What happens next?

How to handle matting in your cat's coat
Sprinkle talcum powder onto the mat.
Work the talcum powder into the mat with your fingers. The talcum powder will help loosen the mat.
You can purchase talcum powder from your local pharmacy or grocery store. Alternatively, you can spray a detangler or an anti-static spray onto the mat to loosen it, though do not use both at once or the products can cake together and make the problem worse.