Tips For Keeping Your Cat Calm
Keeping your kitty relaxed and happy will make the bath easier for both of you. Here are some tips for keeping your cat calm:
- Use a Feliway diffuser, which uses pheromones to help your cat feel safe and secure.
- Keep yourself calm. If youre stressed, your cat will feel it and could react with stress behaviors of their own. So practice deep breathing, put on some relaxing musicanything to keep your own anxiety down.
- Place a mat or wet towel in the bottom of the sink or tub. That will give your cat secure footing so they can check slipping and falling off their to-worry-about list.
- Make sure the water isnt too hot or cold. Cats skin is especially sensitive, so keep the water lukewarm to ensure that theyre comfortable.
- Offer plenty of treats, both during and after the bath. Your cats more likely to stay calm if theres a tasty treat in store for them.
Apply Shampoo And Lather
Following the directions on the shampoo bottle, lather your kitty from the neck down, paying particular attention to their genitals and armpits. Make sure not to get any shampoo in your kittys eyes. If you have help, one person can control the cat while the other scrubs.
Remember to read the shampoo label carefully and follow any instructions. Some shampoos need to be diluted before use.
Why Is Professional Cat Grooming A Thing
Most people think cats can take complete care of themselves but even the most fastidious feline groomers could use a helping hand.
Regular salon grooming including brushing, bathing, shaving, and nail trimming, offers many benefits, including promoting a healthy coat, eliminating odours, matted fur, and reducing hairballs. It is an opportunity to inspect your cat for fleas and ticks, lumps, bumps, skin problems, and other health issues many owners simply dont notice.
Brushing
Brushing removes dead hair, dirt, and debris from your cats coat, helping to prevent mats before they become unmanageable and reduce hairballs, which build up in your cats digestive system and ultimately end up on your carpet. Ii also reduces shedding and the amount of time you spend getting cat hair off your furniture and clothes.
Bathing
Bathing may be recommended to treat a skin condition, remove unwanted substances from the fur, or improve hygiene for cats who cannot physically groom themselves. We see this often in senior cats and those cats who carry a little extra weight. Bathing not only cleans the fur, but it also cleans the skin leaving your feline happy and renewed.
Shaving
Nail trimming
The benefits of grooming are many as are the choices. Contact us today to discuss your cats individual needs.
1993 Lonsdale Road, Breslau, ON N0B1M0
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Trimming Your Cat’s Nails
Keeping your cats nails trimmed is a much more humane way to keep scratching and furniture destruction at a minimum compared to declawing. And regular nail trims are often necessary for senior cats with lower activity levels sometimes their claws can actually grow into their pads if not properly maintained.
nail trims can be done at home, especially if starting as young as possible with the cat, Paolillo said. I prefer small dog nail trimmers, but there are several different nail trimmer styles, so you can choose what feels the most comfortable.
There are guillotine-style nail trimmers, scissor-style trimmers and some cat parents even prefer human fingernail clippers.
Dr. Megan Conrad, a veterinarian who works with telehealth pet care company Hello Ralphie, said she likes the scissor style as theyre the easiest to use, especially for those who are just starting out with at-home nail trimming.
Having styptic powder or cornstarch on hand, too, is important just in case you clip your cats quick and she starts bleeding.
If you’ve never trimmed your cat’s nails before, the key thing to remember is to start slowly, and start while your cat’s mood is calm, Dr. Conrad told The Dodo, adding that you should let your cat get used to the feeling of having her toes touched first. Try gently squeezing a toe to extend the nail, then quickly release it. Do this for a few toes, take a break for a while and do another session later.
What Is The Best Way To Restrain A Cat
Keeping a cat still during grooming time isnt the easiest task. While there are kitties who will cooperate, many are just not having it. To help you out, the following are effective and safe restraint methods you can try on your cat:
Method #1: The Blanket Wrap
The first and most common method used in restraining a cat for grooming is the blanket wrap. This is very effective when you need to brush the cats teeth or clip its nails. please read here how to clean cat teeth without brushing
This works by simply wrapping the kitty with a blanket, like swaddling a newborn. This will keep the cat immobile and you can perform the grooming task you need to do.
However, this method offers limited use, especially if youre bathing or brushing a cat. Still, it comes in handy in some situations when you need to perform localized grooming on some spots of your pets coat.
Also, the blanket wrap method works well in restraining a cat that becomes aggressive during grooming. But if your kitty is very aggressive, I suggest that you explore calming aids aside from using this method.
Method #2: The Scruff Hold
For cats that are more laidback, the scruff hold may actually work. This is done by gently grabbing your cats scruff, the loose skin at the back of the neck. Hold this gently so your kitty wont get hurt.
Method #3: The Cat Muzzle
However, you should still watch out for the claws as some kitties may become scratchy when you put the muzzle on.
