Cat Grooming - A Primer
Cat grooming is a necessary practice for pet owners who have cats.
Cats have all sizes of coats with some having long hair and others having short hairs.
Some cats have naturally good hair and the cats tend to take care of themselves by grooming their fur using their tongue and teeth.
In most instances, a little input from the pet owner is also required.
This is in the form of almost daily grooming of the long hair varieties and lesser amount of grooming for the shorter hair varieties.
The most common problem associated with poor grooming is the formation of hair mats.
These are thick tangles of hair which cause pain and the real bad ones can even tear the skin of the cat.
Furthermore, when the cat grooms itself using its tongue and teeth, it is swallowing hairs which form hairballs in the stomach.
In severe cases these hairballs can even clog the intestines.
These problems can be avoided if the owner grooms his/her cat regularly.
In most cases, all that is required is a metal comb and a slicker brush.
The metal comb is made of stainless-steel and has wide-set round teeth and the slicker brush has bristles that resemble the rasps on the cat's tongue.
For outgoing cats, a flea comb is a reasonable investment and helps in removing these parasites from the fur.
It is most important to make your cat comfortable about your grooming.
When you want to groom your cat, approach it in a friendly way.
During grooming talk to your cat in a gentle reassuring tone and do some regular petting with the grooming strokes.
Do not force your cat into awkward positions and take notice of any sign of discomfort that your pet might show.
If the cat starts to fight then quit grooming and divide the grooming schedule into smaller periods of time spread over more days or hours.
In many cases, it is also advisable to seek professional help for cat grooming.
This is especially important when you want to get a bad mat untangled or to get rid of persistent parasites.
Professional help can be from a veterinarian or a professional groomer.
The main advantages of professional groomers are their skills and experience.
They can provide you with great tips and techniques for home cat grooming.
Professional cat grooming can make up for any loose ends that remain during home grooming.
Cats have all sizes of coats with some having long hair and others having short hairs.
Some cats have naturally good hair and the cats tend to take care of themselves by grooming their fur using their tongue and teeth.
In most instances, a little input from the pet owner is also required.
This is in the form of almost daily grooming of the long hair varieties and lesser amount of grooming for the shorter hair varieties.
The most common problem associated with poor grooming is the formation of hair mats.
These are thick tangles of hair which cause pain and the real bad ones can even tear the skin of the cat.
Furthermore, when the cat grooms itself using its tongue and teeth, it is swallowing hairs which form hairballs in the stomach.
In severe cases these hairballs can even clog the intestines.
These problems can be avoided if the owner grooms his/her cat regularly.
In most cases, all that is required is a metal comb and a slicker brush.
The metal comb is made of stainless-steel and has wide-set round teeth and the slicker brush has bristles that resemble the rasps on the cat's tongue.
For outgoing cats, a flea comb is a reasonable investment and helps in removing these parasites from the fur.
It is most important to make your cat comfortable about your grooming.
When you want to groom your cat, approach it in a friendly way.
During grooming talk to your cat in a gentle reassuring tone and do some regular petting with the grooming strokes.
Do not force your cat into awkward positions and take notice of any sign of discomfort that your pet might show.
If the cat starts to fight then quit grooming and divide the grooming schedule into smaller periods of time spread over more days or hours.
In many cases, it is also advisable to seek professional help for cat grooming.
This is especially important when you want to get a bad mat untangled or to get rid of persistent parasites.
Professional help can be from a veterinarian or a professional groomer.
The main advantages of professional groomers are their skills and experience.
They can provide you with great tips and techniques for home cat grooming.
Professional cat grooming can make up for any loose ends that remain during home grooming.
