Cats are one of the few pets who like to keep themselves clean 24/7. If you have a pet cat, you can easily notice her involved in self-grooming activities several times a day. However, even though your cat likes to keep herself clean all the time and tries to accomplish the same as best as she could, you can always help her to achieve this task more efficiently. Cats can be a tad reluctant when it comes to accepting an additional hand when it comes to grooming; therefore, it is your duty to follow some basic cat grooming tips to ensure that the whole experience is pleasant for both you and your feline.
Getting started
It is always better to get your cat accustomed to the concept of grooming from the very young age. Therefore, if you own a kitten, it’s better to introduce her to the process of grooming, right away. However, cats usually need their space, they might feel it really uncomfortable if you start the grooming process all of a sudden without any prior warning. This is where you need to adopt a slow and steady approach. Choose a time when your cat is really relaxed to start the grooming session; for instance, you could pick her up after she is done with a meal or soon after her nap time. Play with your cat from sometime, pet her and groom her gently with suitable comb or brush for five to ten minutes. Increase the duration of grooming session with time.
Cat brushing tips
You can use soft rubber brush or a metal comb to start the grooming process. It is imperative that you start with gentle strokes from head to tail, this will help you to get your cat to accustom to the grooming process. It is also important to get your cat accustomed to the grooming tool, an ideal means to achieve this is by placing the tool at the locations in the house where she spends most of her time and also by brushing her gently with the back of the tool during the grooming session. Start by grooming her belly and legs and be sure to work your way around the knots and untangle them as gently as you can as you proceed. Groom gently and also look for signs of fleas or ticks.
It is always ideal to use different types of combs or brushes to make the experience less stressful for your cat. For instance, start with a wide toothed comb and proceed the second session with a comb with more closely clubbed teeth when compared to the previous tool. It is ideal to use a soft rubber comb or even a toothbrush to groom around the cat’s face. Be really gentle, calm and loving throughout the grooming session, it is advised so because, cats can easily sense your mood and if she senses even a tad of anxiety in your behavior, she can get stressed too. Try not to groom your cat in the presence of other pets.
Grooming your cat on a regular basis is important when it comes to maintaining a healthy skin and coat. If your cat is short-haired, a grooming frequency of two times a week should suffice, on the contrary, long hair cats might require daily grooming sessions.