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Cat Articles
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Benefits of Cat Grooming
Cats are clean animals and although they are constantly grooming themselves, they need regular grooming by you to keep their coats healthy and to stimulate the skin.
By regularly grooming your cat, you will prevent their hair from matting and remove any loose hair. This will help prevent hairballs which are caused when the cat picks up loose hairs with their tongue and then swallows them. Old cats or sick cats can lose interest in grooming themselves. Regular grooming by you at this time is usually appreciated by your cat. Your help will also maintain a healthy coat for your pet.
How Often Should Cat Grooming be Carried Out?
How often to groom your cat will depend upon the climate, the length and type of your cat's coat and the time you have available for grooming your cat. As a guide, longhaired coats should be groomed daily and shorthaired cats benefit from brushing and combing twice a week.
What does Cat Grooming Involve?
Combing Your Cat
When using a comb you should comb gently in the direction of the hair. If you go against the coat it may irritate your cat's skin. Usually this will remove any tangles. However, if you find the hair is knotted you can trim with scissors.
Matting can be a serious problem in longhaired cats. Try to prevent it happening. Matting starts in areas that are difficult for the cat to groom. The most common areas affected are: between the shoulders, behind the ears, under the chin, under the arms and legs and beneath the tail. Divide a large matt into smaller matts and comb and tease these clumps apart. Sometimes it may be necessary to cut the clumps out by using a pair of blunt ended scissors. Be careful not to nick the skin. Never wet the coat when trying to remove a matt. Wet fur will make the matt worse.
Generally wide-toothed combs are good when grooming long haired cats and fine-toothed combs are best used for grooming short haired cats.
However when combing long haired cats, some groomers will use a wide-tooth comb first and then finish with a fine-tooth comb. They may also use a shedding blade to remove any loose hair left in the coat.
Brushing Your Cat
A natural bristle brush is best. When brushing your cat you should brush in the direction of the cat's hair growth. Again be gentle and use long flowing strokes. To finish you can use a grooming glove which will massage the skin and remove any remaining loose hair. There are also rubber grooming devices that are good for massaging the skin and help distribute the natural oils of the cat's skin.
Cat Grooming - Nail Trimming
Active outdoor cats keep their nails trimmed and sharpened by clawing at objects such as the base of trees and posts. Climbing activities also help to wear the nails down.
For housebound, elderly or sick cats, it is important to regularly trim your cat's nails and to use nail trimmers specially designed for cats' use. To trim your cat's nails you need to hold the paw firmly and squeeze the paw at the base of the nail. Once the cat's nail has protruded you need to cut off the tips of the nail with a single stroke. As there are blood vessels inside the nail you need to trim carefully. If you need guidance, sometimes it is better to watch your vet trim the nail first.
Dental Care of Your Cat's Teeth
Kittens have 26 teeth. Adult cats have 30 teeth. If cats are fed mainly on soft processed foods, tartar can build up on their teeth leading to dental disease. Some signs of tartar buildup are: foul breath; pain on eating; excessive salivation and pawing at the mouth. There are special cat toothbrushes you can buy for your cat. A weekly teeth cleaning regime will usually keep the tartar under control and their gums healthy. Aim to clean the gum margin of the molars, premolars and canines as this is where the tartar problem starts Some veterinarians recommend having cat's teeth professionally cleaned regularly.
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Last Updated on Sunday, 28 December 2008 13:31 |
