It’s spring time, which means shedding, lots of shedding. And shedding means brushing. So this weekend all the girls got thoroughly brushed and I ended up with a rather massive ball of cat hair (which is good – it’s a massive ball of cat hair that isn’t on my couch or clothes.)

My three cats are indoor cats, but I’ve been taking them outside for some supervised romps in the back yard, for fresh air and exercise, which they absolutely love. I herd them around the yard and keep them from wandering off the property, and they run, play, explore and exercise their catness.

Normally I throw my mats of cat hair into the compost bin, but in discussing ways to be eco friendly cat owners, Ingrid of Conscious Cat suggested letting the cat hair fly free for the bird to use in nests. What a great idea! So this is what I decided to do.

I took the girls outside and pulled little tufts of hair off the ball and let them loose in the wind. Well, I’m sure the birds will enjoy them eventually, but the cats got an immediate serendipitous treat. Little bits of cat hair, flying around in the wind make for fabulous hunting and chasing.

I stood up-wind of the cats and let a few bits go every time there was a good strong breeze. The cats chased the fast moving pieces, and got in some really good stalking and pouncing of the ones stuck on grasses or just vibrating on the ground. It was great fun for everyone and the cats got a great workout. They all play well with their toys in the house, but there’s nothing quite as exciting as something that moves and flies around on its own. We must have spent an hour out there enjoying the wind and the fruits of our grooming session.

If you have a windy day, a ball of cat hair and an enclosed yard (or a cat you know won’t go wandering) I highly recommend partaking in this fun activity.

Giving a cat a bath. Thankfully mostly unnecessary, the very idea evokes images of angry, bedraggled cats; soaking wet, bleeding humans and shredded shower curtains. But, this occasional task doesn’t have to be scary or painful.

Before you give a cat a bath, first make sure they need it. Generally cats do an excellent job of keeping themselves clean and don’t need to be bathed (in the 12 or more years we’ve had the family cats, most have only needed to be bathed once.) However, if your cat has stopped grooming and is looking excessively dirty or oily, has excess poop or urine on their bottom, is unable to reach certain areas to groom properly, or has gotten into a substance that should not be licked off, then it might be time to consider a bath.

Before bathing it is important to brush your cat thoroughly and remove any knots or mats in their coat. These will be much harder to remove after they have been wet, and wetting may actually tighten them. Clipping claws prior to bath time is also recommended.

What you’ll need

Get your supplies together and get prepped before you even bring the cat into the picture. I recommend the following equipment for a safe and happy bath experience:

• 2 medium-sized containers, at least one that is shallow (empty litter pans work well)
• 1 small container for scooping water (a small bowl or large mug, something non-breakable)
• 3-4 bath towels
• 1 face cloth
• cat-appropriate shampoo
• space heater (optional)
• blow drier (optional)

Once you’ve gathered your supplies, you can start your prep.

Before you bring in the cat

If you have a shower curtain, either remove it or tie it back securely. You don’t want your cat climbing it. Put on clothes you don’t mind getting dirty and wet, and remove items from around the tub.

If your bathroom is cold, turn up the heat or plug in the space heater as far away from the tub as possible. The room should be warm so that your cat does not get chilled as she dries.

Place the two medium containers in the bottom of your bathtub and fill with warm (not hot) water. Place your water scoop with your water. We don’t want to run any water while the cat is in the room if it can be avoided, as the sound can be very stressful, so give yourself enough water for the initial wetting and rinsing.

Tie a bath towel to your faucet or grab bars, with the end trailing into the tub. If this doesn’t work, fold the towel and lay it in the bottom of the tub next to your water containers.  The goal here is to give your cat something that they can get traction on and grab on to. The towel will get wet – that’s okay.

Place your dry towels within reach (have one unfolded and ready to go) and put the face cloth and shampoo on the edge of the tub.

