People assume that the only pets that need grooming are dogs.
Pet grooming is a treatment and maintenance regime to benefit your pet's health, comfort and quality of life. And it makes them look and smell pretty too!
When you spend time brushing, combing and detangling your pet's fur you can also check for lumps, bumps, cuts, scratches and even bites or injury from inesects and accidents or fights. Cats especially can return to a house without displaying discomfort and have puncture wounds in deep fur that may become infected and sore but be undetected until complications occur.
Cats need halp with grooming.
Yes, your cat will be seen to be labouriously and meticulously cleaning their legs and paws and even their faces and whiskers but as flexible as cats are they sometimes need help.Checking ears and eyes daily for discharge, damage or even smells. Seeds embed themselves quickly and can cause serious infections and conditions or even lead to death. Ticks for example are commonly found buried in ears.
Hair may become matted with faecal matter. Cleanliness must be paramount. Bacterial infections, smells, impacted stools and physical discomfort can all be avoided by keeping your cat's fur as clean and detangled as possible.
Cats can benefit from a relaxing brush.
Cats shed just as much as dogs and excess hair is just as uncomfortable and problematic. Cats also have the added factor of self grooming leading to hairballs. Somecats don!t encourage petting them but the rythmic strokes of a bristle brush can remove hair and induce relaxation. This is the ideal time to bond with your cat. Time spent every day, or twice a day for long hairs builds trust and enjoyment between you both.According to the nest these simple tips will make brushing your cat less of a chore and more of a pleasure for both you and your cat.
Step 1
Show your cat the brush. Let her sniff it, rub her head against it and feel comfortable around it. If you whip out the brush and begin trying to untangle the mats, it's going to learn that the brush is evil. Leave the brush out for about an hour or two, keeping it on the floor in your cat's general vicinity.
Step 2
Place your cat in a well-lit area, and pet them for a few minutes. Let it see the brush again and nonchalantly place it on its back. After a few minutes, take it a step further and begin brushing its back gently and slowly. Your cat will probably either put on the brakes and wonder what you're doing to them or arch its back in pleasure.
Step 3
Pet your cat around the ears and give it a nice scratching under the chin as you continue to brush the hair. Stay away from the matted areas for now. Your primary goal is to make them feel comfortable and think that brushing is just another form of petting.
Step 4
Search for the mats with your fingers. Once you find one, hold about three-quarters of the mat against your cat's skin with your free hand, allowing only the very top of the mat to remain free. Begin gently brushing out the top with your brush or comb, working in one direction.
Step 5
Work your way down to the base of the mat as you untangle the top. The goal is to unknot tiny portions of the mat at a time. If the brush doesn't seem to work, use both of your thumbs and index fingers to pull apart the matted fur. If the mat is one large clump, sometimes pulling it apart allows the brush or comb to better untangle the hair.
Step 6
Untangle small portions of the mat's base. Once you close in on the base of the mat, you'll notice that the tangled area gets larger and even more problematic to untangle. Try to untangle the entire base at one time and your cat will notice too. Sectioning it off means less work for you and fewer pitiful meows from your kitty. Start at one edge, holding the majority of the mat with your fingers, and work your way to the other edge in small increments as each section is untangled.
Step 7
Take your feline to the vet or groomer if you can't untangle the stubborn mats. If your cat has sections of matted fur, you can probably take care of the problem yourself. If the fur is bad enough that the mat is just one giant stretch of knotted hair, that's a situation that probably calls for a professional, as shaving the fur might be necessary
Cats don't hate water.
Some skin conditions may require the treatment from medicated shampoos. So how often should you bathe your cat? There are no hard and fast rules but consideration should be given to vet recommendations, using gentle products and obviously success is dependant on your cat's mood.
Cats teeth need cleaning.
Cats and dogs both nèed good oral hygiene. They rely on strong teeth for protection and to tear and chew. The natural diet of cats and dogs is omnivore. Vegetables and plants are enjoyable ingredients and a vaĺuable source of supplements. Fruit and vegetables taste delicious. My cats enjoyed a small green salad every day, with apple once a week for a treat; Kimba loved cucumber in particular. But even with a healthy diet of meat, fish and veg just like us our pets need teeth brushing for tartare prevention, healthy gums and removing tuna breath!The aim of brushing your cats teeth daily is not to get that Morris the cat superstar smile but it allows examination of the oral health. Maybe seeds are trapped or gums are cut and require attention. Your vet will always check your pets gums and teeth for a snapshot of it,s general health.
Plus again with the plethora of flavours of pet toothpastes your cat will be receptive to allowing this valuable aspect of their daily grooming regime.
Cats need nail care.
Cats claws are sharp for an evolutionary reason. Cats needed to catch prey, protection and agilityfor climbing . Today even domestic cats require healthy, sharp claws. So how do you groom your cats nails? Scratch posts or as you have discovered any sofa corner or arm will suffice.
Again as with the eyes, ears , matting and dental hygiene, please go to your Vet if you are concerned with any aspect of your cats and dogs well being.
Again as with the eyes, ears , matting and dental hygiene, please go to your Vet if you are concerned with any aspect of your cats and dogs well being.