Pet Care Club

For those who love their pets...

Grooming Your Cat


Believe it or not, hairballs just don't cut it. Your cat needs to be brushed, bathed, and have her nails cut regularly. All of these jobs can be done by the owner, however if your pet is particularly high strung, taking your kitty to a professional may be best. The following is a very basic guide on day to day care of your pet.

Grooming - Brushing

Cats need to be brushed fairly often, to remove dirt and spread the natural oils in the cat's hair evenly. This will also help to keep her skin clean and well maintained.

If your cat's hair is short:

  • Brush thoroughly once a week
  • Use a metal comb first through the hair, then use a bristled brush to remove dead hair

If your cat's hair is long:

  • She needs to be brushed daily
  • Use a bristled or rubber brush to gently work through her hair
  • Be sure to get out any knots

When brushing your cat, remember that her skin is sensitive and try not to tug at her hair. This will frustrate your cat, making the job harder for you.

Grooming - Bathing

Your cat should only need to be bathed after she's gotten something stuck in her hair, or her hair is greasy or oily. When this occurs, make sure that both she and you are calm and relaxed before giving her a bath. Remember to put something down on the floor of the laundry tub or bath tub that you're washing her in. This will allow her to relax a little bit more in the water.

When running the water, make sure it is only lukewarm and only a few inches deep. If the water is any deeper your cat will feel extremely uncomfortable and want to get out of the bath as soon as possible. Make sure to keep the feline as calm as possible, otherwise she will always think of bathing in a negative way. After you have gotten her into the water, pour water over the rest of her body with an unbreakable pitcher or cup. NOTE: Avoid eyes, ears and nose. Using a gentle shampoo, lather your cat's entire body (remember to AVOID eyes, ears and nose). Then rinse her and dry her using a fluffy towel. After being bathed a few times your feline will adjust and become accustomed to it. If she is very exciteable the first few times you bath her, stop. If she has negative associations with bathing she will more than likely keep that attitude towards it.

Grooming - Clipping Nails

Generally, cats are not used to having their feet touched. Because of this, she may be anxious the first few times you cut her nails. To get your cat used to this, handle her feet on a more regular basis. If you begin giving your cat foot massages, she will be more relaxed when you are trying to clip her nails. You can do this by applying small amounts of pressure, starting on the pad on her foot, then gently rubbing her toes.

After she has adjusted to the foot rubs, you will be able to cut her nails. When doing so, make sure to use sharpened nail cutters made specifically for cats, otherwise the nail could be cut wrong and this will hurt your kitty. When cutting her nails you want to cut off the white part of her nail (up until where it starts to curl). Any further up the nail you will cut open the vein that she has in the nail, and it will bleed. If this occurs, you can use a product called styptic powder to stop the bleeding. Styptic powder helps to stop bleeding, and can be used on any small surface wounds to help stop bleeding.

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