Cat Fur Care – Tips & Tricks

Domestic cats are covered from head to toe with a dense coat, an exception to this are only the naked cats. In addition, there are breeds with short as well as with long fur. Regardless of the length, the coat requires a lot of care, countless hairs fall out every day. Cats are extremely clean animals and do most of the grooming themselves.

However, the cat owner should still help a little, especially when changing the coat. In this way, the health of the animal can be improved and the cat fur shines even more. In addition, through targeted care steps, significantly less cat hair is found in the living rooms, the seating furniture and on the clothing.

Use brushes and combs in the care of cat fur.

Cats are very individual animals with a distinct character. Therefore, you should coordinate the fur care according to need, because every house cat reacts quite differently to it. While many enjoy the extra grooming sessions by humans, some cats don’t like it at all and flee distraught.

For this reason, it is important to start grooming young kittens to get pets used to it from an early age. This way they will be happy to be brushed, combed and even bathed throughout their lives. In order for your cat to enjoy an extensive grooming treatment, a gentle approach without coercion is the basic requirement. This requires special brushes tailored to the needs of pets. How close the bristles should be in the brush as well as the comb depends on the density and thickness of the cat’s fur. In addition, there are combs against fleas and lice, which can be used to detect and eliminate small parasites.

Thanks to very fine metal tines, not only the blood-sucking insects, but also their eggs and excretions are removed from the fur. Thanks to the plastic handle with a non-slip rubber insert, the comb lies well in the hand and comes through even very dense as well as long fur. If the cat likes neither brushes nor combs, a grooming glove is an alternative. This gives the pet the feeling that it is being gently stroked. This allows you to quickly remove excess hair and skin particles from the coat. In addition, you can also use the practical tool for removing loose hair and dust from clothing, carpets and upholstered furniture.

The advantages of regular grooming of cats

Regardless of whether it is a short or long haired cat, all breeds benefit from regular grooming. House cats lick their fur extensively every day to keep it in order. However, while grooming, cats swallow a large number of hairs, which clump together in their stomachs. Usually pets regurgitate these clumps afterwards, but sometimes they can cause severe stomach upset and digestive problems. However, if the cat owner eliminates a lot of hair from the coat due to grooming, the hair clumps in the digestive tract will decrease considerably. Moreover, the procedure also intensifies as well as improves the relationship between the cat and the owner. Moreover, each combed out cat hair does not end up on the floor, sofa or on your clothes. Brushing is extremely important, especially for indoor-only cats. When the pet is allowed to run around freely, numerous hairs are already brushing off on the branches and blades of grass.

Seasonal coat change in cats

Every year, cats undergo a coat change in spring and autumn, which can be particularly severe with the loss of the winter coat. Then the house tigers lose all at once whole tufts of hair, which are distributed everywhere in the house. Already with the bare stroking over the fur this change is recognizable, since the fine hair extremely easily loosens. During this period, the cat needs additional and more frequent grooming, either with a brush or a soft glove. By brushing, you remove the loose hairs all at once and make the tedious shedding process easier for your pet in the long run. In addition, this also stimulates the blood circulation of the skin in the cat, so that the change of coat is accelerated even more.

Coat care for shorthaired cats

Most shorthaired cats enjoy grooming to the fullest and patiently endure it. If you attach great importance to a clean home, you should brush your cat often and extensively. This way, excess and loose hairs are quickly removed and they do not spread everywhere. Always comb your cat with the grain. Brushing against the direction of growth of the cat’s fur can even cause unpleasant pain to the pet. Thus, healthy and not yet loose hairs are literally torn out of the skin. Normally, a weekly grooming treatment is sufficient for short-haired cats. During the coat change, however, it is advisable to brush thoroughly every two days.

Coat care for longhaired cats

Longhaired cats need additional grooming sessions, otherwise the fur will mat extremely quickly. Especially when the coat changes, the pet is dependent on daily brushing, as it usually can not cope with the amount of fallen hair itself. In addition, longhaired breeds quickly form knots and matted areas, so that a careful approach is essential. First lift the top coat and extensively brush the dense undercoat. Next, brush the upper fur areas. In extreme cases, you may even have to trim excessively long and matted fur. For this, use only scissors with rounded corners, so as not to injure the animal. Since cats rarely sit completely still, the risk of injury when cutting is quite high. Alternatively, clippers can also be used. With both methods, first push a comb between the skin and fur areas with knots, then nothing can go wrong when cutting. In general, it is recommended for longhaired cats to always trim the long fur hairs in the area around the buttocks. There often remain some remains of feces and provide an unhygienic appearance.

Bathing cats

Most cats are very shy of water and do their best to avoid contact with bath water. However, kittens that are still young can quickly get used to it and many even love it. However, if the fur is very dirty, matted or infested with parasites, bathing is often the only solution. You should use only high-quality products, which are tailored to the requirements of pets. Alternatively, a dry shampoo can be used for very anxious and stubborn cats, if they do not want to be bathed. This product cleans the fur of the house cat without making it wet. In addition, rich ingredients such as aloe vera, glycerin and chamomile provide deep care for the coat and skin.