The frequency of grooming and type of cat grooming will depend greatly on the length of our cat’s hair or coat. The shorter the length of the coat, the easier it would be to groom a cat, and also the less care your cat would need over time.  On the other hand, breeds with longer hair will require grooming more frequently; so for example if a short-haired cat needs care every month, a long-haired cat will need bath and combing more regularly, 3-2 days a week.

Learning to comb your cat is essential if you want to take care of your cat’s grooming. This should be done with a gently movement from front to back.  Some cat owners assure that it is best to talk to your cat to keep it calm and relaxed throughout the combing session. You can find combs for cats at your nearest pet store or cat grooming supplies store. A good comb is one of the best cat grooming tools you can use to ensure hygiene in your cat.  The goal of combing is to avoid cat shedding and knots in the coat.  Once knots form, they will be hard to untie, and in some cases you will need to cut the hair.

There are different types of cat grooming combs in the market, and you should know which ones are the best to use in your cat. For long-haired cats the best types of combs for cats are “greyhound combs”.  These are perfect because they have an anti-static material that makes it easier to groom your cat. If you have been at a cat show, you may have seen them, they are always carried by owners to keep the cats looking good. The greyhound combs for cats can also be found with different thickness of teeth, in the case of long-haired cats, it is better to use the comb with combinations of fine/coarse teeth. For close-coated coated, the best option is to use a rubber curry brush.

Once a mat is formed, you’ll need to either cut the hair or work the mat until it is gone.  The first way is the more practical and quicker method, but it is better to avoid it because due to the closeness of the mat to the skin, you could end up cutting your cat!  There are special combs for cat grooming that serve to “dissolve” these mats. You should comb and comb repeatedly until it gets loose.  This requires patience, and again must be done gently to avoid hurting our cat.

Another part of cat grooming, is bathing your cat. You may have heard that cats do not like water, and well…this is true. Cat grooming experts always advice that you get your cat used to bath from a young age.  If a kitty gets accustomed to bathing and grooming, you will have less problems later on.

To bathe your cat, you need to use special shampoo for cats.  There are many brands in the market, and you should look for the one that better works in cleaning your cat.  For varied reasons this may vary from cat to cat. A great tip to make cat bathing easier is to apply mild eye drops in the eye of the cat; this will prevent the eyes from making contact with soap.  Let me tell you, if this happens, you are assured complete madness!

For cats that have greasy coat, a de-greaser is needed.  Using a de-greaser such as Fast Orange is actually very easy; you just need to spread the products throughout the coat and then just rinse it. From there a successful bath is a matter of patience and appropriate rinsing. You need to rinse very well making sure that your cat is free of shampoo. After rinsing your cat, you’ll need to dry using a towel. Try to do your best to dry your cat using a towel, and once you finish let the cat dry completely inside the house in a warm room to avoid any cat health problem. Blow dryers are not necessary, but I have found them to be pretty useful in the case of long-haired cats.  Remember to be careful though, and keep the blow dryer at a safe distance.

Cleaning the Eyes of the Cat

Yet another aspect of grooming a cat, is cleaning the eyes. Eye matter can be formed on the area below the eyes, this matter is a glue-like substance that forms because of tearing.  This substance is easily formed in cats with big eyes.  To take care of it, you’ll need a soft washcloth soaked in tepid water. Grab the cloth and wipe the substance very gently, taking extra care in not making contact with the eye directly.  You may need to hold the head of your cat, but remember to also do it gently and talking with soft voice. Wipe a second time with other area of the cloth to completely remove the eye matter. Consult with your doctor if there is any kind of cat eye infection.

Hiring a Cat Grooming Service

Cat grooming services can be of great help to help you with the whole process laid out in this mini cat grooming guide, freeing you of this sometimes time-consuming task. Choosing a good grooming professional is important, making sure that the person in charge of your cat has patience and puts love in what they do.  It is recommended to watch the person groom your cat at least a couple of times to see it all goes like you expect it. Cat grooming costs will vary according to your area of residence and demand of the services. Professional cat grooming can be in some areas very expensive.