Grooming Tips for Long Haired Cats

If you own a long haired cat as I do, you know how matted their fur can get if you don't groom them properly on a regular basis. Grooming your cat daily can help control odor that can rest in their fur. It can also help the cat from getting feces and cat liter in her fur which can be hard to see and cause the cat health problems. Daily combing or brushing can hlp reduce shedding especially in the summer months when the cat's body gets rid of her winter coat. It helps keep the cat cooler when it gets hot and reduces the risk of hairballs. While you cannot eliminate the hairballs daily grooming can reduce them. Daily grooming of your pet can reduce allergies for not only you but also you cat. One of the main reasons to groom your long haired cat daily is to reduce the mats she will have.

Matting of the fur on your long haired cat such as a Main Coon, or a Turkish Angora could be a bit dangerous for the animal. Matting on your cat's fur could lead to skin infections and lesions causing your pet discomfort and if the skin infection gets too bad seriously harm you companion. When the fur on your cat mats it cuts off the oxygen which causes a hot spot for bacteria to grow and fester. Dirt, moisture, feces, liter and other things could get caught into the mats causing more damage and health issues for kitty. If the mat gets wet it could be an invitation for maggots, fleas and lice which we all know are most uncomfortable for the kitty. If the matting on the kitty's legs or rear get too big then you need to take kitty to the vet instead of trying to deal with the mats on your own.

You do not want to bathe kitty before you groom her or try to get rid of the mats. You should wait until she is tuckered out after eating a good dinner or after playing. This will enable her to lie for you better than if she was full of energy. You will need a few things other than bandage scissors. You don't want to use regular scissors because you will then run the risk of cutting your cat if she moves. You will also need cornstarch, a seam ripper and a fine tooth comb or a brush, sometimes both. Start by putting a pinch of cornstarch on the mat and work it in the hairs. You should use the comb or your fingers and gently lift the mat at the base just above the skin. If it is starting to get out of hand, don't rush to use the scissors, instead try the seam ripper, this reduces the risk of nipping kitty's skin. Use the seam ripper going from side to side, if you go up and down you could cut kitty.

Once the seam ripper got the hair loose, you can use the comb to gently comb the hair apart. If the hairs tangled in the mat are too stubborn, and you cannot pull the hairs apart use toenail clippers to cut the mat off of the kitty. Don't use a wire bristle brush for the mat removal. It could help keep kitty calm to play some classical music for her or talk to her in a soft soothing voice to let her know she is in no danger and to keep calm. Keep in mind that the skin underneath the mat will be tender and you need to be gentle. If kitty refuses then you should let her go and try to remove the mat later once she is more relaxed.

Many people like to use a product called the Zoom Groom to groom their kitty. While it softly brushes the cat's fur, it also delivers a gentle massage. Because it is made of rubber instead of wire bristles the bristles will not pull and tug at the cat's fur. It is easy to hold while you hold the cat and brush it's fur. The Zoom Groom ranges in prices from about 4.79 to 6.99 on Healthy Pets. Others like using something like a love glove, a glove you can wear and just pet your cat to get rid of the fur. I personally like the glove because my cat just sits while she gets pet and I get to groom her. When it comes to trimming the cat's nails, I take my cat to the vet to cut because I don't trust myself to cut close to her paws that I would have to be.

When you first get a kitten you should start a grooming routine to get her accustomed to the grooming. It helps bond you with the kitten as well. An adult cat not be so content with being cuddled and groomed daily out of the blue the way it would if it had been groomed as a kitten. Grooming is such an important part of caring your a long haired cat. When you do brush the fur, brush in the direction that the fur grows which would make it easier to groom her. Grooming not only helps keep you and kitty comfortable it also bonds the two of you together. It gives you a chance to cuddle and give her loving. My cat loves to be brushed and comes running when I get out her brush. If you start as a kitten, you cat may do the same.