Grooming cats at home: Types and features of cat hygiene

Cat hair scattered around the house causes daily cleaning of the premises and cleaning of the owner's clothes.
If you are not able to stoically endure periods of shedding, then cat grooming carried out at home is suitable for your situation. Let's look at the types and features of cat haircuts. If you don’t yet know what grooming is, then it is a procedural complex aimed at putting a cat’s skin and coat in order. During grooming, combining cosmetic and hygienic measures, long excess hair is trimmed. In cities, this can be done in specialized institutions, but pets are more comfortable in a homely, familiar environment.

What does a set of grooming activities include?

The concept of “grooming” in zoology describes the instinctive behavior of animals to care for their bodies. Cats do this primarily not for beauty, but driven by the instinct of self-preservation - regular toileting eliminates the smell.

Today, grooming is a fashionable procedure that is carried out for pets in specialized salons. This set of procedures includes:

• detailed examination of the pet’s body to detect possible flaws;
• combing, washing and cutting;
• trimming and cleaning nails;
• cleaning the ears;
• hygienic treatment of the oral cavity and teeth, cleansing and removing tartar.

If you have some skills and the cat behaves quite calmly when it is bathed, grooming can be done at home.

When is the procedure necessary?

Cats are natural clean people, they always carefully groom themselves, they can lick their fur for hours, bringing it to perfect condition. But there are a number of cases when grooming must be carried out regularly without fail. And this need is dictated not by the owner’s desire to make his pet the most beautiful, but by hygiene requirements and the prevention of various diseases:

• the cat has access to the street and visits it often, has contact with other animals;
• severe shedding of the animal due to thick and long hair;
• detection of fleas or parasites in a pet;
• the animal has an eye or ear disease.

If the pet does not have any diseases, the frequency of hygiene procedures depends on the time of year. In the summer, especially if the animal is often outdoors, bathing and hair treatment is carried out more often than in the cold season.

Tools

To carry out grooming at home, you will need special tools:

• scissors;
• wool clipper;
• antiseptic drugs: hydrogen peroxide or iodine should always be on hand in case of skin cuts in order to treat the damage in time;
• table, any other surface on which the pet will be will do. It should be stable and comfortable, corresponding to the person’s height.

It is better and more convenient when grooming is carried out by several people. One deals directly with hygiene procedures, and the second holds the cat if it suddenly resists.

When is it needed?

In general, a complex of caring procedures is always needed. However, there are times when immediate haircutting is required. For example, cats need grooming:

• before an upcoming operation or procedure associated with the need to cut hair in certain places;
• if your pet has skin diseases that require access to the skin;
• in case of heat , if the cat has long hair and there is a risk of body overheating;
• if there are small parasites (fleas, ticks) in the fur;
• when feces stick to the fur near the hind legs and tail of long-haired cats;
• a cat that swallows a lot of hair when licking its own body;
• in the case when the animal’s fur becomes matted , but there is no time for constant combing.

In addition, a cat’s haircut is also necessary if the owner is allergic to cat hair, which can be a carrier of the allergen. This procedure allows you to reduce the concentration of allergenic protein, coupled with constant cleaning of the house. It is necessary to cut the animal even when the owner is unable to provide proper care for the pet’s coat. Otherwise, cats need to have their hair cut more often for medical reasons.

The cat itself cannot lick itself completely, which is bad for the condition of the coat and skin. For example, she will not clean her own ears, she will not be able to clean her eyes, and she will not be able to trim her claws. Timely grooming is the prevention of various diseases.

Rules and principles of procedure

Hygienic procedures for caring for a fluffy cat are carried out in accordance with certain rules:

1. It is recommended to comb the coat every day, this is especially important for long-haired cat breeds.
2. Bathing should not be frequent. But if the animal gets dirty, it is recommended to carry out the procedure immediately.
3. Nail cutting - once a month or more often if necessary.
4. Wipe watery eyes with a cotton pad soaked in tea leaves. Perform the manipulation several times a day until the symptom goes away.

