Spring Tip: Step Up The Grooming For Your Cat

Now that the weather has warmed up your cat may be shedding more. I know mine are and I’ve been slacking when it comes to brushing them and clipping their nails. I brushed them last night and had enough loose fur to make another cat! Cats like to keep clean and will wash themselves several times a day, imagine the amount of fur they swallow. They need some help from us to cut down on hairballs, dirt they may ingest, and nail trims so they don’t accidentally tear something or rip a nail that gets caught in material.

Make grooming fun if you can. Offer treats and praise. If your cat isn’t up for sitting around as you brush her, let her go. Wait till she’s more relaxed. If your cat isn’t used to being groomed keep the sessions short to start and extend the time a little more each time. My cats don’t mind being brushed but they still fidget when it comes to trimming their nails. Sometimes taking a small break and petting them instead of brushing them helps keep them relaxed.

If your cat has short hair you’ll probably only need to brush her once or twice a week. Depending on the thickness of the fur the brush you use will make a difference. Combs work best on most short fur and brushes can help to remove the dead and loose fur.

If your cat has medium to long hair you’ll need to brush her more frequently to prevent tangles and matting. Bristle brushes or rubber brushes seem to work best with fine, long fur. When brushing the legs, be gentle as that is longer haired cats tend to get knots and it can hurt to have their fur tugged. When brushing the tail, make a part down the middle and brush the fur out on either side.

When I started clipping my cat’s nails they would run. I had to get them used to having their feet touched and used to having their toes touched without the torture of clipping. I also found that having them sit in my lap with their belly up was easier than trying to pull a paw towards me as they were standing or sitting. My cats like being cradled as a result and nail clippings are quick and mostly easy. Sometimes they still want to get away.

Tips to clip a cat’s nails:

1: Apply gentle pressure to the top of the foot and pad, it extends the nails.

2: Take the cat clippers and cut the tips off, don’t go past the point where it curls, you might cut too deep and cause pain and bleeding.

3: Remember to praise your cat. If she seems nervous, take a break and pet her. You may only get one paw done at a time. Don’t stress. It could take a few sessions or days to get all the nails trimmed.

4: Use nail clippers for cats. Using the type for us can hurt their nails and aren’t made for the curves that cat nails have.