Method #4: Call a Friend
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Finishing Grooming And When To Stop Grooming
If the cat becomes overly stressed or angry it is time to stop grooming them. If you have found a lot of matting, etc. it is best to take them to the parlor and let a professional handle it. They know how to keep the cat from becoming overly stressed and freaked out.
Once you are done grooming remember to coddle give love and high praise followed by some great treats. This way the cat will start to enjoy his grooming.
Tips To Get Your Cat To Cooperate While Grooming
Aside from proper restraint, the following are some added tips that encourage your kitty to cooperate during groom time:
- Let it go once in a while. Remember that cats are like kids. The longer you keep them still, the more they get anxious. Its important to let the cat go and walk in front of you while rewarding with treats. This teaches your cat that grooming isnt really that bad.
- Start early. If you want your kitty to get used to grooming, you should handle it as early as possible. Start touching its paws and body so the cat will not be too jumpy or reluctant when its time for grooming.
- Let your cat relax first. Its important to schedule your cats grooming time once its mellow and relaxed. This will save you from scratches and endless chasing.
- Trim the nails first. Another important thing you should do before giving a cat a bath is trimming its claws. You wouldnt want to end up with deep scratches, especially if you have a kitty that hates bath time.
- Prepare some treats. Positive reinforcement is a versatile method, even for grooming a cat. Giving out treats while grooming the kitty will allow the cat to associate the stimulation with something positive. Over time, your cat will cooperate and even like grooming.
- Careful with the face. You should never douche water and shampoo into your cats face. For Watson, we use a wet washcloth to wipe his face and ears. This will prevent hurting the eyes in case shampoo gets into it.
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Clip Your Cat’s Nails
1) Hold a paw in one hand and press gently on a toe pad to extend a claw. 2) Clip only the sharp tips to avoid cutting the quick . If your cat has colored nails you may not be able to see the quick.Note: If you are uncomfortable with clipping your cats nails wait and have a professional groomer or veterinarian saw you.Warning: Making a mistake and cutting a nail to short can be very painful for your cat and cause damage to the quick.Tip: Personally, I prefer to clip my cats nails a day or two before I groom her. If I try to clip her nails and groom her all in one go she gets too stressed.
What To Expect When Taking Your Cat To A Cat Groomer
If youre like a lot of people, youve never thought about taking your cat to a groomer. You probably think since they spend hours a day grooming themselves, they must be clean.
Yet, the growing number of cat groomers says otherwise.
Whitney Bullock of The Charleston Cat Groomer in Charleston, SC says, When they lick themselves, theyre just licking. Theyre not cleaning themselves but they are ingesting fur. Check out Whitneys talent in these cat grooming before and after photos below!
All that fur ingestion often leads to coughing up hairballs as you know. Though it can also build up inside and cause dangerous blockages that require surgery.
Bullock says a regular grooming schedule reduces such risks and keeps cats clean right down to their skin. Plus, their fur is free of mats. Cats do like to be clean. Theyre much happier. Imagine if you never took a shower or brushed your hair. Thats what an ungroomed cat feels like. They turn into a much more social creature when theyre clean.
Yet, many cat enthusiasts are surprised at the idea of cat grooming. They often have imaginative ideas of indignant felines with outstretched claws ready to take a swipe at anyone foolish enough to suggest a bath. That is until they speak with a Certified Feline Master Groomer like Whitney.
She says, I want it to be pleasant for them. If the cat is introduced to the grooming process calmly, many of them come to enjoy a day of pampering at the salon.
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How To Groom Your Cat: Dematting
If you havent been able to regularly groom your cat, or your cat is a fan of cross country trekking, you might notice some matting of her fur. If this is somewhere sensitive, like her tummy, there are two options.
If your cat is comfortable with being touched there, you can tease it apart gently using your fingers from root to tip. If your cat is uncomfortable and youre noticing that the matt is getting bigger, you should wait for a time when your cat is relaxed and comfortable before attempting to do a quick safe snip with some scissors, taking extra care to avoid your cats skin.
If you have a feeling that dematting your cats hair yourself is not going to put you two in a happy place, then its best to contact your vet and/or cat grooming services.
How To Restrain A Cat For Grooming 4 Useful Methods
My cat Watson wasnt a fan of grooming. He will always sneak his way out of the bathroom and scratch anyone who gets into his way. To save ourselves from the painful scratches, we asked the vet about how to restrain a cat for grooming. Its fairly easy and Watson got used to it after some time.
Properly restraining your cat will save you time and effort. It will also make grooming time much faster and effective. Although kitties can groom themselves, they still need help to remove deep-seated dirt and clean the areas they cant reach.
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Choosing The Best Comb Or Brush
There are a variety of combs and brushes available. Some are specifically for checking for fleas and eggs, and some help tackle the moulting season.
Specialised dematting combs are available and should be used instead of attempting to cut matted fur with scissors, as there is the risk of cutting your cat’s skin.
Soft bristle and pin brushes can help distribute natural oils which can help the condition of your cat’s fur.