The most difficult procedure is cutting the fur. It is carried out as needed.

Types of grooming

Depending on the nature of the procedures performed and the purpose, grooming has several types:

1. Hygienic : the purpose of the procedure is to maintain the cleanliness and hygiene of the pet. The procedures performed include hair trimming, removal of tufts between the paw pads, and trimming of nails. If necessary and depending on the cat's breed, long hair in the ears can be removed. The area of ​​wool under the tail is delicately shaped. Hygienic grooming can be carried out at home. But for this, the owner must have certain skills and experience, or invite a groomer from an animal beauty salon. The procedure at home with the invitation of an experienced specialist is very popular, although it costs more than visiting a salon. Cats are always nervous and aggressive when they are groomed, and being in an unfamiliar environment will only increase the depth of stress.
2. Home grooming : includes cutting the coat, after which the pet has a neater and more well-groomed appearance. In summer, trimmed fur makes the cat feel better and makes it easier to withstand extreme heat.
3. Exhibition : the most complex and painstaking type of grooming. The goal is not only to bring the animal’s appearance into complete order, but also to shine it, highlight the beauty of the coat and other features of the breed. Exhibition grooming is not only about trimming a fur coat, but about creating a model-like, stylish haircut. Exhibition grooming is carried out only in specialized animal salons by experienced groomers.

Cat behavior

It is impossible to say with certainty that cats love grooming. And the point here is not so much in the fear and restlessness of animals, but in their upbringing and mood. If a kitten has been accustomed to basic hygiene since childhood, it will sit quietly while its fur is combed out, its ears are treated, and its teeth are brushed. A cat being groomed for the first time will become nervous.

Treatments in the salon begin with nail trimming, to which even a trained cat reacts differently. But when it comes to haircuts, few pets have a positive attitude towards it. Some individuals consider this humiliation, and therefore avoid the procedure for a long time. For them, such a procedure often results in stress and sometimes loss of appetite.

It is necessary to accustom a kitten to hygiene from the age of two to three months, gradually incorporating new types of procedures into home cat grooming. During grooming, a cat may scratch, bite, twist and try to escape. In some cases, after the procedure, its stress can develop into a problem such as the appearance of bald patches that will not heal. A cat may become nervous at the sound of a clipper or even a hair dryer.

Some pets may try to bite the groomer while he is bathing them. There is no need for wild haircuts, which can cause ridicule of your pet. Cats sense intonation very accurately; they understand not only a stern voice, but also the manner of conversation. Neither a haircut like a lion nor any other animal will give your pet confidence. They feel most confident with their own fur.

Grooming

Grooming is aimed at caring for a cat's fur. It is recommended to carry out a number of procedures:

1. As the fur gets dirty, you should bathe your pet.
2. If the breed is hairless, the skin must be wiped.
3. For short coat lengths, brushing should be done once a week.
4. Long-haired cats should be brushed every day.
5. Daily combing of the coat is necessary during the period of active molting of the animal.
6. Grooming should be done if there is a need for it, if the pet has tangles.
7. Regularly inspect the coat for parasites, fleas, dermatitis or allergic reactions.

Grooming is not a particularly favorite procedure for cats.

Carrying out this procedure for the first time on an adult cat will be extremely difficult and, most likely, will not bring a successful result.

You need to accustom your pet to regular hygiene procedures from infancy.

Features of cutting cat hair

Before you start trimming the cat's fur, you should shorten your cat's claws. This will save the owner from getting deep scratches. Most animals, at the sound of the clippers being turned on, begin to behave aggressively, scratch and try to escape. Hair cutting is carried out according to a certain algorithm:

