Grooming Routine is the First Step to a Healthier and Happier Cat

As a pet cat owner it is your responsibility to make sure your companion stays healthy, happy, and clean. These should be high priorities on a good pet owner’s to do list every day. If you own a loving feline, you will discover that they are very easy to groom. This is due to the fact that they are very clean animals and mostly take care of themselves in that respect.

Cats possess and inborn tongue-bathing habit which keeps their coats quite shiny and very clean. However, there are still some things which are required of the cat owner to help keep their beloved cat companions groomed to perfection.

Maintaining Your Cat’s Coat

Your cat’s coat, regardless of length, needs a regular brushing. Gentle, soft strokes should be used all the way down the cat to avoid any damage to their skin.

Once you have completed the task of brushing your cat properly the coat should be wiped down to pick up any remaining loose fur and dirt. When done on a regular basis brushing will assist in maintaining that lustrous fur you love to pet so very much.

Bathing Your Cat

There is no particularly good reason to regularly bathe your cat, this is because of the fact that cats naturally abhor water and they are very clean animals. However if for some reason your cat’s fur collects excessive dirt then they should be bathed.

Baths can also loosen and/or remove any ticks that may be attached to them. When washing your cat remember to always use products that are made especially for use on cats. Areas such the mouth, eyes, ears, and face in general are very sensitive and should be avoided as much as possible when bathing your cat.

When the shampooing is complete, thoroughly rinse all soap from the fur and dry as much as possible with a towel. Do not ever use a blow dryer since it emits hot air to dry and the majority of cats are particularly sensitive to heat.

Other Body Parts that Require Regular Cleaning

Besides maintaining your cat’s coat there are other body parts that require regular cleaning as part of the grooming schedule. If your cat is kept strictly indoors then their claws should always be trimmed short this will protect your furniture, and you, from accidental harm. The best way to learn to do this is to take your cat to a pet shop that does grooming and get them to teach you, most are more than willing.

Feline ears, eyes, and teeth also require regular cleaning and care. Products for these body parts can be located and purchased at any pet shop, and even in many supermarkets with pet sections. If your cat is well groomed and care for then you can have a much more enjoyable play time with them. Not to mention one of the other benefits to proper grooming is a lower rate of disease susceptibility.

There are many ways to groom your cat and several things that are required, but the time and effort is well worth the results.

Benefits of Proper Grooming

Who does not want a happy and healthy cat? It surprises many pet owners that grooming their cat can actually increase both of these traits in their companion.

In reality, it should not be all that surprising, after all humans are the same way. If a human feels dirty and scraggly, they are not prone to wanting to play or interact much with others at all. When you, as a cat owner, wonders why feline grooming is so important just remember that you enjoy being clean and having nice hair as well.

Grooming Your Kitten

Cats are instinctively clean animals, and absolutely abhor being dirty for any length of time. Awesome reason or you may have decided on a cat breed with fur that requires a lot of maintenance, such as the beautiful coated Persian cat. This is when you have to provide a little extra assistance to up keep your cat’s amazing fur.

Start a Grooming Routine with a Young Kitten

Even though cats naturally desire to be clean, and perform seemingly constant self-grooming, does not mean that you can expect them to be enthused about your grooming routine provided for them in addition to their own.

The best way to avoid a fight that makes safe grooming almost impossible is to start putting your cat through the same grooming regimen daily, weekly, or monthly depending on your cat, when they are a young kitten. If you start the habit of brushing your feline at least once a week right after you bring him into your home then when the time comes that he is truly a mess and really needs your help cleaning him then he will be quite calm and familiar with your assistance.

Grooming Your Long-Haired Kitten

While you should not introduce a young kitten directly to a bath tub full of water you can begin to get him familiar with the bathing procedure by setting him in a dish and using a wet rag to wash him down. This should be done every few weeks. When it comes to brushing your cat for grooming it should be done much more commonly.

