Angelmerritt

As a former pet groomer of 12 yrs, please DON'T put any oil or any type of moisture on your cats fur. This will make the fur tighten up worse and be problematic for the clipper to trim the matts off. If anything, cornstarch as it will sooth the skin and reduce static electricity in the fur. For minor matts it makes it more manageable to brush out but it sounds like these mats are too far gone for that. Go with the what the majority on here have already stated and see the vet for sedated grooming.

Once you get these mats taken care of, purchase a firm slicker brush (with NO knobbies on the end of the pins) and attempt to brush your cat daily (even when shaved). The brush is to be used gently (no digging to China, please). Once your cat has had experience with the brush being soft, gentle, and not hitting any snags, they will be more willing to let you brush on a regular basis when their fur is longer. This also helps distribute their natural oils in the skin.

One other really important tip for all long hair dog/cat owners: Moisture tightens matts close to the skin. So in the rainy season, make sure you keep your pet brushed more frequently than usual. Even the dew in the grass is enough to make a small tangle into a tight mat in a matter of days. Think of it like those knots at the end of your hoodie/sweatpants drawstrings (or even knots in your shoelaces). Once you wash them they tighten down and are nearly impossible to remove. There are no magical conditioners (like humans have) that remove pet tangles because pet hair is more like wool than human hair (with the exception of some Yorkies and Afghan Hounds). So the rule to follow is prevention, ie brushing and combing regularly to remove small tangles before they become tighter to the skin. A steel toothed comb is not used to remove the tangle but to locate the tangles and then go in with the slicker brush and work it out. There is one spray that I do use on a freshly washed/brushed fur as a preventative for easily matting dogs. It is called Glo-Coat (another name brand is The Stuff) and is a silicone type mist that repels urine, dirt, stains, and is an anti-static making it great for preventing tangles. Since cats groom themselves, I am unsure it would work for them.

Best of luck with your new buddy. I'm sure he'll feel much better once those matts are removed. If left in place long enough, they will twist themselves out by the hair folicle and leave bald spots and highly sensitive skin. Don't delay, make that appointment today!