views the best pictures
Cats are notorious for licking and cleaning themselves constantly, which begs the question why you should even consider cat grooming at all. However, you should be aware that there are any number of perfectly good reasons why your cat needs you to brush it regularly. For instance, cats that frequently spend time out of doors, will naturally shed their coat twice a year, preparing for the summer and winter conditions that they will be subjected to. On the other hand, indoor cats living in modern housing conditions, with consistent lighting and temperature conditions will shed moderately, but continuously, the full year round. In either case, shedding creates excess hair which the cat will lick at and swallow as it self grooms. Without regular brushing, the cat can develop uncomfortable hairballs from all the swallowed hair which will then be continuously "sicked up."
Long haired cats, in particular, need the most assistance in maintaining their coats in excellent condition, but all cats, including short haired cats will benefit from a regular vigorous brushing, which will get rid of extraneous materials caught in the fur, and will help to remove matted hair. Also you should recognize that cats will shed hair as an automatic and natural reaction to any stressful situation, even something so banal as household visitors or a brush (sorry for the pun) with other animals such as dogs. An additional consideration is that regular brushing will reduce dander and cat hairs about the house, which may be a great relief to anyone suffering from chest complaints such as asthma, for example. There is also the fact that getting the cat used to being handled will help the socialisation of the animal, and induce the cat to be more tolerant when it comes to taking baths or medication.
Start Young
It is best to begin the grooming routine at the kitten stage, 6-12 weeks of age being considered the optimum period when a kitten learns fastest about behaviour. A good learning foundation for brushing, bathing and nail trimming at this age will bear fruit later in developing a stress free mature cat. Keep grooming sessions short and don't forget to reward the animal with a treat at the end. Be gentle and patient, and do not pull the hair which can be painful and cause the cat to fear the grooming process. Be aware of your cat's patience level and if you see the cat's tail begin to swish, take that as a signal to end that session. You can always go back for a second session later.
Talking about tails, these are usually particularly sensitive and cats do not generally like having them touched, especially long haired cats. To untangle matted hair without causing pain, a suggestion would be to firstly sprinkle cornstarch or to spray hair detangler on the matted hair and gently work the mat out with a comb or brush. Remember that hairless cats get dirty much faster than long haired cats and will need to be brushed more regularly than them, perhaps as often as once a week, because their skin gets greasy.
Where to Groom
Choose a table or counter set at a comfortable height for you, which is well illuminated and make sure this is not in the kitchen. Cat's should never be allowed on kitchen surfaces, so to be obedient to this rule, choose a bathroom surface, the top of a washer or a laundry table top, and use a rubber grooming mat which the cat will become accustomed to standing on as a grooming surface. Never fuss, just adopt a relaxed but firm approach, and speak to your cat throughout. Don't forget a little treat as a reward when you finish. If you approach cat
grooming in the way I have described, you will be surprised how quickly the grooming process will become accepted by your cat and will become a positive and rewarding experience for you both.
Terry Blackburn. Internet Marketing Consultant, living in South Shields in the North-East of England. Author and Publisher of http://www.catcote.com
Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Terry_Blackburn
No comments:
Post a Comment