Daily Cleaning

Just because cats spend a lot of time washing themselves doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t worry about their hygiene. Baths, brushing and nail cutting should be part of the care we give them.

Even though long-haired cats need more care taken of them, such as daily brushing, all cats need their owners help to look after their fur, especially when they are moulting! The reasons are simple: our houses and flats are overheated compared to what they need and so they lose more hair than they would if they were wild. They can’t find the herbs they need to eat that will make them vomit when whey have swallowed too much fur. And finally, they don’t use their claws as much as they would in the wild.

Daily care

- Brushing: the minimum is once a week for a short-haired cat outside the moulting season (every two days, with a special cat brush, whilst they are moulting). But if you have a long-haired cat, you can’t escape daily brushing with a cat brush. Your cat’s health is at stake – if you don’t brush him he could swallow so much hair that it obstructs his digestive tract. In addition, the brushing stimulate his circulation and helps the regrowth of his beautiful fur.

- Clipping claws: If a cat lives indoors and doesn’t wear their claws down, it may be necessary to clip claws on the front paws. Hold the cat firmly against you (you may need some help!), take a paw, gently pressing on the knuckles to push the claws out one by one and cut only the translucent part with a claw cutter which you should be able to get from the vets or a pet shop. It is painless to the cat but if you really can’t do it, don’t get scratched, get your vet to do it or get them to show you how.

- Washing and shampooing: cats can need bathing for a variety of reasons, perhaps before a cat show, because of a skin disease, he may have rubbed against a freshly painted wall or been somewhere smelly. Start by brushing out the hair to detangle it. If his eyes need washing, clean them with a piece of gauze soaked in saline solution or veterinary eye wash. When the basin or sink is partly filled with warm water, put your cat in and wet him gently with a glove, taking care not to get water on his head. Wash him with a special cat shampoo (no other product is suitable) and rinse him thoroughly before drying with a towel. Give him one last brush and he is ready!