Cat Grooming

Cats are generally very clean animals and take care of many of their grooming needs themselves. They are flexible and can reach nearly every part of their body with their tongue and the parts that they cannot reach they can get with their paws. They spend a great deal of their day grooming themselves which comes as no shock to their owners. Their tongues are covered with spines that are designed to groom their own coat to remove loose hair and dirt. But despite taking care of most of their grooming needs themselves they do need their human to do somethings for them.

Grooming Tasks

Despite the seeming ease of owning a cat there are some grooming tasks that their human will need to do. For any cat owner it is imperative that grooming start while they are kittens. It is much easier to get a kitten used to something and they will keep that habit while growing into adulthood. Not all cats are alike as well, for some the grooming effort of their human may only be necessary once a month and for others they require grooming multiple times a day. Grooming also serves another purpose, especially with cats who go outside, and that is to check for fleas and other parasites.

Short-haired cats are usually the easiest to groom. Like other animals and children it is best to groom them when they are calm. A bristle brush is best to use with these cats. Stroke the cat toward it head to loosen up any hair and then brush from head to tail to pick up loose fur. A rubber glove or piece of damp cotton can be used to pick any remaining loose fur and when completed should give your cat a glossy coat. The session should last as short or as long as your cat will tolerate it, which can potentially go from only a few seconds to an hour.

Long hair, and tools of the trade

Long-haired cats are slightly more difficult to groom. A wide-toothed comb is best to use with these breeds and grooming should be done everyday. After a combing a wire brush can be used to remove more loose hair. The grooming procedure is much the same as short-haired breeds but special attention needs to be paid to the armpits and behind the hind legs where the skin is much more sensitive. Use your fingers to separate knots or mattings of fur and be patient. You wouldn’t like someone ripping at a knot of your hair would you?

Most cats will respond well to positive encouragement and will enjoy the attention that they get while being groomed. When completed treats may be in order or some other kind of reward. This will not only keep them feeling happy but will encourage them to be groomed more often. Just remember, this has to be something that your cat enjoys. If they are not enjoying it do not push the envelope. In many ways, being groomed by their human has to be your cat’s idea.

https://icatcare.org/advice/how-groom-your-cat
https://www.lovethatpet.com/cats/grooming/grooming-tips/
https://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-grooming-tips
http://animals.howstuffworks.com/pets/how-to-care-for-a-cat5.htm
https://www.vetwest.com.au/pet-library/grooming-tips-for-caring-for-your-cats-coat
http://healthypets.mercola.com/sites/healthypets/archive/2014/04/23/long-haired-cats.aspx

“Time spent with cats is never wasted.” —  Sigmund Freud