GROOMING A SHORTHAIR
Grooming Equipment: soft cloth, cotton buds, soft bristle brush, fine-toothed comb and rubber brush
Shorthaired cats posses less exuberant upholstery than Longhairs, and are better at self-cleaning, so they need grooming only twice a week.
Picture 1: Cat having its fur combed with a metal tooth comb
1. With a fine-toothed metal comb, work down the cat from its head to its tail. As you comb, look for black, shiny specks – a sign of fleas.
Picture 2: Cat being brushed with a red brush
2. Use a rubber brush to brush along the lie of the hair. If your cat is Rex-coated, this brush is essential as it won’t scratch the skin.
Picture 3: cat having conditioner rubbed into its fur
3. After brushing and combing, rub in some bay run conditioner. This removes grease from the coat and brings out the brilliance of its colour.
Picture 4: Cat being rubbed with a chamois leather cloth
4. Finally, to bring up the glossy quality of a shorthaired cat’s coat, “polish” it with a piece of silk or velvet, or a chamois leather cloth.
GROOMING A LONGHAIR
Daily grooming really is essential for longhairs. Without it, balls of matted hair can form in the coat which gradually build up in size until the only solution is for the veterinarian to remove them. Two grooming sessions a day, of fifteen to thirty minutes each, should suffice.
Grooming equipment for Longhair: slicker brush, Wire and bristle brush, wide-toothed comb, fine-toothed comb, toothbrush for cleaning face, and cotton buds
If, despite your best efforts, you do come across badly matted hair, hold the fur with one hand and try to tease out the mat with the other. Never cut it off with scissors – it is all too easy to “tent” the cat’s pliable skin and cut it. If you can’t free the knot easily, consult a vet.
Picture 1: Cat having powder tipped into its coat
1 Once a week, as a preliminary step, powder the entire coat in sections, using either a proprietary grooming powder or a mixture of corn powder and talcum powder. This adds body and separates the coat hairs.
Picture 2: cat having powder rubbed through its coat
2 Using your hands, distribute the powder evenly into the coat, making sure that no section is more heavily powdered than another. Most cats love what they perceive as an unsolicited, all-over body massage!
3 With a pure bristle brush (which doesn’t cause static or break hairs) use a “brushing up” action to lift the fur and to begin the process of removing debris and dead hair.
Picture 4: cat having its fur brushed up and down all over its body
4 When you are satisfied that all the fur has been thoroughly lifted, change actions and brush down and up, all over the body, including the tail and the cat’s underside.
Picture 5: cat being groomed with a fine tooth comb
5 Change to a fine-toothed comb to tease out any snarls and tangles.
6 Depending on your preference, you may consider gently plucking out the hair growing at the tips of the ears to give them a more rounded appearance, but this is not essential.
Picture 7: cat having its facial combed with a red tooth brush
7 As a tidy finishing touch, use a toothbrush to make the ruff stand out and to brush around the face, down the front and down the legs. Be careful not to go too close to the eyes.
Washing (read more)
Grooming Equipment: soft cloth, cotton buds, soft bristle brush, fine-toothed comb and rubber brushShorthaired cats posses less exuberant upholstery than Longhairs, and are better at self-cleaning, so they need grooming only twice a week.
Picture 1: Cat having its fur combed with a metal tooth comb1. With a fine-toothed metal comb, work down the cat from its head to its tail. As you comb, look for black, shiny specks – a sign of fleas.
Picture 2: Cat being brushed with a red brush2. Use a rubber brush to brush along the lie of the hair. If your cat is Rex-coated, this brush is essential as it won’t scratch the skin.
Picture 3: cat having conditioner rubbed into its fur3. After brushing and combing, rub in some bay run conditioner. This removes grease from the coat and brings out the brilliance of its colour.
Picture 4: Cat being rubbed with a chamois leather cloth4. Finally, to bring up the glossy quality of a shorthaired cat’s coat, “polish” it with a piece of silk or velvet, or a chamois leather cloth.
GROOMING A LONGHAIR
Daily grooming really is essential for longhairs. Without it, balls of matted hair can form in the coat which gradually build up in size until the only solution is for the veterinarian to remove them. Two grooming sessions a day, of fifteen to thirty minutes each, should suffice.
Grooming equipment for Longhair: slicker brush, Wire and bristle brush, wide-toothed comb, fine-toothed comb, toothbrush for cleaning face, and cotton buds
If, despite your best efforts, you do come across badly matted hair, hold the fur with one hand and try to tease out the mat with the other. Never cut it off with scissors – it is all too easy to “tent” the cat’s pliable skin and cut it. If you can’t free the knot easily, consult a vet.
Picture 1: Cat having powder tipped into its coat1 Once a week, as a preliminary step, powder the entire coat in sections, using either a proprietary grooming powder or a mixture of corn powder and talcum powder. This adds body and separates the coat hairs.
Picture 2: cat having powder rubbed through its coat2 Using your hands, distribute the powder evenly into the coat, making sure that no section is more heavily powdered than another. Most cats love what they perceive as an unsolicited, all-over body massage!
3 With a pure bristle brush (which doesn’t cause static or break hairs) use a “brushing up” action to lift the fur and to begin the process of removing debris and dead hair.
Picture 4: cat having its fur brushed up and down all over its body4 When you are satisfied that all the fur has been thoroughly lifted, change actions and brush down and up, all over the body, including the tail and the cat’s underside.
Picture 5: cat being groomed with a fine tooth comb5 Change to a fine-toothed comb to tease out any snarls and tangles.
6 Depending on your preference, you may consider gently plucking out the hair growing at the tips of the ears to give them a more rounded appearance, but this is not essential.
Picture 7: cat having its facial combed with a red tooth brush7 As a tidy finishing touch, use a toothbrush to make the ruff stand out and to brush around the face, down the front and down the legs. Be careful not to go too close to the eyes.
Washing (read more)
