Grooming Your Cat

Cats are wonderful little pets. Fluffy is not only super cute and cuddly, she’s also very clean. Your furry little friend will spend hours every day carefully grooming herself and keeping her pretty fur soft and clean. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean she can’t use a little help. Read on as a local Thorold, ON vet offers a few tips on grooming your feline pal.

It isn’t absolutely necessary to bathe cats. However, you can bathe your kitty if you like, as long as your vet doesn’t object. Use lukewarm water and a shampoo made specifically for cats. Don’t fill the tub or sink too much: the water shouldn’t go any higher than Fluffy’s chest. To avoid getting soap in your pet’s eyes, ears, nose, or mouth, use a facecloth on her head. Be careful not to overbathe your feline buddy: this will strip the natural oils from her fur, which can leave her coat looking dry and frizzy.

There are several benefits to brushing kitties regularly. First and foremost, it will remove dead fur and dander from Fluffy’s coat. This will help keep her fur smooth and shiny, and prevent the dreaded itchies. It will also reduce the amount of fur your pet swallows when grooming herself, which will in turn reduce the amount of hairballs she produces. With longhaired cats, brushing will also help prevent and remove mats and tangles. Last but not least, this is a good time to just spend time with your furball, and make her feel loved and pampered.

You shouldn’t need to do too much with your cat’s eyes and ears. Mostly, you’ll need to watch for signs of infection or injury, such as bad odors, redness, and/or discharge. Fluffy may get a bit of gunk in the corner of her eyes from time to time. You can just wipe this away with a clean, damp cloth or cotton pad. If your kitty frequently gets tearstains, you’ll need to do this regularly, and you may need a tearstain remover. Ask your vet for specific advice.

Do you have a fluffy pet? Longhaired cats sometimes get waste or litter stuck in their bottoms. You can trim this area gently using blunt-end scissors.

Please reach out to us, your Thorold, ON vet clinic, for all of your cat’s veterinary care needs. We are here to help!