You might think that your cat doesn’t really need any help with grooming. Cats are fastidious groomers, always cleaning themselves. In fact, when you think about it, cats seem to spend their time either sleeping or grooming – they don’t seem to do much else. While this is largely true, it is still a fact that your cat will gain a lot from you helping to groom it. Besides, it’s a fun thing to do, and the chances are you will enjoy the experience as much as your cat will.

You should also note that some cats simply won’t like you interfering with the grooming process. Insisting that it must happen and forcing your kitty to endure the experience is likely to cause injury to your cat, not to mention that your cat will be very unhappy indeed.

If your cat violently resists your efforts, it might be better to get a veterinarian to help, or at least a professional cat groomer. Your cat’s mental welfare is as important as its physical welfare, after all. However, if your cat welcomes your grooming help, these 5 tips on grooming a cat might help.

  1. If your cat has short hair, get a fine-toothed comb, and if your cat has long hair, get a wide-toothed comb. Run the appropriate comb from the cat’s head to the tip of its tail. Untangle any knots you may encounter along the way. Once you have fully combed your cat, use a bristle brush to remove any loose hair. And old clean toothbrush is handy for combing gently around your cat’s face. Cats with long hair will benefit from a daily brush, while cats with short hair can manage with a brush up twice a week.
  2. Start grooming your cat when it is still young. In fact, the younger the better, though probably not before about eight weeks old. This will get your cat into the habit of being groomed and will lower their resistance to all the close attention. Try to make it a fun occasion as well. Cats generally like attention so this shouldn’t be very difficult to achieve.
  3. Don’t just concentrate on your cat’s back. The potential problem areas for matting are the abdomen and under the armpits. Be sure to give those areas your full attention as well.
  4. If you come across areas of matted fur, be gentle. Tugging on them will hurt your cat. You should try to split the matted area into smaller bits and try to ease out each part on its own. If the mat is particularly tight, you may have to cut it out, but always be careful and gentle when doing this.
  5. Most short-haired cats don’t need to be bathed regularly, unless they have become dirty through some mishap, but long-haired cats will definitely benefit from a regular bath. The bathtub is an ideal place to bath your cat, but be sure to run the water before introducing your cat to the room. Noise and excitement is the last thing you need here.

The water should be warm, but not hot, and it should just reach up to your cat’s belly. Lower your cat into the water slowly and gently, giving reassuring sounds all the time. Introduce a gentle shampoo slowly and lather it in. You cat may not be happy, but persevere. Rinse the cat thoroughly and dry it well with a thick towel. Keep the cat warm until it is fully dry.

Guardian Pet Sitters can help you when your cat needs grooming.  Call or visit our website for additional services offered to our clients.  Website