Almost every cat breed is blessed with a fur coat, with the exception of hairless Sphynx, and that coat need attention. The coat moults all year round, more in spring and early summer. That can make your house cleaning a little difficult because there will always be some hair around. But, if you take good care of your cat's coat, you will be able to cut down substantially on the amount of hair that gets in your household. For the most shorthaired cat breeds it is enough to do it once a week, but for longhairs it is quite different. The best example is Persian, whose coat starts to become matted within a very few days if you do not take proper care for it. If the coat is neglected for any length of time, the cat may suffer skin irritation and rashes, bald patches and abscesses.
If your habits and obligations in life does not allow you to spend significant amount of time for grooming your cat, choose less laborious breed.
How to groom your cat?
The best thing is to ask the breeder of your cat which brushes and combs he used for the cat. That way you can start with the same the cat is used to. And it is good to start this while the cat is still very young so that it get used to the procedure. If you do it right, cat will find great pleasure in it, and not just something that must be done, but rather the cat would want you to do it often. It is very important to have the right equipment as it will save you time and you will be more efficient. Additionally, your cat will love it if you do it right. When buying brushes, combs or gloves make sure they have suitable bristles for your cat's coat length. It is pointless to use brush for longhair cats on your shorthair. Direction of brushing is also important, Always brush in the direction of your cat's coat. Going against the grain can irritate her skin and make her want to flee the scene when she sees you pulling out the grooming supplies. Cleanup of the brush could be easy, just slip a piece of old pantyhose over the head of a brush before grooming. The bristles will poke through, an all you have to do is pull up on the pantyhose to discard the hair. Here are some examples of good grooming tools:
Claws
As you probably know, cats need to sharpen their claws. They are predators and instinctively they try to prepare their claws for hunting. You probably noticed that on your furniture. But scratching post and a little training can solve that problem. But is enough for your cat's claws? No it isn't. Your cat is
usually in your house or apartment for the most of the time. Because of that there is no chance for the cat' claws to get “used” or damaged which is natural. That is why they grow all the time, because it is expected to become “spent” or damaged. But as our household cats do not usually hunt, their claws are always fresh and very sharp. That is why it is good practice to clip of the sharp tips of the claws regularly. Forepaws are obligatory and the dew claws. There are several types of good clippers or Guillotine Nail Clippers for that. You can order them here or go to the nearest pet shop. But it is important to be careful and only to cut the tip of the claw and not to damage the quick. You can always use some strong lamp to see through the claw where the quick is. If you do not fell comfortable cutting your cat's claws yourself, ask your vet to do it.
Some people take the “declawing package” which is offered by some vets, and they usually think that only the claw will be removed from the cat, the equivalent of a person having her fingernails trimmed. That is not correct, declawing is done by laser and it amputates the last toe bone entirely. If you compare it to humans it would be comparable to cutting off each finger at the last knuckle. We do not support such procedure because it can cause severe medical and psychological problems with the cat. Abnormal regrowths, hemorrhage and so on. Also cats are often very depressed or aggressive after the procedure as they are deprived of very important part of their body.
Eye care
Most of the cats usually do not require any special care for the eyes. A bit of dirt in the corners is easily removed with a soft tissue. But flat faced cats, like Exotic may require more attention. Their tear ducts may become blocked, so it is important to keep the corners and hairs around the eyes as clean as possible. Special lotions are created just for that purpose.
Ear care
Some people never cleaned their cat's ears and cats never had any problems. But sometimes cats may be troubled with ear mites. If you see particles of dark brown, offensive-smelling matter, your cat probably has mites. If you do not treat it, they can cause severe infections. There are ear cleansers specially formulated for cats. Use only such cleanser. Put a few drops into the ear, massage the ear gently and with the cotton bud carefully remove the lotion. Be very careful not to push the dirt deeper into the ear. If you do it from the early age, later the cat will not make problem with the procedure.
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