Although cats are known for their self-grooming skills, even the most independent cats need outside help to maintain excellent hygiene. Cats do their cleaning only by licking, which is insufficient to eliminate common hair problems like tangling and matting. This is why if you are a cat owner, you should groom them regularly.
Moreover, regular grooming helps keep your cats clean and allows you to track any minor issues and prevent them before they aggravate.
So here are seven highly effective grooming tips to keep your cats healthy, hygienic and stylish.
1) Begin Grooming Early
The best time to start grooming your cat is during their kittenhood. This is because kittens are preened by their mothers, making them open to being handled and groomed by humans. Remember to go easy and feed them some delicious cat treats, so that they will enjoy their grooming sessions more.
If you have an older cat, you can manage to groom them despite facing some initial hurdles. If the cat is new to grooming, take things slowly and introduce all the grooming tools to them gradually over a few months so that they don’t get spooked.
2) Play Session Before a Bath
It’s no mystery that cats dislike water, including baths. While cats are fairly good at self-grooming and don’t need regular bathing, there will be times when they are messy and will need good scrubbing. The key to washing them smoothly is by tiring them out.
Before you bathe them, give them an engaging cat toy and let them play with it. After the playing session, they will most likely be tired and will have less energy to resist the bathing sessions.
3) Choose Cat Shampoo Over Human Shampoo
Once you have scrubbed your cat’s back and neck with lukewarm water, choose a cat shampoo to clean their hair. This is important because cat shampoos are less drying than human shampoos, making them ideal for your cat’s sensitive skin. Apply the shampoo in the same direction that your cat’s hair grows, from head to tail. To clean around their face, you can try a pet wipe which is soft and safe on your cat’s skin.
4) Brush them at Least Once a Week
Brushing your cat’s coat ensures that it stays healthy and shiny. A good brushing once or twice a week will eliminate dirt, dead skin, and other debris for good skin and coat health. If you have a long-haired cat like a Persian cat, increase your brushing frequency to twice a week to prevent the matting and tangling of hair.
5) Buy the Right Grooming Tools
Regarding brushing tools, a slicker brush or a bristle cat brush is ideal for short-haired cats, while a wide-toothed comb is better for a long-haired cat, who is exposed to tangling and matting of hair. For a smooth grooming session, try a de-shedding comb which provides a nice, relaxing massage, apart from reducing the shedding of your cat’s hair by up to 95%.
6) Check For Ticks & Fleas
Ticks and Fleas are the two most common parasites that latch on to the cats. To check the presence of these ticks on your cat’s skin, run your hand over their skin for any abnormal bumps. If you feel the bumps, it could be ticks attached on to your cat’s skin. To remove the ticks, use a clean tweezer to grab its head and pull it upwards, and clean the particular skin area of your cat afterwards.
Regarding fleas, they are most easily found through flea dirt, which are essentially black specks that leave behind the cat’s skin. If you spot any of these, check with your vet will offer flea treatments like shampoos and sprays. You can also use a spot-on which is highly effective in killing the fleas present in your cat’s skin.
7) Carefully Trim their Nails
Having healthy claws and paws helps your cats to be able to stand, walk and support their body weight. This can only happen if their nails are trimmed properly and regularly with a good cat nail clipper. To make your cats comfortable during the nail clipping sessions, you have to first get them to the sounds of the clippers. You can do this by training your cats through clickers and rewarding their calm behaviour with treats.
8) Clean the Bottom of their Ears
An essential aspect of your cat’s grooming routine is cleaning their ears, as they can’t lick these areas and clean them on their own. Apply a vet-recommended ear cleanser to a cotton ball or pad, and wipe any dirt that is accumulated under their ears. While cleaning, make sure you avoid the ear canal, as it’s extremely sensitive to pressure.
In Brief,
These are eight simple yet highly effective grooming tips to keep your beloved felines well-groomed and stylish. It is also important to take your cat regularly to the vet as they are well-versed in finding subtle signs of any illness in cats and nipping them from the bud before they get complicated.