Can I cut a mat off my cat with scissors?

It’s strongly not recommended. Cat skin is much thinner than human skin and tends to tent up with the mat when you pull the hair, so the scissor blades often catch skin along with the hair. Lacerations from owner scissor accidents are a routine emergency vet visit, and they require sutures roughly as often as they don’t. Safer paths: a wide-tooth comb worked through the mat slowly, or pet-safe clippers run flat against the skin (the same a groomer uses), or a professional groomer who can shave the mat off in under a minute.

When to call a vet: if you’ve already cut and the cat is bleeding or there’s a visible skin break, vet today, not tomorrow.