Grooming your pet regularly is an integral part of their care routine and, provided they do not have matted fur, you should likely be able to do it yourself using appropriate tools.
Attract your cat by creating an environment they feel safe in – be it food treats, TV, catnip or cuddling – whatever works to ease their nerves is the way forward.
1. Back Brushing
Grooming your cat is an essential task, but it needn’t be stressful or unpleasant for both of you. Follow these tips to make grooming as straightforward and painless as possible.
As soon as your cat has been bathed and dried off, start brushing her back and neck to remove loose hairs or mild tangles that need detangled. If a knot forms, use appropriate grooming tools – pin brush or slicker brush depending on severity – to untangle it. Dematting combs may also work on longer furred cats but be wary not to cause skin nicks in sensitive areas like face or tail.
Once it’s time to clip, pull the cat taut and start cutting their back using a sharp blade in the direction of growth, not against it. Move slowly so as not to cause injuries such as nicks to your pet’s ears or tail – being extra cautious around these sensitive areas will prevent any unwanted surprises!
Once you’ve completed shaves of both their backs, move onto shaving their front necks ensuring to blend their natural collar line into their back lines of the necks. After that is completed, move on to their chests and rumps using clippers in the direction of growth in order to prevent choppy hair growth.
After you’ve completed clipping the body of your cat, make sure to inspect his or her eyes for signs of irritation or problems. If any tears, crusting, or cloudiness is evident, make an appointment with either your veterinarian or groomer immediately.
2. Fine-Tooth Comb
When grooming long-haired cats, a fine-tooth comb is invaluable in getting their fur under any knots without cutting through their skin. Although this process might take more time to work through the tangles, it will ensure no unnecessary hairs or mats need to be clipped later on.
Use a fine-tooth comb to groom your cat from belly and legs up, working towards their head and neck. This will prevent shed fur from entering their GI tract where it could be digested into hairballs that form.
As you comb through your cat’s coat, be sure to look for any fleas hiding out. A quick comb-through should catch any fleas before they bite your cat and cause pain; remember however to be gentle; too much discomfort while being combed may lead them to run from you and hide.
The Safari Cat Comb is an effective solution for flea removal, featuring both long and short teeth. In addition, this comb can prevent tangles in long-haired cats by helping remove loose hairs, dander and dirt from long coats. While mastering this comb may take some practice, you’ll soon discover how much easier grooming becomes once using this wonderful tool!
ShedMonster Cat Comb is another effective tool for untangling tangles on cats, similar to Safari Cat Comb but with round metal teeth that are both curved and flat, helping reduce pain during combing sessions. Plus, these teeth run perpendicularly along your cat’s coat allowing you to quickly pull tangles out without manually doing it yourself!
3. Dematting Comb
Dematting tools differ from regular combs in that they feature thinner blades with the potential to reach deep into knots and disentangle them gently. Be cautious when using dematting tools due to their sharper blades which could slip and cut your pet or you. Some de-matting combs feature dual density settings; use the lower density side initially before switching up for stubborn mats.
Prepping your pet’s coat before de-matting is key, so a detangling spray like TropiClean Tangle Remover is recommended as an aid in detangling. A light mist helps condition hair while making brushing easier; adding some cornstarch or talcum powder may further prevent tangles from pulling at their skin and pulling apart.
Dematting combs can help remove thick mats that are difficult to extract with fine-tooth combs, but beware not to nick your cat’s skin around the folds of their body or armpits. Furthermore, make sure that legs are stretched to prevent loose skin that might get in the way during clipping process from getting caught.
If a mat is too severe to remove without medical intervention or shaving, consult with your vet for advice. Depending on its severity, your vet may suggest grooming under the tail or providing a belly shave (also referred to as sanitary trim). A lion cut is an excellent solution for longhaired cats as it includes trimming of head, neck, ears and tail for a cleaner environment while helping reduce matting and excessive shedding. It is also a perfect haircut option after having recently undergone any kind of surgery procedure or any kind of surgical shave or procedure.
4. Clipper
Grooming a cat can be both necessary and stressful; when done right it should be quick and enjoyable. Early exposure helps familiarize your kitty to being groomed; they’ll learn that being handled doesn’t equal anything scary; thus decreasing anxiety and stress during future grooming sessions.
Full-sized clippers are the preferred choice of many groomers when grooming cats with severely matted or knotted coats, and are safe for all breeds and coat types. While powerful, full-sized clippers require skill to use properly when used on cats with thick coats; when searching ‘how to clip a cat’ on YouTube you will likely come across groomers employing these clippers.
Mini and midi-size clippers are also available, typically for shorter coats such as the popular “lion cut.” These clippers tend to be less costly than their full-sized counterparts and may be easier for beginners as fewer strokes may be required to cut hair. Due to their lower power output and noise level, mini/midi clippers may also be appropriate for older or more anxious cats/kittens.
Codos or Shernbao Smart Midi Trimmer may offer more cost-effective grooming solutions, although not rated for all body clips; nonetheless they may still be used with some considerations in mind. It makes an excellent option for beginners learning how to groom cats as it doesn’t require as much power than full-sized clippers and includes replacement blades at an economical price point.
5. Nail Trimming
Trimming nails is an important way to protect furniture from cat claws that might scratch it up, and regular nail clipping can prevent the pain and damage associated with long claws. In order to completely prevent scratching it’s also a good idea to provide scratching posts or other forms of deterrence like paw covers to reduce scratching activity.
As with brushing and dematting, it’s wise to familiarize your pet with having their paws touched by human hands before beginning nail clipping. Massaging their paws while offering lots of treats and praise can help alleviate anxiety during this process. Furthermore, using the uncooked spaghetti method as an aid to demonstrate what the sound of nail clippers may sound like can make this less frightening experience for them.
As soon as it’s time to clip their nails, make sure you have some styptic powder ready in case any accidental cuts cut into their quick (which contains nerves and blood vessels). WebMD recommends having this on hand just in case an accidental cut cuts into their quick.
Once you are ready to begin, gently squeeze each paw to extend its claws and use nail clippers to carefully snip off the sharp tips while taking care not to cut into the pink areas of the nails (the quick). Also be mindful not to cut too close to their roots as that could cause bleeding; cats need their claws for climbing and defense purposes – only trim those which have overgrown or pose risk to becoming caught up.
