Grooming a Cat

Many cat owners don’t realise the importance of grooming a cat. Cats are clean creatures and they do spend a lot of time grooming themselves, but that doesn’t mean a little help every now and again isn’t necessary. The length of hair will determine how regularly a cat needs grooming, with short haired coats needing far less attention than coats of long, thick hair. Very long flowing coats could use a groom every other day to prevent hair from matting or getting too tangled.

As part of the grooming session, comb gently from front to back making sure you talk to your cat as you do it to keep them calm. It can be tempting to cut out a matted section of hair but this is dangerous as if the cat were to move suddenly you could cut the cat’s skin. Eye care is particularly important too and a flannel or face cloth dipped in tepid water should be gently wiped over each eye. This should be repeated until both eyes are clear.

If you are brave (!) you can try and bath your cat. A good quality cat shampoo is necessary and ideally a degreaser. Use the shower spray to wet the cat and then apply the degreaser. Rinse thoroughly and do the same with the cat shampoo. Be careful to avoid the eyes and ears. Conditioner can also be used on the cat if you have some available although it is not essential. Rub your cat with a clean, soft towel to dry him off and give the coat a brush or comb whilst they are drying too.

During the grooming session, it is a good idea to carry out other important cat care tasks such as checking the condition of the coat and skin, giving your cat a flea treatment and maybe even a cat worming pill too. Getting everything done in one go is a great way to make sure all the important jobs are taken care of regularly.

Have any of you got any tips for cat grooming? Send in your comments below.