I hear this phrase too often. “My cat is short-haired and doesn’t need to be groomed.” While short-haired kitties do not require a sanitary shave (we call it the “kitty Brazilian or booty shave”) they DO benefit from regular brushing. Short-haired cats may have less need for frequent professional grooming; however, no cat is zero maintenance. Think of this blog the next time your beloved feline hacks up a hairball!!
Hairball remedies not working very well? Then it is time to break out the brush and help your kitty out with some of that excess fur. Want to avoid an expensive vet bill? Regular brushing will reduce the likelihood of throat and intestinal problems that can develop from frequent hairballs.
Suffering from allergies? Regularly brushing your cat will reduce the dander and pollen that is attracted to your cat’s coat. Allergic to cats? Regular brushing will also reduce the Fel d1 protein that is found in your kitty’s saliva (and ends up on their fur when they lick themselves)- which is the allergen responsible for making many people miserable.
Tired of having cat hair (aka kitty glitter) all over everything? Regular brushing will help reduce the amount of fur flying around. Keep in mind that indoor cats are shedding hair all the time and the seasonal shedding being more pronounced.
Elderly kitties need regular brushing too- and that will be an upcoming blog topic!
Here are a few tips to brushing your cat:
Keep the brushing session short at first and then increase the time as your cat gets accustomed to the brushing. You don’t have to brush the entire cat in one session. Break it up into sections. For example, today we will brush kitty’s chest, and tomorrow kitty’s left side. Daily brushing can be as quick as 2 minutes!
Use the correct brush- a slicker brush with rubber nubs to cover the pins is recommended for daily brushing (yes, DAILY- how often do you brush your hair?). For undercoat, use an under-coat comb.
Bribery- start with a treat and end with a treat. Also, words of affection and affirmation can have a lot of power with some kitties. Everyone loves to hear how pretty they are!!
If you would like to learn how to brush your cat like a pro- check out our Companion Sessions!!
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