Now it’s bath time

Speaking soothingly, place your cat on the towel in the tub, next to the containers of water. Using the scoop gently pour the warm water over your cat, wetting down any areas that need to be washed. If your cat just has a dirty bottom but is otherwise clean, there’s no need to soak her from head to toe. If the whole cat does need washing, wet her from the neck down, but avoid pouring water over her face or into her ears. If your cat is calm, hold her under the ribcage, with your thumb, pinkie and ring finger behind the front legs and your index and middle finger on the breastbone. If she is anxious or trying to get out of the tub, you might find it easier to gently hold her by the scruff.

Once she is wet to the skin, pour a small amount of shampoo onto the area that needs washing and gently massage into the fur. Wash around the anus and genitals but avoid getting shampoo onto the sensitive tissues in these areas.

Rinse the shampoo off using your water scoop. If you are having difficulty getting all the shampoo off, or if your cat has difficult-to-remove dirt stuck to her coat, such as clumps of poop and litter, gently place her in your shallow pan of clean water and submerge the areas that need a more thorough washing. Use the wash cloth to gently pull off clumps or to work out stickier dirty. After removing the majority of the shampoo and dirt, move your cat back onto the towel in the bottom of the tub and scoop water from the other container to rinse off any residue left over. We want to remove all of the shampoo.

Lift your cat out of the tub and place her onto the unfolded towel. Loosely wrap her and towel her dry. This towel will probably become soaked pretty quickly. Discard it and grab your other dry towel and continue to remove as much water as possible from her coat.

You can attempt to blow dry her at this stage but please proceed with caution. Use the blow drier with no heat or on the lowest heat setting to avoid burns, and hold the drier at least 30cm away from your cat’s skin. If she finds the noise of the blow drier too distressing, just let her dry naturally.

Keep her in the warm bathroom until she is completely dry. She may prefer to stay wrapped in the towel or she may want to groom herself. Supervise and ensure she does not get chilled. If she has long hair separating the coat with a comb can help speed drying.

Once your cat is  dry and has vacated the bathroom do your clean up, change into some dry clothes and you’re done. If all went well your cat is clean and you are free of injuries.

I regularly use this method to bathe cats at the Humane Society and haven’t received a single injury during bath time.

All cats can benefit from regular grooming. Regular grooming benefits their physical health though removal of excess hair which they would otherwise swallow, distribution of natural oils through their coat, maintenance of claws and stimulation of their skin. It’s also a good opportunity to interact and socialize with your cat and to do a head to tail check of their bodies for any changes which might indicate injury, disease or parasites.

To make grooming a positive experience for both you and your cat, choosing the right tools is essential. What works well for one cat might not work well for another. Likewise, you may be more comfortable using certain tools. In this entry we’ll go over the available options out there & the benefits.

Coat & Skin

There are a wide variety of tools for grooming your cat’s coat. The texture, density, health and quality of her coat and skin will have a big impact on which tools work best.

1. Metal slicker brush – This is one of the most basic grooming tools and one that you are probably most familiar with. The closely set, hooked metal bristles do a good job of removing loose hair from both short and long haired cats. This type of brush also works well on separating mats that have been loosened up with your fingers or other tools. The sharp bristles can easily irritate skin, so don’t over brush.

2. Plastic slicker brush – These are configured in the same way as a metal slicker brush, but have straight, firm plastic bristles which are spaced out wider than on the metal counterpart. I’m not a fan of plastic slicker brushes, as I’ve found the size of the bristles makes it difficult to effectively work into the coat, and the straightness of the bristles makes it less effective than the metal slicker brush. This might be a useful option if your cat finds a metal slicker brush to hard on his skin.

3. Shedding blade – This is a great tool for lifting off loose hair from short-hair cats, particularly ones with dense coats that shed a lot. It’s particularly helpful for short haired cats who don’t do a great job of grooming themselves because of weight issues or stress. Loose hair will collect around the base of the tail with this tool, so it helps to follow up with the slicker brush to smooth things out and remove hair that you can’t lift away with you fingers.

