My cat has long hair, and despite frequent brushing has big clumps of matted fur...how do I get them off?

I cut them in half,no danger of cutting the cat,and they come apart pretty easy then...

You can try putting cornstarch on the matts - this helps loosen the hair and makes them easier to brush out. They also make a detangling spray (which is less messy than the cornstarch). If the matts are really bad, you may have to cut them out - this isn't a big deal though, the hair grows back quickly and it doesn't hurt the cat in the slightest.

A groomer is fine, as long as the cat wouldn't be harmed by sedation due to a medical condition. However, they are expensive and you can do it yourself.

Tips for prevention:

Brushing daily! For a long-hair you need to use a wide-tooth comb, a medium tooth comb, fine tooth comb, and finally a pin brush. Make sure you have the right kind of brush. You can also rub the cat down with a piece of velvet or chamois when you're done to smooth out the hair. Good luck!

Please, PLEASE be VERY careful if you decide to cut them in half with scissors! if they are very tight you will not be able to discern where hair ends and skin starts as tight tangles pull the skin up into the hair. Cat skin is very thin and elastic, when they get a cut the skin will stretch and continue to open up. And if you ever go to a groomer that sedates, beware, unless they are at a veterinary office administering meds is illegal( and very unsafe if not in the presence of a licensed veterinarian). My advice is to call around for a groomer who will try to remove them, if the cat is not cooperative, sedation may be necessary but again you only want to go to your vet for this. Good luck. Also in the future when brushing your cat always follow through with a metal ("GreyHound" -it's a brand) comb, this will remove excess dead hair and let you know if you missed any tangles.

You can take her to a groomer, but if you have an assistant, it would probably be less strressful for her if you cut them out. It is not difficult, just tricky--like with a baby, keep your fingers between the scissors & the skin. Keep brushing regularly, & remove mats before they get bad..

cutting them in half is the best thing especially if she's that old you don't want to cut her and run risk of infection, i mean you wouldn't want to do that to any cat it's just like people the older ones have a little more trouble recovering make sure your brushing her with a slicker like brush to get all of dead hair off

I've had mid-back to waist length curly hair most of my life.

Well, I have to admit I love girls with long hair... for me, the longer, the particular better... I honestly can't think regarding anyone who looked better with short hair

Have her shaved down with a lion cut.