Brushing a Cat

Have you wondered if brushing your cat is beneficial to the cat? If you answered yes, then rest assured that not only does it make your cat look and feel good, but you are doing something that the cat actually benefits from. Brushing your cat's hair promotes healthy skin, encourages hair growth, helps prevent the hair from matting and encourages the natural oils in the skin to flow, which in turn, creates the beautiful shine that most cat owners love their cats to have. With all these benefits to the cat while you are brushing it, it is easy to see that you are doing the right thing.

Ok, we have determined that brushing the cat is beneficial, but what brushes do you use? There are three types of brushes to use when brushing your cat. These are the comb style brush, the brush with the fine bristles and the slicker brush. Each type of brush is used for a certain reason. The comb style brush is the first brush that should be used. This brush will catch and rake out insects and dirt. This is also a good time to inspect the health of the cat and see if there are any problems that may need tended to. The next brush to use is the fine bristled brush. This brush is the one that encourages the natural oils in the skin to flow and give the coat of hair the shine. This brush also captures dander and loose hair which help with allergies and hair balls, matting and shedding. The last brush that is used is the slicker brush. This brush may not need to be used each time you brush your cat, especially if you brush regularly. The slicker brush is more aggressive than the other two brushes mentioned. It's bristles are usually metal, curved and similar to sewing pins. This brush is used to remove dirt and hair matts while stimulating the natural oils. Brushing with the slicker will feel good to some cats and other cats will not like it. You will learn if your cat likes it or not.

Now you have decided to brush your cat and you have made the trip to the store to get the brushes. What is next? Of course what is next is brushing the cat. This can be quite a chore if your cat is already grown and has never been brushed. It is easier if you start brushing them when they are kittens. Brush the cat a few minutes at a time when you are starting and increase the time as you can. Eventually the cat will learn to let you brush it, it may even enjoy this attention it gets.