Grooming basics

Grooming your cat
Regular grooming is essential for your cat's good health. A glossy, beautiful coat is a sign of your cat's overall health, well-being and good nutrition. Most cats do a very good job at keeping themselves clean, but they'll need your help when it comes to preventing matted hair and fur balls, and in detecting problems with their eyes or ears. If your cat is not used to being groomed, start with a gentle combing in areas that it seems to enjoy and gradually work up to a full grooming session. It's important to start grooming your cat at a young age.

Grooming will not only keep your cat looking good, but will help you monitor any changes in his appearance that may be signs of illness, injury or parasites.

Some things to check for as you groom your cat:

• Unusual lumps under the skin, rashes, bald spots, sores, cuts
• Unusually dull coat, flaky skin, fleas, lice, ticks.
• Red, inflamed, cloudy eyes or excessive tearing
• Tender or swollen ears and/or strong odour
• Bad breath, swollen gums, excessive tartar

Shedding and Hairballs
Shedding and hairballs are common, specially in long haired cats. To minimize hairballs, brush your cat thoroughly and regularly or try a commercial hairball remedy, closely following package directions. You may also use a dry pet food with a hairball control formula.

Brushing and combing
For shorthair cats, we recommend grooming once a week with a natural bristle brush and a fine-tooth comb. Longhair cats require more frequent grooming, usually 2-3 times a week unless it is an outdoor cat. Then, every day might be necessary. In order to properly groom your longhair, you will need a wire brush, a wide-tooth comb and a fine-tooth flea comb.

If your cat's hair is falling out, if he or she seems to be scratching excessively, or if you notice any signs of a rash, consult your veterinarian.

Bathing
In general, you should not have to bathe your cat, as they are very good at keeping themselves clean. When introduced to bathing at a young age, cats can come to enjoy an occasional bath. However, should bathing be necessary, use only warm water and mild soap, preferably a cat shampoo. Rinse your cat thoroughly, dry it well with towels and keep it away from drafts until fully dried and fluffy, as cats can easily catch cold. If possible, use two tubs or a double sink to speed up the bathing process.

Reasons you might need to bathe your cat are:

• It doesn't take care of its coat as it should
• You are allergic and need to minimize allergens
• Poison on its fur
• You are about to show your cat
• It needs a flea, tick, or lice dip
• Bad weather has left it unusually dirty

Trimming claws
Indoor cats may need their claws clipped once a week so furniture destruction can be kept to a minimum. If your cat's claws start snagging - on fabric or on you -it's a good indication that they need clipping. A pair of specially designed clippers for cats should be used and are available at pet stores. Never use regular scissors as they can crush and injure your cat's claw. When clipping your cat's nails it is a good idea to use two people — one to hold your pet securely and the other to clip the nails. Otherwise, begin by holding your cat in your lap or on the floor between your knees. Make sure there is sufficient lighting and that you are familiar with the way the claws look. Pin the cat to your side with your arm and hold one of its front paws in your hand. Gently press on one toe until the claw pops into full view. Clip it, being careful not to cut the slightly pinkish area containing nerves and blood vessels. When in doubt, trim less of the nail. Repeat with the next toe and so on. Don't forget the dewclaws - found only on the front paws - located right about where humans would have their thumbs.

Ear cleaning
Because ears are a primary collecting point of dirt and debris, it is important to check your cat's ears once every other week. If your cat's ears need cleaning, use a cotton swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide or another product suggested by your veterinarian. Also, you can ask your veterinarian to show you the proper cleaning procedure if you are unsure. Remember to be gentle. Never go deeper into the ear than what you can see and never apply or pour the peroxide directly into the ear. Consult your vet if you find deeply lodged earwax or redness and black spots - which may be an indication of mites.

Eye care
Look at your cat's eyes. They should be clear and bright with no excessive tearing or mucus discharge. It's a good idea to keep plenty of clean cotton balls on hand and use a moistened one to remove any discharge from around the eye area. Red, inflamed or cloudy eyes or excessive tearing are indications of possible infection or eye injury. Because eyes are very delicate organs, any injury should receive prompt veterinary attention.

Dental Care
By four weeks of age, kittens have their incisors, the 12 small teeth in the front of the mouth. At six weeks, all 26 deciduous teeth are in.

Kitten teeth should be white and clean, with the upper incisors meeting the lower incisors evenly. The gums and mouth tissue should be pink; a pale color is a sign of anaemia.

Between 11 and 30 weeks, kittens lose their deciduous teeth and gain 30 permanent teeth. During this period, a kitten may eat slightly less because of sore gums.

Cats, like humans, need dental care on a regular basis. Here are some frequent problems that your animal can meet if he doesn't receive the appropriate dental care.

If the last problem persists for a long time, it could lead to Periodontal or gum disease, one of the most common conditions today. This disease has a lot of stages, so you cant stop it from becoming worse at early times. The problem begins when plaque and tartar are allowed to build up on your pet's teeth just as a cause of lack of oral hygiene. Plaque harbours the bacteria which can infect gum tissue and the roots of teeth leading to disease and tooth loss. Besides the negative impact on the oral cavity, bacteria can enter the bloodstream through the large network of blood vessels located near the gums and teeth. Recent studies have documented that certain heart, liver and kidney diseases may be associated with these bacteria.  It is amazing that some cats manage to keep eating even when they have a severe condition. Owners are often shocked when a in routine health check the vet point out the extension of the problem.

• Do use a tooth brush with no paste at first so that your pet get used to the object in the mouth before having to deal with the flavour.
• Don’t attempt to clean the inner surface of your pet’s teeth. Natural saliva cleans this surface on its own
• Have your cat's teeth examined at least once a year by a qualified veterinarian.
• Don’t perform dental home care during the first week after a full dentistry in the hospital as your pet’s gums may be still sensitive.
• Don’t consider dental home care as an alternative to full dental cleaning if your pet has more advanced dental disease.

Some cats will not allow anyone to reach into their mouths for any reason and will not tolerate brushing, spraying, rinsing or any other home care. For these animals dental treats represent an excellent method of dental home care.  It is recommended a treat daily for routine home care.