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Grooming A Cat

The Basics

Most cats will benefit from a regular grooming routine. By brushing or combing your cat regularly, you can keep its coat clean, shiny and sleek. Regular grooming will reduce fur buildup in the cats intestines (causing hairballs) and it will also allow you to examine the cat for parasites and skin disease. You should begin grooming sessions with kittens when young so that they will accept it later in life. Start with short sessions, sticking to areas where your kitten likes to be groomed, building up to longer sessions as your kitten gets used to it.

Grooming Preliminaries

Attention should be paid to the cats face while grooming, particularly the ears, eyes and teeth.

Ears: Inspect each ear for accumulation of dark-coloured wax or signs of dirt. If too much wax builds up it can lead to infection, so it should be cleaned out. Use one or two twists of cotton wool or a q-tip lightly, moistened with olive oil or baby oil. Do not go deeper into the ear than you can see or you may damage the ear drum. Never enter the ear canal.

Eyes: Crusts of dried mucus may accumulate in the corner of the eye. Clean the area gently with a warm weak salt solution or cooled boiled water. Check for overflow of tears, appearing as a dark staining of the face below the inner angle of the eyelids. This can be caused, particularly in longhairs, by a blocked tear duct. Breeds with shortened faces, such as Persians, often produce excessive amounts of tears. Their eyes must be cleaned daily to reduce buildup of yellow or brown stains on the coat. Persistent tear staining or marked eye discharge requires veterinary attention.

Teeth: Inspect the teeth for evidence of tartar. Does the cat have sweet breath? Ideally, you should get your cat used to having its teeth brushed once a week using a soft toothbrush and salt solution or a special pet toothpaste. Once tartar forms into a chalky deposit on the teeth, it will need to be removed by a veterinarian, using de-scaling instruments.

Longhair

Longhaired cats should be groomed regularly to prevent the soft undercoat from becoming matted and tangled.

1. (If using grooming powder) Apply grooming powder to the coat. Rub powder into the coat, starting at the base of the tail and working upwards towards the head. Avoid the eyes.

2. Brush the coat thoroughly to lift the fur away from the skin. Brush up from the tail towards the head. If powder was applied to the coat, make sure that it is all brushed out.

3. Using a wide-toothed comb, comb down the body, checking for tangles as you go. Comb out little tangles before they become big hair matts. Particular care and attention should be given to the tail and under the stomach (especially the armpits), as this is where matts commonly occur.

4. A small toothbrush can be used to brush the short facial hair.

Shorthair

The coats of shorthaired cats do not become matted like longhaired cats. Shorthaired cats should be groomed once per week.

1. Remove dust, loose hairs and debris using a fine-toothed metal comb from head to tail. A flea comb can be used to remove fine debris and small parasites, e.g. fleas.

2. Brush the cat from head to tail. A rubber curry brush can be used for cats with short thick coats, e.g. British Shorthair. A soft bristle brush is best for cats with fine short coats, e.g. Siamese.

3. Once the coat has been brushed, it can be buffed with a soft cloth or chamois.

References

Edney A, Taylor D, 101 Essential Tips: Caring For Your Cat, London: Dorling Kindersley, 1997

Page S, The Complete Cat Owners Manual, Australia: Readers Digest, 1997

Taylor D, The Ultimate Cat Book, Great Britain: Dorling Kindersley, 1989

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