How To Keep Your Cat Clean
We all love our cats, but sometimes they can be a little difficult to deal with. Keeping them clean and healthy is the easiest way to have a happy and agreeable furry friend, so it’s important that you follow a regular grooming routine with your cat.
No matter what your cat’s opinion on the matter may be, grooming is an essential part of being a pet owner. You want them to be happy and healthy, and one of the best ways you can do that is by keeping their coat clean and soft and their paws tidy. This includes bathing, brushing, trimming, nail-clipping, teeth and ear cleaning—and with rare exceptions, cats don’t make the job easy! They may bite or run away when they don’t want to be bathed or have their nails trimmed.
It can be especially difficult if you have an older cat who hasn’t been groomed before. It’s best to start them young, so they’re used to being groomed by humans—especially if you plan to take care of their grooming yourself instead of visiting a professional groomer. You’ll also need some specific products for each part of the grooming process—for example, shampoo for washing their fur and conditioner for combing out knots; a special brush for teeth; clippers for trimming excess fur from around their feet; ear wipes; etc.
If you love your furry friend and want to learn more about the best grooming practices for cats, keep reading!
Why You Need to Groom Your Cat
The most important thing to remember about grooming your cat is that it helps keep your cat healthy, happy, and comfortable.
Your cat needs to be groomed on a regular basis so that the natural oils in their fur stay balanced. Grooming also removes dead hair and loose dander, which can cause allergies in both you and your pet.
Grooming also helps keep your cat looking its best. Keep their coat clean, silky-smooth, and shiny – like a new car or an expensive pair of shoes, but cuter! A polished coat also makes it easy for owners to check for ticks or fleas; if you see these pests on your pet’s skin, it means there may be some around the house too!
A thorough grooming session keeps kitties smelling fresh throughout the day, too (even after they eat tuna!). And what’s better than smelling good? Feeling good! Cats are happiest when they look good – think of all the time they spend grooming themselves!
Brush regularly
There are many reasons to brush your cat. Brushing a cat can help prevent hairballs, tangles and matting, which can be painful for the cat. It also helps you see fleas and ticks on your cat’s skin and can give you and your kitty a great opportunity to bond with one another. You may even find it relaxing!
Depending on the length of your cat’s coat, you may need to brush more or less frequently. Long-haired breeds most certainly require daily brushing, while short-haired cats can get away with brushing about once a week.
The most common type of brush is called a slicker brush and has short, fine wire bristles on one side and a longer-bristled side for grooming the coat. You can use a double-sided brush for short-haired cats, a moulting or flea comb for long-haired cats, and rubber brushes for sensitive cats.
Most cats like to be brushed and will purr when you do it, so it shouldn’t be too difficult. If your cat doesn’t like their belly being brushed and tries to bite or swat at you, don’t press the issue and just move on to an area they are more comfortable with. If you are calm, kind, and give them enough treats, eventually, they’ll let you brush through.
To begin brushing your cat, get them comfortable with the idea of stroking their fur and moving slowly from head to tail. Long-haired cats may need to be trimmed, especially around their feet, so they don’t get tangled up in their own fur. Electric trimmers can help with this process and make at-home-grooming easier. Avoid touching whiskers since they are very sensitive!
Brushing can be done as part of your daily routine or as part of an overall grooming routine (which would involve combing the fur with a fine-tooth comb). If you want to make things easier on yourself (and potentially save some time), consider buying multiple brushes so that they can all be washed once per week or so rather than having them sit dirty in storage between uses.
Bathe your cat
Bathing your cat can be a bit scary, especially if you’ve never done it before. Cats don’t like water, and they often cry or act out when you try to bathe them, so it can feel like you’re hurting or scaring them. For most pet owners, distressing your pet can be upsetting and stressful. Rest assured that if you bathe your cat correctly, they are not in danger or pain. Being dirty can actually cause more distress than being bathed! For example, if your cat is dirty and matted, it’s important to get them clean so that they don’t get an infection or other issues from being too dirty.
The first step is to make sure your cat is calm or even sleepy. If they’re acting out or running around, try another day when they are more relaxed.
Before you bathe your cat, be sure to brush them thoroughly so their coat isn’t tangled. Then, put down a towel or mat in the bathtub so they don’t slip while trying to escape the tub. If possible, have someone hold the cat while you wash them—if not, make sure you’re prepared for them to scratch!
Keep water temperature a few degrees above lukewarm—cats don’t like cold water on their skin! They also don’t sweat like humans do, so the scalding hot shower you may love could be too much for your kitty. You can test the water with your wrist—if it feels comfortable for you then it’ll probably be fine for your kitty as well.