Many cat owners find that one of the best times to brush out their cat is at night when you are reading or watching TV and your cat climbs up in your lap to snuggle. Keep a brush nearby your chair, couch, or wherever you prefer to sit. A soft baby brush can even be used on a young kitten, as long as he is shorthaired.

The cat should always be brushed in the direction that his fur naturally grows, soon you will find that he is quite comfortable with this procedure and even expresses enjoyment by purring in a content manner. If your kitten happens to be long haired, in addition to nightly brushing, you should have at least thirty minutes designated at least twice a week to take a comb completely through his coat. This will keep the tangles away that long haired cats are prone to, and keep his coat looking its healthiest.

Check for Fleas and Ticks

If you allow your cat outside once he is older than you should also set aside a five to ten minute session once a week to use a flea comb, no matter what your cat’s coat length is.

This will generally keep your cat completely flea and tick free, and at the very least will allow you to begin a flea treatment regimen if you find them on a regular, and increasing, basis with the comb. Fleas are very uncomfortable for cats and humans alike.

The Importance of Familiarizing Your Kitten with Grooming

All that effort and time you expended on your young kitten grooming him to perfection will pay off heavily when he is an adult and reaches a point that he actually needs your help to clean his fur. An adult cat that is already familiar and comfortable with being groomed by a human is much easier to handle than one that is not and turns every attempted session into a fight.

Importance of Grooming Your Adult Cat

Cats do not enjoy being dirty in any manner, and it is part of your responsibility as a cat owner to make sure that you assist your feline in keeping clean. Grooming is essential to keeping your cat in excellent health and nicely clean.

Brushing Your Adult Cat

The best thing to start with when it comes to grooming is brushing; this will help keep your cat from getting hairballs by licking his fur. Regular brushing reduces the risk of hairballs by removing loose fur. Many cats have a difficult time dislodging hairballs in their throat once they get them. If your feline is incapable of expelling the hairball it can cause intestinal blockage. This is a very serious condition and can quickly become a life or death situation for your beloved cat companion.

Long haired cats should be combed in addition to brushing every single day. Cats that only possess short furred coats do not have to be groomed more than once a week. While brushing your cat you should watch for skin irritations, lumps, and other abnormalities in your cat’s skin or fur.

The brushing of your cat should begin on the cats back stroking from head all the way to the tip of the tail. Start with one side and then switch to the next side, and onto other areas. Each fur section should be stroked with the brush a few times and always in the direction that the fur naturally grows.

Use Alternative Grooming Tools

Anytime you are grooming your cat by brush the cat’s paws and face should always be avoided. If your cat does not enjoy being brushed and puts up a difficult fight there are other tools that can still be employed to groom him. One of the best options, besides the actual brush, is the grooming glove. The majority of cats, including the ones who disagree with being brushed, do not mind this method at all.

Start Grooming Early with Kittens

The best way to get your cat adjusted to be groomed regularly is to start, and stick to, a routine while your cat is just a baby. Many cats that were groomed regularly as a kitten are not only familiar with it as an adult, but many actually grow to love their grooming/bonding time with their human.

Check Your Cat’s Ears, Eyes, Teeth, and Claws

During the grooming session that you brush your cat a routine check of the ears, eyes, teeth, and claws should be performed. Cat’s eyes should always be clear and bright, and nothing should be left crusting in corners if there is anything at all.

Ears are generally pink in color, clean, and lacking in any signs of ear mites. Ear mites tend to be contracted when dirt is allowed to build up inside the ears and is capable of leading to shriveled ears and deafness. Not to mention ear mites are very irritating to a cat and quite difficult for an owner to get rid of. The most effective method for treating ear mites is to keep your cat’s ears cleaned out so that they stay healthy.

Encourage Good Behavior During Grooming

As you are teaching your cat to become familiar with the grooming process you should steadily progress the amount of examination you perform, and how thorough you are, every session.

Any time your cat remains still during a grooming session he should be rewarded with a treat to encourage the good behavior. If your cat starts a struggle, instead of turning the session into a battle of wills allow him to go and simply try again the very next day. After a time your cat will be used to the grooming sessions, and many actually grow to adore them.