Slicker brushes are good for pulling out dead hair and breaking down mats in long haired cats.
You can also purchase grooming mitts which are useful in removing the dead hair from shorter-coated breeds.
What To Expect When You Take Your Cat To A Groomer
Firstly, many catteries are just that, a cattery. Many trained cat groomers only focus on cats, not dogs. As a result, the salon is quieter than a dog grooming salon.
Having a cats-only environment helps put the kitties at ease. Thats the first step in a successful grooming process.
Nancy Howard says, From the cats perspective when theyre taken into a new environment, they dont know if there are predators there. As a result, they go into a fight, flight, or freeze mode.
Which of the three it is, depends on how she handles the kitty as she has different techniques. She also says, We do a two-person groom which is unusual. We have a handler and a groomer. We want to go as safe and as fast as we can.
Whitney Bullock conducts an assessment with each new cat much as a dog groomer might do. Much of her clientele keeps a regular grooming schedule such as every two weeks.
She asks questions about the cat owners goals and expectations for their kitty. I ask how they want their cat to look? Do they want a full-coat? Or a trim? And we talk about home grooming. What do they want for their cats coat? Some say they want a giant fluffy cat. Some people want a show cat and others just want a pet with easier maintenance.
Once the expectations are established, Whitney can work her magic. I introduce the cat calmly to the grooming process. I want it to be a pleasant experience.
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Find The Right Cat Food
Many high-quality cat foods are on the market. And some are specifically formulated for hairball reduction and a smooth and glossy coat.
For example, Wellness Cat Food contains olive oil and flaxseed to aid in a healthy coat.
Other cat foods may have avocado oil or other types of oils. Another ingredient is extra fiber to help hair move through the digestive tract. Also, make sure you are aware of the cat food ingredients to avoid when choosing a new cat food.
A good hairball control cat food is the first step to a beautiful coat for your beautiful cat!
Why Do Some Cats Groom Their Owners Hair
Cats are diligent in grooming themselves, but some cats also actively groom their owners hair. A beautician cat might perch on the back of a chair or above your head in bed and comb through your hair with its teeth and paws. Sometimes the cat will even hold your head steady or object if you move out of reach.
Cats grooming behavior can be a physical and social issue. Their physical and emotional health, as well as traits of instinct, influence how a cat acts and refunctions. Think of this as the H.I.S.S. Test, which stands for health, instinct, stress, and symptom solvers.
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Which Cat Grooming Brushes Are Best
There are several different types of cat grooming brushes available to buy so its important to understand what each one does in order to get the best one for your cat.
Slicker Brush
Type: Curved/Slanted brush with very thin hooks.Ideal for: Medium to long-haired cats.Purpose: To remove dirt and dead/loose hair. Helps to prevent matting or with removing.
Dual-Sided Brush
Type: Fine-toothed brush on one side, soft bristle brush on the other.Ideal for: Short to medium-haired cats.Purpose: Great as a combination brush. The fine-tooth brush helps to remove dirt and tangles while the soft bristle brush aids with spreading natural oils to give a nice shine and condition to your cats coat.
Mitt Brushes
Type: A hand mitt with a rubber toothed side.Ideal for: All coats.Purpose: Great as a beginner brush as the action is more like stroking the cat rather than grooming them. This means some cats may not know the difference. They help to remove dirt, dead/loose hair and leaves the coat feeling sleek and smooth.
FURminator
Type: Fine toothed shedding blade.Ideal for: All coats.Purpose: Removes both the top coat and undercoat to get rid of excess dirt, and loose/excess hair.
Moulting Comb
Type: Comb with different pin lengths.Ideal for: All coats.Purpose: The longer pins go through the top coat to detangle knots and remove the undercoat whilst the shorter pins help to gather the loose fur.
Grooming Comb
Pin Brush
Rubber Brush
Bristle Brush
Check For Skin Problems
Whenever you brush, clip, or bathe your cat, check her skin for bumps, bald spots, or cuts. This can indicate health problems such as allergies or stress.
Thinking about getting your favourite feline a new collar? Check out my posts on 6 Stylish Leather Cat Collars, 6 Spooky Halloween Cat Collars, 8 Fun Christmas Cat Collar options, 7 Best Cat Tracking Collars, 4 Best Cameras for Cat Collars,6 Best Flea Collars for Cats choices and 5 Best Designer Cat Collars.
Some skin problems your cat may have are:
- Parasitic infections from fleas, ear mites, or harvest mites
- Fungal infections such as ringworm or yeast infections
- Infections from excess bacteria on the skin
- Viral infections such as feline cowpox
- Feline acne or seborrhea
Keen to get your cat out and about? Check out my posts on Is Cat Walking Possible?, 7 Best Escape Proof Cat Harness Options, 5 Best Carrier for Cats choices, 14 Best Cat Carrier for Car Travel options and 4 Top Travel Litter Box options.
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