Our cats are super clean and are pretty good at keeping themselves that way.
(Our Eliza is brilliant at keeping her coat shining. Diesel, hmm, not so much – he’d much rather roll in the dirt outside *sigh*)
But, for problems like hairballs, a regular routine brushing session with our fur babies will really help, and it keeps their coats looking purrfect!
There are other benefits too like spreading natural oils through the hairs, preventing tangles and keeping your cats delicate skin from becoming dirty and irritated.
But, “ah!” we hear you say, “my cat doesn’t like being brushed. They run away whenever I try to brush them.”
So, how do you get them happy with brushing? And what is the best way to brush, and what with?
Well, here’s some top tips to help you win the brush battle 🙂
Top 10 Tips for Grooming Your Cat
- Start brushing when your cat is a kitten. Gentle weekly brushing will help them get used to the feel of the brush as well as your hand and will become a normal event for them as they get older.
- If you’re starting with an older cat, introduce the brush slowly. Pick a time when they are feeling friendly and cuddly (maybe in the evening on your lap after food.)
- Holding the brush, gently stoke your cats fur with the back of the brush, followed by a stroke of your hand, then a stroke with the bristle side of the brush. Repeat this if you can for a few minutes before stopping. If you can get into a routine with this, hopefully your furry pal will learn to enjoy the brush.
- Aim to brush your whole cats body, but if they won’t let you, just do what you can. It’s better to do little bits at a time than try to get them to sit through a full body session if they’re not used to it.
- You’ll need to try different brushes. Some work better than others and you may end up using a combination to get the best result. Have a look at the brush we like and are using on Eliza and (trying to with) Diesel.
- Keep your brushes near where your cat sleeps normally (or in our case a few dotted around the place as they move sleeping position). That way you can always have one to hand when you need it.
- For hard to reach and smaller areas like around the ears a human toothbrush can be a good option.
- Whilst brushing check your cats fur for ticks, wounds, lumps and skin problems so you can treat these early.
- When you are brushing your cat, make sure you’re relaxed, they’re relaxed and the room which you’re in is nice and chilled too. That should turn the brushing into a full-on pampering-relaxing-purring session.
- After the brushing is done (however short) give your furry pal a treat. That way it will help associate brushing as a positive (and yummy) thing.