Bathing and brushing requirements for cats.
Your cat can look and feel its best by maintaining its grooming needs. Most grooming can be done with a few basic tools in the luxury of your own home. Regularly brushing your cat and bathing them when needed will keep them in tiptop shape.
Brushing
Brushing helps to remove dry skin and keep hair free from tangles and mats by removing loose shedding hair. It also helps to decrease hairballs, stimulate the circulation in the skin, and distribute skin oils that keep your cats hair soft and shiny.
Shorter haired cats maintain their coats well on their own needing brushing mainly during times of shedding. Shedding usually occurs with seasonal change (i.e. fall to winter and spring to summer) when their coats are changing to prepare for the next season. Longer haired cats may need daily to weekly brushing all year round to maintain their coats. A selection of brushes and combs are available for all hair coats. Ask your local retailer, groomer or veterinarian, which is best to use on your cat.
Most cats enjoy a good brush from time to time and will readily come running when they see the brush come out. Introducing brushing to your cat at a young age will help them to accept this as a normal routine. The key is to have your cat accept brushing as a positive interaction instead of thinking brushing is only going to hurt when it happens. Frequent brushing to maintain your cat’s hair coat will be more pleasurable to your cat whereas trying to brush only once the hair has tangled and matted will prove to be both frustrating for the pet parent and uncomfortable for the cat.
Bathing
Many cats do a great job of keeping themselves clean by grooming themselves daily. Cats do not require baths unless they are dirty, have external parasites (i.e. fleas, lice etc.) or have skin conditions. Most cats are not fond of bathing, and when needed bathing is usually a two-person job with one holding the cat and one bathing the cat. A professional groomer may be required to bath reluctant cats.
Before bathing, you should brush your cat to remove any loose hair. Use an appropriate cat shampoo to maintain the proper pH level of their skin. Many different shampoos for cats are available in today’s retail pet market. Avoid human shampoos as they are formulated differently and can cause your pets skin to react adversely. If your cat suffers from a skin condition or skin parasite, ask your veterinarian to recommend an appropriate shampoo to treat it.
When using any shampoo pay particular attention to avoiding the eyes, ears and nose, mouth and genital areas to prevent irritation. Once lathered up you should thoroughly rinse your cat so there is no remaining soapy residue. The cat can then be towel dried off. Hair dryers can be used with caution and close supervision to prevent the cat from dehydration and burning the skin.