You should use cat shampoo while washing your pet because most human shampoos contain ingredients that aren’t good for cats’ skin and may cause irritation or allergic reactions. Be sure to rinse thoroughly after using shampoo because if there’s any left behind it could irritate them! You can then use a damp washcloth to clean the face carefully. Avoid hurting their eyes or mouth area with rough scrubbing motions. Be very gentle and remember that your cat is probably uncomfortable being handled so much, so try to do it quickly.
Lastly, dry them thoroughly. A wet cat is an upset cat, and they can also get cold from the water in their fur, so making sure they’re dry and warm is important. You can use a blow dryer on low and at a distance to dry them quickly, or you can towel-dry them using a soft cloth.
You’re now done bathing your cat! Make sure to give them lots of treats and head scratches afterward, because they may still be a bit stressed.
Brush your cat’s teeth
Brushing your cat’s teeth is the best way to ensure they are clean and healthy. Cats are meticulous groomers and will regularly clean their faces, but their teeth are often neglected. If you don’t brush your cat’s teeth, it can lead to tooth decay which can become painful for them. To keep this from happening and make sure that your cat has fresh breath as well as healthy gums, here are some tips on how to brush your cat’s teeth:
Brush their front four incisors with a small pet toothbrush or finger toothbrush (No larger than 0.5 inches wide).
Never use human toothpaste to brush your cat’s teeth. Instead, opt for a specialty toothpaste made specifically for cats. Rub it in gently using circular motions until it disappears off the bristles of the brush/fingers. Don’t use too much at once or else it might be hard for them to swallow!
Start slowly while they get used to having something touch their gums since most cats hate having things in their mouths so don’t force any part into theirs right away – just let them get used to it gradually until eventually they start to enjoy it!
Cleaning The Ears
Cleaning your cat’s ears at home allows you to identify any health issues your kitty may have such as built-up debris, ear mites, or an infection. It also helps them hear better and avoid discomfort.
Here’s what you’ll need:
- Cotton gauze pads
- Towel or blanket to wrap around your cat, if necessary
Speak with your veterinarian before purchasing an ear cleaner—they may have recommendations based on their experience with other patients’ ear issues. Avoid astringents! They can be irritating for cats and may cause their skin to dry out, which could lead to dermatological problems like bumps and scratches that are more serious than a simple infection from ear mites or bacteria build-up in the ears. It’s better to go with a gentle formula that soothes their skin instead of irritating it further. Also, be sure to avoid Q-tips – just like with human ears, Q-tips can damage a cat’s eardrums, so only use vet-approved tools to do this. If you feel uncomfortable, you can always go to a professional.
When preparing to clean or inspect your cat’s ears, speak to them with a soft, soothing voice and shower them with love. Continue this throughout the cleaning and afterward so they associate it with positive interactions rather than a painful procedure.
To check their ears, first look for visible signs of infection like discharge, redness, swelling, build-up, lesions, or mites. Then, give the ears a little sniff! You don’t need to get too close – usually, an infection will be quite obvious. If everything looks and smells okay, you can move on to their ear flap, which is known as the pinna. To do this, gently fold back the flap.
Cleaning the ear will involve placing the bottle of ear cleaner next to, but not inside, your cat’s ear. Place a few drops of cleaner in each ear, then gently massage the outside, paying special attention to the base. Use a cotton pad to wipe out debris from your cat’s ear while avoiding the ear canal at all costs.
Trimming Their Nails and Caring For Their Paws
You know how sometimes your cat will leave little scratches on the couch or the carpet? That’s because their nails haven’t been trimmed in a while. If you trim your cat’s nails regularly, they’ll be less likely to cause damage and you won’t have to deal with extra cleaning. Also, if you keep an eye out for any cuts or infections that could become serious, it can prevent them from becoming a problem later on.
It’s really important to trim their nails correctly because if you cut too much off, it causes pain and bleeding for your pet. You don’t want them feeling uncomfortable so make sure not to overdo it! Just take a pair of clippers and cut off about 1/4 inch (0.6 cm) at each nail tip; this should be enough so as not to hurt them but still give them some room to move around comfortably during normal activities.
If your cat is squeamish and doesn’t like having their nails clipped, wrapping them in a towel and doing one paw at a time is a great way to make the process a bit easier.
While you’re trimming their nails, take a look at their paws to see if they look cracked, dry, or otherwise in poor condition. Paw health is important, so make sure to keep them moisturized and healthy! If anything looks off, contact your vet immediately.
When grooming your cat, remember that they can be a bit skittish. It’s important to keep this in mind when brushing or bathing them as it will make the experience easier for both of you. Make sure to take your time and talk to them calmly throughout so they know what you are doing.
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