Cat Grooming

Should I Bathe My Cat?

For the majority of breeds of cats, just very limited bathing is needed. Keeping up with regular brushing and letting the cat take care of the majority of his or her grooming needs will be sufficient. There might be situations where they have gotten into something that’s caused them to get dirty, if there’s matting in their fur, or if there’s a medical condition, it might require bathing. Then, of course, jump in. Otherwise, nature usually does best and minimal bathing is required. However, if you’re like me and have a breed of cat that requires more of what they consider high maintenance, for instance, I have a Persian at home, and he does require a scheduled grooming service. So you’ll see things like going in for a maintenance groom where he gets a thorough brush. I try my best to do daily brushing at home. About once a year, he’ll go in and get bathing, brush out, and trim, and they’ll shave out any mats and clean up the potty patch area so that there’s no poop or any areas where litter can get stuck. Whether this is your aesthetic preference or if your cat needs it due to a lot of matting, you will see longhaired cats get what they call a lion cut. So they’ll do trimming, usually leaving hair around the face and little boots around the feet. This is something to keep in mind as well. So if you are on the fence about deciding if you want a shorthaired cat or a longhaired one, keep in mind that those longhaired varieties will require more maintenance on your end than a shorthaired cat, which has an easier brushing routine than those longhaired friends.

How Do Cats Groom Themselves?

They will lick themselves. They have a little rough tongue that they’ll use to lick their fur and clean off any debris, and if you have multiple cats, I’m sure you’ve seen them grooming each other. This is one way that they help keep themselves clean. At times, you might see them licking their paws and wiping their face. That is primarily their routine for their self-hygiene maintenance.

What Does Cat Grooming At A Salon Entail?

I will throw this out there: I am not a groomer. I just know my knowledge from when I come and pick up my cat from his grooming appointment. But I know they do a thorough brushing, usually with a detangler product, and then they will do a bathing, blow dry, and shave. Your preference and the condition of the coat determine how much shaving is involved. Oftentimes, they’ll recommend doing an ear cleaning and trimming of the paw pads. Some places will do brushing for you or have some dental gel that they’ll put on for a little added bonus for their grooming. I encourage you to call your cat groomer to see what their procedure is, but that’s the gist of what to expect. I know there’s probably a lot more out there that I am not a pro on, so I will gladly help steer you toward reputable cat groomers if needed.