1. The cat should be placed on a prepared, stable surface. The most convenient would be a table.
2. It is recommended to carry out the haircut with an assistant who will hold the pet by the paws so that it does not break free. The cat needs to be pressed tightly to the table.
3. A suitable nozzle on the machine is 2-3 mm. You should not reduce this parameter so as not to injure the animal’s skin, and if the nozzle is higher, it will be very difficult to operate it.
4. Wool can be cut in any direction - with or against hair growth. Trimming against the direction of hair growth will give a better result.
5. Start processing the wool from the sides, then move to the back, and lastly process the belly.
6. The tail can be cut, but it is better to leave its tip in the form of a brush.
7. You should not cut the lower part of the paws, only if there is a need for this - the formation of tangles that cannot be removed in any other way.
8. It is not recommended to touch your pet's head and neck. In these places the skin is very delicate, thin, and the hair is short, so the likelihood of injuring the animal is high. If the hair on the head is long or there are tangles on it, it is recommended to trim it with scissors.

Haircut models for cats

In most cases, owners of cats who will be attending exhibitions resort to a model haircut. But often fashionable and unusual hairstyles are given to pets for beauty, to emphasize their individuality. Types of haircuts:

1. a lion – the fur is removed from the body, leaving long hair on the head, like an imitation of a lush mane of a lion. The tail is cut, leaving a tassel at the end.

2. Puma – the fur is removed from the back of the body. Hair remains on the paws, head and tail.

3. The Dragon – the fur is cut all over the body, remaining only on the head, and intricate lines are made of it along the back, reminiscent of Iroquois.

The owner himself can come up with a haircut for his pet using his imagination. The main thing is skillful, experienced hands, since it is very easy to injure the skin of an animal with such haircuts.

Popular cat haircuts

There are two types of haircuts : hygienic and model. Hygienic reasons include matted fur, hot summer weather, skin diseases, older cats, and active glands.

Model haircuts are not a necessity, it is the owner’s personal desire to see the cat well-groomed and beautiful. If you follow fashion, you can get a “Lion” haircut and make your pet look like a real mini-lion. “Puma” and “Dragon” haircuts are in demand. Indeed, there is a similarity with the creatures of the same name.

It is not advisable to have a haircut more than 3 times a year.

Remember that any procedure is stressful for a cat, so unless clearly necessary, you should not include model haircuts in mandatory grooming.

Oral care

Failure to brush your teeth can lead to dangerous oral diseases. Therefore, it is important to take care of your pet's teeth. To do this, you must follow a number of rules:

1. Carry out the procedure regularly - several times a week.
2. Use special toothbrushes that can be purchased at a pet store.
3. Buy only specialized toothpastes intended for animals. Cats do not like products with the taste or smell of mint, so human pastes are not suitable for them.

If tartar is present, cleaning is carried out in a veterinary clinic under anesthesia.

Why choose us

1. Quality and safety: only professional tools and cosmetics are used.
2. In our salon only the most modern equipment is an important condition for high-quality grooming.
3. We provide highly professional haircuts for dogs, taking into account the breed and complexity.
4. The clinic employs high-class masters, for whom grooming is not just a profession, but a vocation.
5. We use only sterile instruments.
6. We guarantee an individual approach to each four-legged client.
7. We are for humane treatment of animals.

Claw treatment

To trim cats' claws, you need to purchase special nail clippers. It is not recommended to use ordinary nail scissors, as they can damage the nail plate and cause it to break.

Claws should be trimmed only from above, to a length of no more than 1.5 mm.

If your pet is often outdoors, its paws should be regularly inspected for wounds, abrasions or splinters.

Also watch the video of salon cat grooming:

Why is it undesirable for a pet owner to be in the office?

No matter how strange it may sound, pets behave much calmer alone with the master. The reason is very simple: not all of them like to be bathed, combed or cut, but in the presence of a stranger they behave quietly. And when the owner is nearby, pets begin to ask for protection and become much more active.

In fact, there is absolutely no need to worry about this. Specialists will never harm your pet. We always pay attention to each client, find an individual approach to any animal without the use of special sedatives (even cats), and we fundamentally do not use rough working methods. Love for animals and affection are our main principles.

Even if you have urgent matters waiting for you, and it is difficult to find time to groom your dog, you can easily leave your pet in our salon, and when you are free, pick it up already combed, beautiful, trimmed and well-groomed.