Grooming your red persian cat or flame point himalayan kitten can be a daunting task with their long, full coats. Do not despair! Learn how to conquer matted fur in this article.
Cats are well equipped to groom themselves with their tongue, teeth, claws and paws all able to do an excellent wash and brush up. In fact the cats tongue is especially designed to brush through fur with its rough barbed covered surface, which is excellent at removing dirt and grit. However even the most agile and flexible cat cannot always reach every part of its body adequately enough to remove every last particle of dirt.
It is important that a cats fur be kept well groomed all year round; this is especially true at times when the coat is being shed. This normally happens in the spring when the thick winter coat is shed and is replaced with a new lighter summer coat. Although a cat will quite happily groom itself, problems arise when they digests large amounts of loose fur which become lodged in the cats throat, these are known as fur balls. Fur balls will normally be regurgitated by the cat, but in some extreme cases my become too large and have to be removed by a Vet. Too prevent this from happening regular grooming by the owner will remove the loose fur and prevent the cat from digesting too much.
Longhaired cats require much more frequent grooming by their owners, at least two or three times a week. The fur of a longhaired cat is very thick and has several layers, which is what it them that fluffy look. The cat although able to groom the upper layer easy cannot reach the much finer layers of fur nearest the skin. This is the fur that if left unattended will begin to mat together, causing painful clumps. These clumps or mats of fur get larger and larger if not dealt with promptly and begin to pull and tear the cats skin. When the fur is at this stage the only solution is to have the mats cut out by a professional cat groomer, who will shave the affected fur away using special grooming tools. To avoid this situation regular grooming by the owner will prevent these mats from forming.
There are many types of cat combs and brushes on the market especially designed for owners to painlessly and easily be able to groom their cats. Always make sure that the equipment is suited to the type of cats fur, as short haired and longhaired cats require different types of brush. Using the wrong one may cause pain and distress to your cat and not be able to adequately groom the fur.
The following steps will take you through the common process for grooming your cat:
1. Settle your cat down by gently stroking them and getting them in a relaxed frame of mind.
2. Gently part the fur and look for any injuries, lumps or parasites.
3. Check the feet and press the toes gently to see if there are any foreign bodies caught between the toes or in the fur.
4. Clip any long claws using special nail clippers. (Remember not to go near the pink quick of the nail)
5. Gently brush the cats fur in the opposite direction to its growth, making sure to get down into the fur closest to the skin.
6. Pay particular attention to the fur around the back legs especially in longhaired cats, as this is one of the areas most prone to matting.
7. Check inside the cats ears for any signs of wax of ear mites and clean with a small damp piece of cotton wool if necessary.
8. Wipe eyes with damp cotton wool if there are any signs of discharge.