Cats are well equipped to groom themselves with their tongue, teeth, claws and paws all able to do an excellent wash and brush up. In fact the cats tongue is especially designed to brush through fur with its rough barbed covered surface, which is excellent at removing dirt and grit. However even the most agile and flexible cat cannot always reach every part of its body adequately enough to remove every last particle of dirt.
It is important that a cat’s fur be kept well groomed all year round; this is especially true at times when the coat is being shed. This normally happens in the spring when the thick winter coat is shed and is replaced with a new lighter summer coat. Although a cat will quite happily groom itself, problems arise when they digests large amounts of loose fur which become lodged in the cat’s throat, these are known as fur balls. Fur balls will normally be regurgitated by the cat, but in some extreme cases my become too large and have to be removed by a Vet. Too prevent this from happening regular grooming by the owner will remove the loose fur and prevent the cat from digesting too much.
Longhaired cats require much more frequent grooming by their owners, at least two or three times a week. The fur of a longhaired cat is very thick and has several layers, which is what it them that fluffy look. The cat although able to groom the upper layer easy cannot reach the much finer layers of fur nearest the skin. This is the fur that if left unattended will begin to mat together, causing painful clumps. These clumps or mats of fur get larger and larger if not dealt with promptly and begin to pull and tear the cat’s skin. When the fur is at this stage the only solution is to have the mats cut out by a professional cat groomer, who will shave the affected fur away using special grooming tools. To avoid this situation regular grooming by the owner will prevent these mats from forming.
There are many types of cat combs and brushes on the market especially designed for owners to painlessly and easily be able to groom their cats. Always make sure that the equipment is suited to the type of cats fur, as short haired and longhaired cats require different types of brush. Using the wrong one may cause pain and distress to your cat and not be able to adequately groom the fur.
The following steps will take you through the common process for grooming your cat:
1. Settle your cat down by gently stroking them and getting them in a relaxed frame of mind.
2. Gently part the fur and look for any injuries, lumps or parasites.
3. Check the feet and press the toes gently to see if there are any foreign bodies caught between the toes or in the fur.
4. Clip any long claws using special nail clippers. (Remember not to go near the pink quick of the nail)
5. Gently brush the cat’s fur in the opposite direction to its growth, making sure to get down into the fur closest to the skin.
6. Pay particular attention to the fur around the back legs especially in longhaired cats, as this is one of the areas most prone to matting.
7. Check inside the cat’s ears for any signs of wax of ear mites and clean with a small damp piece of cotton wool if necessary.
8. Wipe eyes with damp cotton wool if there are any signs of discharge.
The more often you groom your cat the more confident you will become and the more excepting your cat will be of the process.
It is generally not necessary to give a cat a bath. However if something gets on the fur that cannot be brushed out, like oil or paint then washing the cats fur is the only option. Remember most cats don’t like water and so bathing your cat may be quite a traumatic experience for you both. Try to keep the situation as calm as possible and always keep water away from the cats face. A cat should never be submerged in water, use jugs of warm water or a light flow from a showerhead. Use only special cat shampoos, as it is important not to wash away oils from the cats fur that help to keep the coat in top condition.
» left by Dianne Lehmann(3,487) Dianne Lehmann (1 year 89 days ago.)
Some better tips on how to calm your cat before grooming might be handy. We have a formerly feral cat. She loves to be brushed so that is not a problem. Recently, she had diarrhea and her rear is a mess. Every time we try to clean it, she acts as if we were trying to kill her. Any tips for how we might manage that? Any ideas about why she reacts this way? Respond to this comment
» left by Kate Tilmouth(574) (1 year 89 days ago.)
Hi, i recently attended a talk given by a professional groomer, where she demonstrated on two cats how to groom them easily. Both cats were very different in temprament, one sat fairly quietly and let her get on with it the other struggled the whole time she was grooming them. However she still managed to to groom both cats well. her technique was very gentle but firm, she recommended talking to the cats the whole time ina friendly up beat voice (i know it sounds funny but the cats seemed to respond, she says it makes them feel secure). She did say however that cats are very funny about anyone touching the backs of their legs and behind, i guess they just feel vunerable there. She started that area by gently stroking that area to get them used to the sensation of someone touching them there. However i would say that not all cats will behappy about it and may still struggle and that it sometimes takes two people to hold them still whilst grooming. She even wore goggles for some cats in case of them lashing out. So i would say that if your cat does become very aggressive towards you, it may be advisable to take them to a professional groomers.
I would also say that the fact that dry poop is in the fur that it may be very painful for your cat as you try to brush it our. I would recommend that you try to bath that area first to remove the worst and to soften the rest. I don't know if your cat has long fur or not. But with long haired cats when this sort of thing happens it is often advisable to cut away the matted fur. gain this may be something that only a professional groomer or vet should do as they have specilaist equipment and technique to provent injury to both yourself and your cat.
Thank you for contacting me about this, i do have further information about cat grooming on my site if you are interested. http://www.our-happy-cat.com
Kate Tilmouth
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Article added to SearchWarp.com on Wednesday, October 03, 2007 View other articles written by Kate Tilmouth(574)
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