Grooming your pet cat can be such a tiresome task, isn’t it? Making sure there are no ticks or fleas, brushing the fur in a particular manner, discarding the matted and tangled hair- all of this is honestly a lot of hassle.
But no matter how annoyed you get, grooming your cat properly is very important. Not only does it keep your baby healthy but it also keeps your house clean. But most of us tend to make very common mistakes while grooming or brushing our cats, including…
1. Brush before the bath
Most people tend to brush their cats after they have given them a bath. This is a mistake you should avoid. If you brush your cat before you take it for a bath, many of the tangles will loosen. This will make the entire bathing process much easier.
On the other hand, if you don’t brush your pet before, many of the knots will tangle even further, and it’ll be impossible to disentangle them. Then the only option left will be to take it to a grooming center or vet. So make sure you give your baby a good brush before it hits the water.
2. Use the right brushes
Furry cats often need more than one kind of brush in order to be brushed properly. If your cat has long fur, it’s best to use a wide-toothed metal comb with a pin brush.
For breeds with shorter fur lengths, a fine-toothed comb and grooming mitt will be enough. Brush along the direction of the fur to avoid knotting or tangling. Your cat will also be much more comfortable and won’t feel any pain.
If you brush against the grain, there are chances of brushing too harshly, which makes your cat irritable or getting injured.
3. Brush the ears carefully
Many owners tend to overlook the ears while grooming their cats. But not brushing or cleaning its ears will lead to ear infections often.
To avoid such an incident, always clean your cat’s ears as much as possible. Gently wipe the ears and be very careful not to poke inside. Balance here is the key. Also, make sure that you don’t overclean them by constantly rubbing or scratching.
This will lead to skin inflammation or allergies. Too many ear drops can also dry out the natural skin texture of your cat by stripping off the essential oils. Once a week is ideal for a bit of ear inspection and cleaning.
4. Clean the paws
If your cat is a feisty little thing, it will naturally jump here and there and get its paws dirty. Clean the paws and trim the claws as recommended by your vet.
Also Read: Do Cats Make Good Emotional Support Animals?
Most vets suggest that the trimming can be done once every couple of weeks while cleaning the paws should be done almost every day. Cats often use furniture as nail filers which harm their nails and destroy your belongings.
You should always use proper tools to clean the paws and make sure only an experienced groomer does it. If there are hairs in between the paws, trim them very carefully to avoid dirt particles sticking to them.
5. Go to a groomer
No matter how well we know how to handle our pet babies, groomers always know the best. For example, if you want your kitty to have a summer cut to avoid overheating in the heat, you should ask a groomer to cut the fur.
They will know which parts of the fur to trim and which ones to avoid. They also cause much fewer accidents and do a pretty splendid job of cleaning and taking care of your cat.
6. Make the experience fun
The most important thing to ensure is that your cat doesn’t view grooming as a nightmare. This will make the job ten times harder and cause accidents.
Give little treats to your little one and groom it as gently as possible. Start from an early age so that your cat gets more time to adjust.
Over to you…
The global pet grooming market is estimated to be around $5488 million USD by 2025, which proves how huge this industry is. Grooming is essential to every pet and needs to be done as regularly as possible. If you need the proper grooming tools, you can buy cat supplies at PETstock.
