Should I Groom My Cat?

Cats are meticulous groomers, most spending their days licking and grooming themselves. A cats tongue is the perfect tool for grooming. Not only does it keep the fur clean, but it also massages their skin and stimulates good circulation. However, no matter how much your cat grooms himself, you should also groom your cat daily. Why?

• Grooming enhances the bond between you and your cat, and also lets kitty become used to being handled.
• Another advantage of grooming is that brushing will remove loose hair, reducing the risk of hairballs. Many cats have difficulty dislodging hairballs which can cause blockage of the intestines.This can be life-threatening.

Grooming also gives you the opportunity to check the skin for lumps, cuts and irritations and for fleas and parasites.

How To Groom Your Cat

• Introduce your cat to grooming at as young an age as possible.
• Groom your cat when he is tired and when you are most relaxed.
• Initially,groom a little each day so your cat can become used to it gradually without becoming too stressed.
• Praise and spoil him after each grooming session. This helps to create a tighter bond between you and your pet and will make grooming and brushing easier in the future.
• Use a grooming mitt or glove at first and then progress to a brush or comb when your kitty has become used to the handling.
• Start brushing along the cat's back, going from his head to his tail. Do this a few times on one side, and then switch to the other. Each area should be brushed a few times in the direction of the hair growth.
• Avoid brushing his face and paws.

Grooming Short-haired Cats

• Short-haired cats should be groomed with a rubber brush. Wet or dampen the brush to help catch any loose fur and prevent it from flying around your home - especially important if anyone in the household is allergic to cat hair.
• You can also use a flea comb on short haired cats.These are brushes with very narrowly placed teeth to scrape up the fleas. Start combing small lengths at a time, gently, from the skin out. Dip any fleas found into a bowl of soapy water.
• To give a shine to the cat's coat, finish with a grooming glove or slicker brush.

Grooming Long Haired Cats

Use a comb to groom the hair of a long haired cat. Begin combing in your cat's favourite spots - usually the chin and head. Then, go on to the next area. If there are any matted areas, try gently untangling the hair but you may have to cut it out with blunt tipped scissors.
Follow these simple steps:

• First take a medium or course comb and split your cat's coat into different sections. Be sure to work through the fur in a gentle and slow manner.
• Next, do exactly as you did in step one but this time use a fine-toothed comb.
• Follow through now with a good brushing, still working with small sections at a time. This time use a pin brush and work against the grain of the fur.

Once your cat gets used to grooming he will look forward to it each day and the brushing can be very relaxing and de-stressing for you as well!

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