I used to have a big BIG fluffy cat. He would matt up all the time and would bite and scratch if I tried to deal with his coat. Stuffing him in a cat carrier and taking him to the groomer made a big difference in the blood involved. It only cost 50 bucks and I got to keep my fingers. Money very well spent in my opinion.
Cats can also develop open sores on their skin under the mats, from lack of air getting to the skin. My elderly calico has been having that problem lately. Once we get rid of the mat (either by cutting, combing or a combination of the two) the sores heal right up. She requires constant vigilance to keep the mats under control, because she’s so old she doesn’t groom very well and sleeps all day, poor kitty.
My long-haired cat’s matted clumps are from the pine tree he likes to hang out at next door. He rubs up against it to scratch and gets pitch in his fur, and the next thing I know one whole side of him is a pitch-smelling knotted clump.
Spray her with Johnson’s No More Tangles and comb the tangle from the bottom down, little by little. I used it on a curly haired dog (not mine) that was a mass of tangles and it worked great.
Don’t spray stuff anywhere the animal can lick.
Too funny; I don’t recall our cats having any clumping issues, and we play with them all the damn time, so it wouldn’t go unnoticed. But since this thread, I’ve twice caught the smallest one with a clump on her butt. Also, smelling of…potpourri or some such.
Took a couple days to figure out she was dragging her tail through the scented wax warmer, lol. Poor kitty. <snip snip>
Pretty inventive-- clever kitty!
Looking at the picture, her fur doesn’t look all that different from that of a cat I used to have who was prone to mats in the same spot even as a youngster. (Just a lazy groomer, I guess.) Her fur was not especially long, but very very dense. I was usually able to pull the mats apart myself with my fingers. Given the size of the ones you describe, the vet probably is the best option this time, but if/when you notice them coming back, give it a try.
Very successful visit to the vet this morning!
Hereis Cleo during the Event.
To the rightis the pile of fur they removed. Almost enough to make a kitten if we could figure out how to do that.
The mats were really big and tough, but Cleo was a trooper and all is well now. The vet said her coat and skin looked very good. I got a nice comb and tried it out on her. Works great.
Thanks for all the replies and advice. Drinks and treats at my house this evening! Bring your kitty cats! 
Good kitty, looks like she didn’t even need to be sedated!
She didn’t! She was so good… or terrified. She didn’t hiss or bite. She was perfect.
Good kitty! My husband’s parents have an ancient kitty who stopped grooming years ago - the vet told them they have to do it for her now. They have to comb her all the time to keep her (short fur) under control. I hope you and Cleo can work something out.
I’ve had cats that had this problem as they got older. It seemed that they couldn’t get to their backs to groom any more.
For the future, what I found worked best was to snip through the clumps, maybe half way down. Well away from the the skin. Then start brushing over the remains of the clump. You will probably find lots of non-connected fur (it’s fallen off the cat, but got tangled in the rest) as well as dander. Keep gently brushing the area. You can slowly work out the loose hair that is causing the matting.
aw, what a cute, good girl. i’ll bet she feels better now.
love the watch band on your vet! very cool.
