Many people believe that cats don’t need to be groomed and that they groom themselves. Although most cats are good at grooming themselves some need a little help every now and then. Whether it be for the benefit of the cat owner or the cat grooming is an important part of pet care.
Its first best to understand the different types of coats, as they require very different grooming: short hair, long hair and hairless. We will look at short and long hair.
Short Hair:
There are several short hair breeds, many of them grouped as domestic short hair cats but specific breeds include the British Shorthair, Burmese, Manx, Savannah and Bengal.
Short hair cats hair grows to approx. 3cm in length. They are low maintenance coats and do not require much brushing if any. They however do shed and if you want less hair sticking to your clothes or in your house then it is best to brush them.
Even short hairs, when they get older need a little help and a good bath and brush helps to remove the excess hair.
Long Hair:
Long hair cats are beautiful but are high maintenance. Some well-known popular breeds include the Persian, Ragdoll, Siberian and Maine Coon.
Their fur gets rather long and can grow up to 10cm in length depending on breed. Their coats are high maintenance and requires a lot of brushing and they shed a lot.
If not brushed regularly they become matted and can become so bad that it is just one big matte from head to tail. This is when cat owners have no other choice to call a pet grooming parlour.
The Benefits of Grooming Your Cat
1. Decrease in Shedding & Allergies
If you own a cat, you know how much they can shed. Grooming them regular helps to remove and loosen dead hair leaving your clothes and your home cleaner. Deshedding your cat also helps them to keep cool.
We use a combination of brushes and tools to help remove their thick coat. A warm water bath helps to loosen any dead hair and dirt and the blow dry helps to get rid of even the finest loose hairs.
Having your cat washed regular also helps to alleviate allergies and cats can be washed up to once a week if a high-quality shampoo is used. A common misconception is that the cat hair causes allergies, whilst in fact it is a protein particle in the cats saliva. This is then transferred to the cats coat when self-grooming, this then flakes into microscopic particles, called dander, which in tern causes allergies.
Having your cat brushed out will also decrease the number of hair balls and in turn save them from getting intestinal blockages and vomiting. Brushing your cats coat also helps to keep it shiny and healthy by stimulating the production and release of natural oils.
2. Removing Knots & Matted Coat
Older cats that are no longer grooming themselves and longhaired cats such as Persians and Maine Coons, are prone to knots and severe matting especially if not brushed regularly.
Matting pulls on the skin and coat and is painful and can cause sores. Removing dirt from your cat’s coat will also make them more comfortable and prevent further matting.
Professional groomers are able to safely remove knots and matting avoiding hurting and cutting their sensitive skin. For a few mattes groomers are able to use scissors, however with severe matting or mattes close to the skin the least stressful and least painful solution is to shave the cat. Shaving is safe and does not hurt the cat. Shaving is in fact safer to remove mattes that using scissors.
Long haired cats should be groomed every 4 to 6 weeks (wash and brush) to prevent severe matting. Shaving can be done 3 to 4 times a year.
Cat owners should brush their cat on a weekly basis.
3. Nail Clipping & Teeth Maintenance
Keeping your cats nails trimmed is an essential part of pet care. Most cats do not need their claws trimmed regularly as they are active and use scratching posts or wear them down by scratching rough surfaces when outdoors.
Elderly cats and sedentary cats however often require regular claw trimming. In the image you can see how an elderly cats claw grew into it’s paw leaving an open wound. The cat was not limping and would have gone unnoticed for some time.
Groomers know how short to cut the claws, cutting them too short will result in the quick being cut and your cats nail bleeding.
Looking after your cats teeth and checking them regularly is also important. By getting your cat groomed regularly their teeth can be checked and either brushed or tooth gel applied. This will prevent costly dental bills in the long run.
Grooming helps to check for parasites such as ticks and fleas and they can be treated accordingly. Any wounds or skin abnormalities will also be picked up during the grooming process.
Most pet parlours groom cats alongside dogs. This leaves cats highly stressed. By using a mobile pet groomer, such as Puppify, will ensure your cat is done at your premises in a low-stress environment. Your cat is not locked up in cages for hours waiting to be groomed.
Puppify does not sedate cats, by calmly handling the cat we are able to groom your loved fur-child. Our van is fully enclosed ensuring that your pet is safe and cannot escape.
6. Grooming Frequency
Cats can be groomed on a weekly basis if you have allergies and every 4-6 weeks to maintain their coat, remove mattes and trim claws. If your pet does get very matted you can also have them shaved at most once a month or 3 to 4 times a year.
Chat to us about grooming your cat.
