5 Best Tips for Grooming Cats at Home

A clean cat is happy, but some cats do not like being groomed. From nail trimming to bathing, grooming cats at home goes a long way. The main hurdle is to familiarize your cat with the grooming process, and for that, we got your back.

We will enlist the main tips that will help you achieve your target. Before we go into the main topic, it’s important to know why cats need grooming.

Reasons for Cat Grooming:

• It strengthens the base of your cat’s fur to shield the coat.
• It softens up the fur to improve insulation.
• Grooming will help you keep a constant check on your cat’s health as a cat owner.
• The cat cannot clean all of itself; grooming helps you clean the body parts your cat cannot reach.
• You can check your cat’s nails and trim them if they are big.

1. Start Grooming from Young Age

My friend had Shih Tzu puppies. I learned the process of grooming a cat at home by seeing the bond between my uncle and his puppies. It is a detailed process that requires a lot of attention and care from a young age.

If you compare, kittens are more accepting than cats. The reason is that the mother cats groom their children from a young age, so it feels natural. Training your cat from an early age will get your cat used to grooming, and your cat won’t resist it.

However, it doesn’t mean that you can’t groom your cat later. Yes, you heard it right; you can groom your cat later by handling them with care. The process requires patience and some protection to save yourself from some scratches.

You may have heard the phrase, “slow and steady wins the race”. The phrase falls perfectly in line with the grooming of a cat. As a cat owner, you need to train your cat with the grooming process slowly.

2. Bath them at Suitable Hours

Giving a bath to your cat is conditional on whether your cat loves to stay outside or inside the house. There is no need for a bath if your cat is homesick and loves to spend time with you indoors.

Cats are very sensitive so fill the bathtub with water and very slowly and carefully place your cat in it. Please wait for your cat to settle down before pouring water on its body. Wash your cat’s body with a medicated shampoo that is suitable for its fur. After that, pour water so that no shampoo residue is left behind.

Once you take your cat out of the bathtub and dry its body with a soft towel, please keep your cat in a room where the temperature is moderate.

Moreover, some cats are reluctant to go near the water, so make sure you have a dry shampoo bath. One more thing to keep in mind is choosing a time when your cat is in a good mood.

3. Reward Your Cat While Grooming

The initial grooming phase is the main one as the cat tends to resist early in the process. We advise you to reward your cat by giving it some cuddles and treats through that phase to overcome it.

The benefit you will get from rewarding is that your cat will understand that grooming is not always unpleasant, and before you know it, your cat will start listening to what you say.

Before starting the grooming process, gather some stock of different treats for your cat. It will help you train your cat and reduce its discomfort.

Moreover, check for how your cat reacts to the grooming process. If your cat is comfortable with it, you don’t need to have treats, but use the treats if your cat is reluctant. Take the process slow, one step at a time.

4. Clip the Claws Regularly

Cats differ based on their breed, nature, sizes, etc. Some cats like to scratch their nails against walls or the barks of trees to keep their nails short. On the other hand, some cats like to stay at home and are not scratchers, making their nails longer in size. The long nails can catch on something and cause injury to the cats.

To avoid your non-scratcher kitty from injury, regularly cut its nails. If the cat is reluctant to be touched by the cat owner or another person, then get your cat used to you holding its paws for some weeks.

Once it gets used to the feeling, hold its paws gently and cut down the nails with a cat nail trimmer. Make sure that you don’t cut them too much, so the pink part starts to show. Moreover, cut them slowly to avoid any discomfort for your cat.

5. Maintain Oral Hygiene and Avoid Mites

A cat looks more beautiful when its teeth are white. For this, you have to take care of their oral hygiene. To keep your cat’s teeth white, brush your cat’s teeth daily with a medicated toothbrush advised by the vet or with cotton swabs.

Moreover, if your cat has sensitive teeth or has swollen gums, you should visit the vet and get your cat properly checked.

When you give a bath to your cat, inspect the ears of your cat or ear canals to check for any redness or infection. Get a cat ear cleanser and follow the instructions if the cat’s ears need cleaning. Remove all the residue with cotton and avoid using Q-tips as they can cause damage to the ear.

Takeaway – 5 Best Tips for Grooming Cats at Home

Cats are beautiful pets and are very sensitive. As a cat owner, you need to take care of your cat to ensure that it is in good health. The tips we mentioned above will help you ensure that your cat enjoys a healthy and organized life.

Grooming your cat at home will help you know more about your cat and develop a special bond with it. This is it for today’s topic. Let us know about your valuable feedback in the comments.