Severly matted long-haired kitty-assistance plz!

[Stacer]

Hey all!

I have an inquiry about de-matting cat fur. The cat in question is a long haired kitty that looks like a siamese/persian or himalayan cross. A co worker took the cat from friends who were going to drop it off at a shelter (bless him). The cat is very obese (20+ pounds) and its fur is severely matted. Also, the kitty does not like to be touched on it's body, probably due to the painful mats, so it's hard to get at the mats properly.

He once had a vet come to his house (he cannot transport the cat without a lot of stress and discomfort) for a check up, the cat was sedated for the exam and they attempted to remove mats, but didn't get very far as the cat woke up. Having a vet come again isn't an option, it was super duper expensive for the house call (in Toronto, nuff said).

Obviously the cat needs to lose weight so it can groom itself properly, but in the mean time, does anyone have a good method of removing mats from a cat that won't tolerate being touched? Also the cat is declawed (previous owner).

As a side, my coworker is vegan and is subsequently feeding his cat a vegan diet...I know, I know, I've had arguments with him. I don't think the cat has lost much weight since going vegan. Anyone want to help me out with that one?