It’s National Cat Health Month and, in honor of our favorite feline friends, we want to make sure you have all the information you need to groom your cat to purrfection. Regular grooming is important as it will maintain your cat’s beautiful coat– plus, a consistent grooming routine can help to reduce those pesky hairballs! Follow the helpful tips below and your cat will be feline fine in no time.
1. Create a Tranquil Atmosphere
Not all cats enjoy being groomed, so it’s important to make the process as calm and soothing as possible. Try to choose a quiet time during the day, perhaps after you’ve fed your cat so that they’re in a more relaxed state. Be sure to keep grooming sessions short (less than 20 minutes).
2. Brush Early and Often
The more you brush your cat, the more he or she will become accustomed to being groomed. Start small by letting your cat smell and inspect the brush, and then gently brush their coat for just a moment. You can easily build up brushing times the more often you practice this with your cat.
3. Ear to Tail Inspection
Grooming isn’t just about brushing your cat and making sure he or she has a healthy coat. You should also use this time to inspect your feline friend from ear to tail! Do their ears look clean and healthy? What about kitty’s eyes and nose? Can you feel any bumps, scratches or irritations on the skin? How are his or her claws looking? These are all things you should be keeping track of when grooming your cat.
4. Reward Your Cat
We all want our cats to associate being groomed as a good thing– that’s why praise and treats are so important! Be sure to tell your cat what a good job he or she is doing, and always end the grooming session with a nice treat.
5. Call When You Need Help
Some cats simply will not stand to be groomed, no matter how much their owners try– don’t worry, it’s not your fault! It’s better to seek help with grooming than risk harming your cat or yourself even– you don’t want to end up with a cat-astrophe! If you’re having difficulty when trying to groom your cat, the folks here at Puff & Fluff are happy to help! Bring your feline friend into any one of our four locations and we’ll have them looking purrty in no time!