As summer is upon us, most cat owners will notice that their cats start to shed more.  While cats tend to groom themselves, we cat owners need to help them with a little home grooming, so they won’t swallow a fur ball or more.  Cat owners can help our feline friends cut down on their hairballs, the dirt they might ingest, and keep their nail trims so they don’t tear something or rip a nail that gets caught in material.

Below are some tips to help you groom your cat.

Brush your cat with a comb or wooden brush

If your cat has short hair, you’ll probably only need to brush him or 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 will probably 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 your cat’s legs, try to be gentle as most long haired cats tend to get knots there 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.

Make grooming fun and enjoyable

I know that my cat, Sammy, doesn’t like grooming or brushing, but I try to make it a fun experience.  If he isn’t the mood for me to brush him, I wait until he’s a little more relaxed, usually after a nap. If your cat isn’t used to being groomed, keep the sessions short to start and extend the time a little more each time. Sometimes taking a small break and petting him or her instead of brushing helps keep your cat relaxed.  Offer your cat a treat for good behavior.

Tips for clipping your cat’s nails

When I started clipping Sammy’s nails, he would run away from me.   Now that I can clip his nails quickly, he’s pretty good at sitting still.   I position myself next to him or put him on my lap and pet him.  I then gently press the top of his foot and pad so it extends his nails.  Then I quickly take the cat clippers and cut the tips off and it’s done.  Remember that you only want to cut the tips so it doesn’t cause pain and bleeding.

Again, remember to praise your cat. It could take a few sessions or days to get all the nails trimmed.  If your cat resists, let him or her go and try again later.

I hope these tips help and your cat is a happy, well-groomed one.

Come and join, Sammy, the site administrator for petpav.com, and he will be your first friend!

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