If you haven’t already figured it out, most cats are pretty full of themselves and care very much about their appearance. This is why they will spend countless hours per day grooming themselves to perfection.
Unlike grooming dogs, cats are incredibly independent and are perfectly content with taking care of their own grooming, but also don’t mind being pampered once in a while. As a cat owner, it's important to understand the benefits of grooming your feline as well as how to do it correctly.
Benefits of Grooming Your Cat
Taking the time once or twice per week to spend some one-on-one quality time with your cat is therapeutic for both you and your feline companion.
Not only is grooming your cat a good time to bond with your cat but it is also healthy for your cats’ skin and fur. Grooming includes brushing or even bathing your cat on occasion, in addition to tending to their paw nails and even dental hygiene.
Another benefit of grooming your cat is that the act of brushing them helps to stimulate their circulation. This is beneficial for fur growth and skin health as well as their overall health and longevity.
Getting rid of the loose fur that's hiding within your cat's coat is also a benefit, primarily to you and your home. For cat owners who suffer from any level of allergy to cat fur will benefit from regular cat grooming.
This is because the loose fur that would normally be floating around your home or sticking to your clothes and furniture will be drastically decreased. This is especially important when thinking about long-haired cat grooming.
Brushing Your Cat
Brushing your cat begins with acquiring the right cat grooming tools. Similar to dog grooming tools, you will need a metal tooth comb, bristle brush, rubber brush, and undercoat brush are a few of the more common types of brushes used for cat grooming.
If you’re uncertain about the kind of brush that your cat's fur type would need, and how frequently they could use grooming there are people to who you can ask these questions to. Next time you go into your local pet store to get some supplies for your cat, head over to the area where cat grooming services are provided.
The employees who work in this area can surely tell you which kind of brush would work best on your cat, and how often they will need to be brushed.
What You Need to Know About Their Nails
If you provide your cat with all of the right scratching posts and towers, their nails shouldn't pose as too much of a problem. Cats tend to take care of their nails themselves more often than not. However, sometimes their nails can get to be rather sharp.
Sharp cat claws can be both dangerous and destructive. Meaning, you will want to take action and do something about them before someone gets hurt, or a couch gets destroyed.
Some cats aren’t too fond of having their nails clipped by a human. This is why most vets and pet grooming services can do this for you, as they know exactly how to handle these kinds of cat personalities.
If you have a cat that is calm and will let you clip their nails as needed, there are only two important things to know about doing this.
One, is that you need to buy the right kind of clippers. That is clippers that were made for cat claws specifically. Two, you need to be aware of what the quick is and where is it located.
The quick is the pink or darker area within your cat's nail that contains blood vessels and nerves. Therefore, you do not want to accidentally clip this area. That is why it's important to get special cat claw clippers.
Cat Dental Hygiene
There isn’t too much in the way of cat dental hygiene that needs to be tended to. There are special cat treats that you can get that are beneficial to your cat's oral health and will keep their breath smelling fresh at all times.
There are also toothbrushes and toothpaste that are made to use with cats if you feel brave enough to try and brush your cats’ teeth.
Conclusion
The conclusion that can be drawn here, is that there are numerous benefits to grooming your cat, and almost half of them are benefits for you and your family. Grooming your cat is one of the best ways to bond with them and gain their trust.
Keeping up with regular brushing is also a healthy habit for their skin and fur coat over time. Not to mention it helps to keep the levels of free-floating cat fur in your home to a minimum. Just be sure to talk to your cat’s vet or a cat grooming specialist if you’re feeling nervous or uncertain about what tools to use or what grooming practices would be best for your feline.
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Why does my cat groom me?
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