Cat Grooming - Basic Tips
By Cristian Stan Most people that own cats don't think too much about grooming their cats, since they know that they take care of it by themselves, by licking their chests, back or paws.
When the cat has short hair, they usually have no problems grooming themselves, without any help from their human owners. The same can't be said about Persian cats or other species with long hair.
Besides keeping the cat clean, grooming will also help with the removal of hair which is loose. If you don't use the comb on the cat's fur, all that loose hair will go the stomach of the cat. Because digesting hair doesn't happen with ease, it will usually form hairballs inside the stomach, which the cat will cough up. Sometimes though, they can have health issues because of these hairballs.
You might believe that cats don't like being groomed by someone else, but they might actually enjoy being brushed. Getting a cat used with grooming is easier if you start doing it when it's still a kitten.
To groom a cat, comb or lightly brush through the coat of the cat, going from the neck to the tail, by following the fur's lie. Don't do it against the lie, since the cat will not enjoy that at all. He might get irritated, and if this happens stop the brushing and help him relax by playing with him for a bit. His paws and face shouldn't be groomed with the comb or the brush, as he will probably not enjoy that.
If your cat doesn't enjoy brushing, a grooming glove might be a better fit for her. You simply stroke the cat while wearing this glove, so the bits and dirt from the fur will be removed, just like a brush would do it.
The grooming process should also include checking the ears and the eyes. You should see clean ears and bright eyes, with no discharges. Ear mites are a definite possibility if the cat's ears are very dirty. If she has ear mites, she might suffer permanent damage to the ears, so take the cat do a vet, to make sure she's OK.
When the hair is long, grooming the cat can be difficult, especially if the fur becomes matted. In this case, you should just cut the parts that are matted, if the cat lets you do it.
Most people think that cats should take care of their own fur, but a little bit of grooming from their owners can help the cat to avoid potential health problems.
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Visit EarMitesInCats.Org and learn more about ear mites in cats and what causes ear mites in cats.
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