Grooming a Semi Long Haired Cat
GROOMING A SEMI LONG HAIRED CAT
WHY GROOM?
Most cats do an excellent job of looking after their own coats and
keep them clean by self-grooming. Those with longer coats however
can benefit from regular grooming to keep their coats free from
knots and mats and to remove dead hair and sometimes dandruff
and parasites. It should be a time when the owner and the cat can
forge close bonds.
If the experience
is to be an enjoyable one for both the owner
and the cat will help if the cat
has been used to being handled
and groomed from a
very young age and allow itself stroked,
brushed and combed all over its body.
This may be carried out
before a meal so the meal can become the reward for good
behaviour.
Using the right combs and
brushes is important and also having a
table at the right height and a rubber
mat (a bath mat is ideal)
on which to stand the cat. Cats that have longer fur
need rather
more attention than the shorthaired breeds so any grooming tools
used need to tease out any knots and remove dead hair without distressing
the
cat.
A grooming session should
include a check on the teeth for tartar build-up and the gums for any sign of
soreness that will need
veterinary treatment. The eyes should be checked that
they are
clear, bright and free from any discharge and the ears checked
for any
wax or a dark coloured exudates indicating possible ear-mite infestation. Claws
may need
clipping ensuring that you do not clip into
the 'quick'.
Bathing should not be
necessary for most cats unless they have an accident and become really soiled.
It is only carried out regularly
on show cats whose coat is expected to be in
'pristine' condition.