Do you have a long-haired cat? Long-haired cats are popular among pet owners because they look very beautiful. Cats have a way of maintaining their fur on their own, however, establishing a home grooming routine for them will make them look even more shiny and healthy.
Another reason why you should groom your cat regularly is that unmaintained cats can develop mats, which are clumps of dead hair, oily skin cells, and any stuff the cat has rubbed against on the floor or outside. Mats mot only look bad but can affect their overall health.
Grooming your cat doesn’t need to be a stressful process for you. In this article, we’ll go through all the important details on how to groom your long-haired cat.
Cats can be hesitant to water but with a little patience and love for your kitty, you’ll be able to establish a great grooming routine for your long-haired pal. Here are the most important steps to grooming your long-haired cat.
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Use A Proper Brush
You will need a special brush for your cat. You can get them online or in your local store. It’s advisable that you check some reviews before you pick one for your cat.
These brushes are specially designed to be gentle on the coat and prevent damage to the skin. You definitely don’t want to hurt your cat while combing them. The brushes also have curved pins which help remove dirt, debris, and loose hair. These brushes will also help you de-tangle matted fur.
When grooming your long haired cat make sure your brush all areas of their fur. Check their head, back, sides, butt, and belly. Be particularly gentle in the areas where the hair is the longest. Cats are extra sensitive in the area of their belly, so when you brush this area make sure that you soften up the strokes.
When picking a brush you can find one that offers multiple features and modes that add some versatility to the brushing. If you do this you won’t have to buy multiple brushes.
Cats love to clean themselves but they may be irritated when it comes to being brushed. Try to encourage them by giving them a treat or a toy.
You may need help from someone that can hold the cat while you brush them. Make sure you give them a little extra love afterward. Your cat will feel much better after being brushed.
Remove Matts by Using a Proper Device
Mats can be nasty to your little kitty’s soft skin. The best way to get rid of them is to use a shaving device, flea comb or a mat splitter. Which device you will use depends on the severity of your cat’s mats. In some cases, you may need a combination of a shaving device, a flea comb, and a mat splitter.
When grooming long haired cat avoid using clippers or use them if they are no other options. You will need a clipper only if your cat’s mats are so strong that they won’t de-tangle with a flea comb or a splitter. This can happen to cats that have extra thick fur.
In some cases, you will need to shave mats off. It’s easy to do it but you will need to be extra careful to not hurt your cat’s skin in the process. This can be very painful to them especially if they suffer from any skin conditions. But if you groom your cat regularly, you probably won’t have to shave mats off their skin.
If your cat has fleas, you will need a flea comb. Flea combs are designed to penetrate deep into the cat’s coat and relieve them from unwanted fleas. They are also very useful for grooming long-haired cats.
Using a flea comb for long-haired cats on a regular basis can gently and effectively remove loose hair, tangles, knots, dander, and trapped dirt. Take some extra caution when you try to get rid of mats with a flea comb, make sure you first loosen up the mat so you can easily get rid of it.
A tool that will be particularly helpful for grooming your cat is the cat de-matting tool also known as a mat splitter. This tool is specially designed for dismantling mats from long-haired cats. If you have to choose between a shaving device and a mat splitter, is much better to choose a mat splitter because you will reduce the chance of hurting your cat’s skin.
Whatever tool you choose to deal with your cat’s mats, pay attention to the way your cat reacts as you do not want to cause them stress and trauma.
Brush Your Cats Fur
Once you get rid of your cat’s mat, you’ll be able to notice a major difference in the way their fur feels. It will be more soft and shiny. Your cat will love that. However, you are not over with the grooming process of long haired cats.
The next thing you should do is grab a fine comb with which you can brush any extra hair. Brush the entire body of your cat. Brushing the cat’s body for one last time will help spread the natural oils over the entire coat which will give some extra shine and softness to the coat.
Use A Grooming Glove
Lastly, you’ll want to finish the entire grooming process with a grooming glove. Grooming gloves are particularly useful for removing any loose hair. There is a variety of grooming gloves on the market and you can buy them online or in the local pet store.
They are usually made from soft rubber which will give your cat a gentle massage. This will not only feel relaxing to your cat but you will also avoid painful removing of hair or scratching the skin.
The grooming gloves will brush away dirt, loose hair and debris from your cat’s fur. The hair will stick to the glove and peel easily.
Additional Grooming Steps
The above mentioned steps are crucial in every grooming process. However, if you want your kitty to look picture perfect than they are a few extra thing you can do to help your cat have a nice and shiny coat. These are optional steps, but many people find them particularly useful when it comes to grooming long haired cats.
Chemical Process
There are a variety of chemical products available on the market that can be very useful when it comes to grooming your long-haired cat. These products include shampoos, conditioners, de-tangling sprays, and de-shedding and hairball prevention sprays.
They can be used while bathing and afterwards and there’s also a plethora for products that are designed to give cat’s some extra shine. These products can be very helpful for the grooming process particularly the de-tangling sprays. Use them whenever you may need them, your cat will be grateful too.
Routine Maintenance
Remember, grooming your cat is not a one time thing. You should create a schedule a stick to it. Grooming your cat can be also a bonding experience with your pet. Plus, the more you groom your cat, the easier it will be for it to get accustomed to the whole process.
You can groom your cat during the weekend, or every Monday after dinner. Whatever period you choose make sure you stick to it this will help your car learn that being groomed is a great thing for them.
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Bathing Your Cat
Cats clean themselves and they are low-maintenance pets compared to dogs, but you will need to bath them from time to time. They do not like water very much and they usually become hesitant to it.
However, bathing your cat is a great way to remove debris, dirt, and oils. Getting your cat in the water may be a difficult task but after some time they will get used to it. You may need assistance from someone that can hold your cat while you’re busy putting on shampoo.
Adding conditioned after bathing will give their fur some extra softness and shine. You may need to bath them once a month or once in a few months depending on how dirty your cat gets.
Grooming Long Haired Cats Is Essential
Cats like to stay clean and grooming is essential for them. Sticking to a regular schedule and grooming your cat frequently will keep their fur maintained and looking nice and shiny. Plus, your cat will be extra soft and ready for cuddling.
Make it a habit to groom your cat once a week and you will quickly see how the quality of their fur will improve. This can also be a wonderful bonding time between you and your cat.
Of course, you can always bring your cat to a grooming professional but grooming them at home will save you time and money. Your cat will be grateful to you and plus others will be impressed by your cat’s fur.
