Your
cat needs to be brushed frequently to untangle hair and remove
dead hairs. Short-haired cats should be brushed one
or twice a week, while long-haired cats could require daily
brushing (this will depend on the cat).
You
should always brush going in the direction of your cat's
hair growth to avoid irritation. I've noticed that
a lot of excess hair collects right above my cats' tails
on their backside, right above their tail, so in this area
I will brush going against the fur to grab out dead hairs
first, and then resume my normal movement.
If
your cat gets tangles, hold the clump of fur closely and
firmly next to the skin. With a flea comb (pictured
below), start at the ends of the fur and brush away from
your cat, moving more into the tangle with each stroke.
As
with all pet supplies, there are numerous brushes and combs
available. Most range between $3.00-$10.00. You
should note that the softer the brush bristles, the less
effective it will be in removing dead hairs and tangles
from your cat's coat, even though it will result in a nice
shine. To remove dead hairs, you should look for
a brush with long pin teeth. Below are two brushes
that I highly recommend both, both sold at most pet stores.
Easy
Groom Cat Soft Slicker
Price: $6.99 at Petsmart
This
brush contains long pins that massage your cat's
skin while sorting through his fur, removing dead
hairs. My cats like the way it feels and
will even turn over on their own mid-brush so that
I can get both sides. This brush leaves their
fur feeling silky soft, looking shiny, and feeling
wonderful. Large balls of hair are easily
removed from the pins after grooming.
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Easy
Groom Cat Flea Comb
Price: $5.99 at Petsmart
Designed
to remove fleas from your cat's coat, this comb
is also great for removing tangles. It is
also great for getting into smaller areas, such
as around legs. Although hair needs to be
removed from the comb a few times during grooming
(depending on hair length), it is as effective
as the Soft Slicker for removing dead hairs.
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Bathing
How
often your cat needs to be given a bath is based on the cat. Long-haired
cats naturally require more maintenance, so they will need
to be brushed and washed more frequently.
Your
local pet store will carry cat bathing products, and you
can even use baby shampoo (make sure it's tearless) which
has been said to reduce dander to alleviate human allergies. There
is also wipes and waterless shampoos (which comes in a
powder form) that you can use to clean your cat. I
have never used these so I cannot offer any advice (I prefer
to wash my cats in the traditional way), but this may be
an alternative you'd like to explore.
Some
cats like water while some don't. If you have a feline
that fits into the latter category, you've got a job on
your hands. It if recommended that you find a friend
to help you give the bath - one of you holds the kitty
down gently in the water (a few inches in the bathtub works
best since you have leverage over the frantic feline) while
the other pours water with a cup and washes with the shampoo. Do
this gently but quickly and talk to your cat, telling him
how good he is doing. Make sure you rinse all of
the soap out of his fur - you will end up with a kitty
with irritated skin if you don't.
Make
sure when you are done you dry your kitty off as best as
you can with a towel (once again, don't go against the
hair growth since this can be uncomfortable for your cat). You
can even put a hair dryer on low to make the process go
faster if the noise doesn't bother your cat. When
you've done what you can, let him go and be on his own
for a while. Catch him later and finish toweling
him off. |