4. Massaging mitt – This is a nice tool for cats that may not be crazy about being brushed but that enjoy being petted. The soft, rubbery nubs gently remove loose hair and massage the skin without scraping. This is best for short haired cats. Because the backside of the grooming surface is in contact with the palm of your hand, it’s easily to pick up small signals of discomfort from your cat and respond accordingly.

5. Massaging brush – One of my favourite tools, the large, rubbery nubs work best on cats with short or coarse hair, that do not have a very dense undercoat. Since the tool is soft, it can be use fairly firmly and feels pleasant on the skin and muscles. This tool is best used in conjunction with a slicker brush or deshedding tool – while it does a great job of moving loose hair, it doesn’t always stick to the nubs very well, and may collect around the hips. This is also a really good choice for cats that generally prefer not to be brushed. I’ve found that many cats that dislike other brushes are fine with this type.

6. Deshedding tool – This is an excellent brush for cats with a dense undercoat. The closely set tines remove an amazing amount of hair, but be careful of over brushing. It doesn’t do such a great job on cats with a sparser (or no) undercoat, and doesn’t grab on to the coarser hairs of the upper coat. The fine tines may have a hard time with an undercoat that is matted or hasn’t been brushed recently.

7. Rake – Much like the deshedding tool, this works best on a dense undercoat. The short, widely spaced tines are easy to work deep into the coat and does a great job of removing hairs which have loosened but are stuck in the undercoat. This is one of my favourite tools for grooming long haired cats.

    

    

8. Comb – Very similar to a rake, except that the tines are held at a different angle. A comb is ideal for tails, cheeks and chest ruffs on long haired cats. The comb is also great for working through loose mats, though always be careful about pulling at the skin.

    

    

9. De-matter – This tool has short sharp blades with blunt tips. It can be worked into a stubborn mat to cut it apart and make it easier for the mat to be separated. It’s a great tool, especially for long hair cats who are prone to matting. Use with caution though – even the blunt tips on the blades can cause injury, and the mat should be held firmly at the base to prevent pulling and skin irritation.

10. Chamois – “Hairless” cats should be rubbed down regularly with a chamois to ensure skin oils are properly distributed and are present in the right amounts.

     

     

     

Claws

When trimming claws always make sure your tools are in good condition and that blades are very sharp, to prevent splintering and damage to the claws. Dull tools can cause pain and discomfort and may make your cat wary of having her claws trimmed.

1. Scissor trimmers – Small and easy to manoeuvre, these are my favourite tool for trimming claws. Because they open fully they provide great visibility, which is ever so important to ensure you don’t cut into the quick. Their small size also makes them easy to handle. Lefties might have a hard time finding this style of clipper.

    

2. Guillotine trimmers -A bit bulkier than the scissor style, these do have the advantage of being good for both lefties and righties. Because the cats claw needs to fit through the loop it can be a little more awkward to position properly and the metal loop can obstruct your view. The wide spread between the handles can be a bit awkward if you have small hands.

3. Nail clippers – With no notch in the blade to hold the claw in place be careful of slippage.

    

    

    

    

    

Teeth

It’s easy to overlook regular oral care for your cat, but overall immune health is greatly impacted by the quality of the mouth.

1. Enzymatic toothpaste – Toothpastes made specifically for cats are fine to be swallowed and contain enzymes to help break down plaque and keep the mouth clean. They usually come in appealing flavours such as malt, beef or salmon. Never use toothpaste intended for humans on your cat – it is not meant to be swallowed and may be toxic to your to your cat.

    

2. Standard brush – A tiny version of your own toothbrush. I prefer this over the finger brush, as its small head fits in the cats mouth more easily. The small size also makes it easier to see what you are doing. If you need both hands to hold your cat managing this brush might be a bit of a challenge, so if you use this style of brush and have a difficult cat you might want to have someone assist you.

    

3. Finger brush – A rubbery cap with nubs that fits over the tip of your finger. Not as easy to use as the standard brush, but it does free up the rest of your fingers on that hand to hold the cat’s head or lift the lips.

    

In another post we’ll go over grooming techniques to ensure a comfortable experience for you and your cat.

Product images from amazon.com