How to groom a cat

If you've got a long or semi-long haired cat, here's a video that might help you groom it. Trust on the 20 years of experience, good luck and enjoy!! 

Grooming and loving

Besides sleeping, your cat spends an important part of it's day grooming itself, taking really good care of it's fur.

You can't be left out of this important part of his life, and should help him as it also strengthens your bonds. Remember your cat sees you as the substitute for his mum, and mums do a lot of grooming!

Make it a moment of pleasure for both, and do it on a time he's feeling relaxed and laid back. Why not when you find him grooming itself?

You can find many brushes and combs in the market, and this might make you feel confused, so what can be the best solution?

Whether your cat has short or long hair does make a difference, as some combs and brushes are more meant for one or the other.

On both cases you should be looking for a brush that is easy for you to use, will remove most of it's moulting hair, and that your cat do find pleasurable. A glove with soft rubber tips like this one is a nice option.

Another one, not as practical, as it doesn't come in a glove shape, is called ZoomGroom and is from Kong. It's success comes on the ingenious to mimic a cat's tongue, displaying soft and long rubber tips, just like your mummy's cat's tongue. 

Most cat's simply love it's massage, as you can easily watch on this video below:

This is only one of the many videos you might find, as this ZoomGroom came to revolutionize cat's care. As a plus, this brush can also be used in long haired cat's though this cannot be the only fur care they need.

Remember that this is a really important care, that should never be forgotten. Cat's that don't get help usually have a lot of fur balls and some of them might even get tangled in their intestines, needing surgical help for it's removal. Besides that, this isn't a very pretty and healthy image to see:

This basic care should be enhanced when days start to become hotter, as their fur fall more abundantly. 
Besides this, there is also one comb you might need if your cat goes outdoors, flea combs. This will help the chemical war you should maintain, so that your house doesn't get populated with fleas. A simple combing and there's nothing to worry! It can also be used on their paws to remove some dirt they might carry with them.

All other combs in the market were designed for long hair (or semi-long) hair cats, for remove mats and knots. Thus, they all vary in the lenght of the tooth of the comb and the space beween each tooth. Therefore, if your cat has long fur, like persians, you should buy combs with long tooths, as they can reach deeper into it's coat. 

The space between the tooths of the comb will grant you more efficiency untangling it's fur. 

You should have 2 combs with different tooth spacing, and you should always start with the longer spaced tooth comb, as you should attack knots and matted fur with gentle care. You should make sure combs are of a good material, as they won't get oxidized, and are comfortable for you. Other very important thing is to assure and that their teeth are smooth and round, or you'll hurt your beloved cat.  

For severe knots and mats, there are also de-matting combs, that cut though the mat, and solve radically some troubled situations.
Here are some examples:

For long and semi-long haired cats, you'll also need a brush, which will grant you time while brushing your cat. And you should start with it. There are many varieties, and you should choose one with good metal tooths, and fine spacing between so that it covers a large amount of fur. The metal tooth are really thin, and that's why they won't hurt your furry's friend  skin. 

 

On massive shedding times, such as early summer, you might need something a bit more effective like furminator. It's comb goes right through the fur, cutting and eliminating many extra fur. It should only be used  on this time of the year, and no more than 1 time per week, depending on your cat's shed. Check its efficiency in this video below:

Cat's claws trimming

Soon enough you'll find your cat spends many of it's time grooming itself. This pleasurable moments can and should count on your assistance, as it will endure your relationship. Your cat will always see you as his mum (or dad), and grooming their children is a natural thing for a mum to do! Besides that re-bonding, helping him with his hygiene is a matter of the pet's health, as there are some things that other way would be impossible for a house cat to do itself.

One of this is to trim their claws. Cats that go outdoors usually don't require any attention on that behalf, as their claws get worn out simply by walking, hunting and scratching the neighborhood trees. But indoor cats need your help, so follow carefully this tips and lean how to do it the proper way!

First of all, this hygiene care should be done on a quiet, pleasured moment, so never force your cat to be with you when he doesn't want it. For him, it's strange to having someone trimming their claws, so choose to start doing it while it's asleep, petting him along the way, as it'll not notice you're doing it. If he's being used to do it from an early age, he will not complaint latter on, so start right from the start!

One by one, press gently one of your cat's finger cushion until the claw comes of. 

 

Look at it closely. If it isn't dark, you'll see a pinkish region and a more whiter one. That pinkish region is called the quick and should never ever be cut, as it has blood vessels, and therefore if you cut it, it will hurt your cat, causing it to suffer, and the claw will bleed.

So, look at it and cut it's claws 2 mm (approximately 0,08 inch) below it.

If you use a human nail clipper, make sure you place it perpendicular to the claw, as seen on the image below. If you do it paralelly, the claw might splinter.

Make sure you use a sharpened tool, as it will fasten and perfect your process.

Depending on the level of activity of your cat, and the natural wearing out of it's claws, this might be done between 1 time per week to 2 to 3 times per week. Therefore, check regularly for your cat's claws, and cut it when needed. Older cats might need that trimming even more often, as their level of activity is low, their claws might grow too long if unattended, curl up and even grow into the finger. Getting used to claw clipping is therefore   very important. If you can't hold him still for the claw clipping, try gently wrapping it up on a towel.

When he's small, using a common nail clipper might be easier for you, but some adults have such stronger claws for witch you might need a nail clipper for pets, like these ones. For these, called a guillotine, you need to pay even more attention, and always face it's screws towards the cat, or you'll cut more than you've planned. So, before using it, make sure you've perfectly understood how it works!

Other claw trimmers, scissors type, aren't as precise and therefore are more used for dogs and tough situations as when the claw is all curled up.

In case of any doubt, contact your local veterinary. He will be glad to cut your cat's claws, and help you do it the next time!

Other solution is to regularly wear out your cat's claws using an electric nail grinder or buff edger like those shown below. 

It will probably take you longer, and you'll need buying replacement drums, but it's the safer solution if your cat's claws are dark or if you are short-sighted or have any other sight problems.

Cat's basics

Some objects are utterly necessary if you're planning to have a cat sharing your home.

A food, and water bowl are obvious. Besides it's color and shape, one thing you must bear in mind: they should be easy to clean, suited for washing machine, heavy so they don't easily turn over, and the food bowl shouldn't ever be on plastic. Stainless steel, ceramics and glass are the best options. Also, make sure you choose a model big enough for when the cat is bigger.

As we all know, plastics can retain some scents and flavors, and that means it can retain some food particula. Therefore, plastic bowls can easily be the home for bacteria. In dogs, that doesn't bring any particular issue, but in cats, specially aged over one year old, an infection on their chin called feline acne might appear. Small to large outbursts might arise, and they are only treated with veterinary care. So prevention is the way to go!

Other thing you must keep in mind is that food and water bowls shouldn't be close to each other, or the cat will only remember to drink water when he's eating. So, buying an inseparable set isn't such a good option!

Down below you can check some amazon links that might give you a hint on what you should be looking for:

You can also think on a place mat for your cat's eating area. Besides being nice and cleaner, it will be easier to keep your wooden floor free of stains or water drops. Here's one idea of what it might be like: