I had a geriatric cat that was unable to “do” her coat, and if I missed ONE day, she had some pretty gnarly mats.
Yeah, same here.
We just had to send my daughter’s best kitty friend to Rainbow Bridge after 19 years on this Earth. He was a knotted, matted mess, and nothing we tried to do really ever rectified that. Vet said that his arthritis got to where he could no longer reach his own back.
(had to put him down due to kidney failure, not a ratty coat)