Grooming

Grooming your cat helps keep their coat and skin healthy as not only are you preventing tangles, but brushing promotes good circulation and will help get rid of dead fur which can cause fur balls. While shorthaired breeds require brushing once a week, longhaired breeds such as Persians need to be brushed daily as their thick coat can quickly become matted. 

Cat Brushes

It’s important to pick out the correct brush for your cat’s coat type as brushes and combs all vary in bristle length. Slicker brushes and pin brushes are designed to smooth the coat, get rid of dander and prevent tangles from forming. They also help to distribute the fur’s naturally occurring oils, leaving the coat nice and shiny. However, these types of brushes are not suitable for long-coated cats as their bristles won’t reach down through the topcoat to the undercoat which is the thicker part of the cat’s fur. 

Cats with longer fur and breeds with double coats such as the Maine Coon, will benefit from a good quality comb. Combs have a single layer of teeth designed to help tease out stubborn mats and tangles without causing too much breakage to the coat. There are also speciality combs such as flea combs, whose teeth are very close together to remove fleas, their dirt and their eggs from your cat. 

Another great tool to have in your grooming arsenal is a de-shedding brush such as the FURminator. These types of brushes reach through the topcoat, painlessly stripping excess fur which would otherwise cause fur balls. For shorter coats and semi-longhaired cats, rubber bristled de-shedding brushes, such as the ZoomGroom will help to remove loose hairs. 

Cat Shavers

Sometimes, no matter how much you brush and groom your cat or if their coat has become dirty or sticky, their fur can clump and form mats. In this case, it's best to use a cat shaver to trim out the clumps rather than trying to brush through them with a comb as this will tug painfully on the skin. Cat shavers are more precise and much safer than scissors as they come with a guard to prevent you from accidentally cutting your cat’s skin, especially if your cat is particular wriggly. 

It is best to use a shaver designed for cats as opposed to a human trimmer as they are quieter with little vibration so as not to scare your cat. These come in a range of shapes and sizes depending on how extensive the mats on your cat’s fur are. Cordless trimmers are great to reach tricky areas such as behind the ears and around the tail, whereas plug-in clippers give the power needed to shave large areas and last longer as they will not need to be charged up before use. 

Cat Wipes

Is your long-haired cat notorious for getting waste stuck to its bottom after using the litter tray? Maybe you have an elderly or incontinent cat that needs a little extra help keeping themselves clean? Cat wipes are a handy alternative to bathing, removing dirt and deodorising the fur whilst keeping stress to a minimum. Wipes are also a great idea for breeds such as the Sphynx or to use to freshen up between baths as they remove dander, especially important if you suffer from allergies. 

If your cat suffers from fungal or bacterial infections; CLX wipes are durable cleansing wipes designed for daily cleaning of skin folds and between your cat’s toes, helping to soothe the skin and remove bad odours.