How to Groom a Cat

Grooming is a part of pet care often associated with dogs—but did you know grooming is important for cats, too? Cats may be known as fastidious cleaners, but that doesn’t mean they can’t use a little help in the grooming department every so often.

It may be time to make grooming a regular part of your cat-care routine. Read on to learn all about grooming cats, why, and how to do it.

• Why Groom Your Cat?
• How Often Should You Groom Your Cat?
• Cat Grooming Guide
• Final Notes

Benefits of Grooming: Why Groom Your Cat?

There are many reasons to make grooming a regular part of your cat care routine. In fact, grooming can be a net positive for both you and your kitty. Regularly grooming a cat has all kinds of benefits like:

• Help with shedding: If your cat’s a heavy shedder, grooming can help get rid of extra hair in a more contained manner, rather than leaving it all over your couch cushions.
• Cleaning and detangling: Depending on your cat’s coat and the amount of time they spend outdoors, they may get a significant amount of dirt and debris caught in their hair. Grooming gives you the opportunity to brush this gunk out. For cats with longer hair, it’s also a chance to detangle and reduce the likelihood of knots or matting.
• Better coat health: Regular brushing helps distribute your cat’s natural oils throughout its fur, resulting in a gorgeous, shiny coat. It also stimulates the production of natural, protective oils, keeping hair hydrated and healthy.
• Regular health checks: Grooming is the perfect time to inspect your cat for any skin irregularities, lumps, or other abnormalities that may need to be addressed by a vet. It can also help you quickly check for fleas and ticks and other creepy crawlers.
• Reducing hairballs: The more deshedding you can do via grooming, the less hair your cat will ingest. That means fewer messy hairballs to clean up.
• Bonding: At the end of the day, grooming is also a bonding experience for you and your cat. Cats use grooming as a way to bond with one another; grooming your cat may show them the same affection and comfort.

How Often Should You Groom Your Cat?

Regular grooming is great—but what exactly does “regular” mean? Optimal grooming frequency for your kitty can vary greatly depending on a range of different factors, including:

• Coat length: Medium and long-haired cats are much more prone to tangles, capturing dirt and debris in their coats, and other common coat concerns. They should be groomed daily, whereas shorthaired cats do well with a weekly grooming.
• Health: Most young, healthy cats do a good job of grooming themselves, but older cats or cats with mobility issues may need a little extra help. If your cat has limitations, you may need to groom them more often.
• Season: Cats shed their coats twice a year: once in spring and once in fall. You may need to increase grooming frequency during these seasons.
• Time spent outdoors: Cats who spend significant amounts of time outdoors may end up with more dirt and debris trapped in their coats. They are also more likely to catch fleas, ticks, and other parasites. Groom them more frequently to keep their coats clean and regularly check for pests.

Cat Grooming Guide

Ready to get grooming? No need to take your cat to a fancy pet salon. All the grooming your cat needs can be done from the comfort of your home. Read on to learn our top cat grooming tips.

Bathing

First thing’s first: it’s unlikely that bathing should be a part of your regular cat grooming routine. Most cats hate water and bathing can be a traumatic experience for both of you. In most cases, cats only need to be bathed in very specific circumstances. On the off chance that your cat soils themself or if something spills on your cat that could be dangerous for them to lick off, it may be time to bathe your cat.

If you do need to bathe your cat, use these tips for the smoothest possible experience:¹

• Cut your cat’s nails prior to bathing. This can help prevent any nasty scratches in the event that they try to escape.
• Two is better than one. Enlist a helper to hold your cat while you bathe them.
• Use lukewarm water—not cold and not hot. Fill the bath about 3-4 inches.
• Don’t turn the overhead shower on. If you have a detachable shower head, use it to wet your cat from the neck down. If not, use a cup to gently pour water over your cat’s body.
• Never pour water on your cat’s face. Instead, wet a washcloth and wipe their face gently.
• Use a shampoo and conditioner for cats, not products for humans.
• Do as much towel drying as possible to reduce your cat’s discomfort after the bath. If your cat allows it, a blowdryer on low can speed up the drying time.
• Follow with treats. Bathing may be a traumatic experience for your cat. Reward them for their patience and bravery.

Skin & Hair

The bulk of time spent grooming your cat will be spent on caring for their hair and skin. Brushing your cat is an opportunity to get rid of extra hair, dirt, and debris, and to check on their skin health. Follow these tips to take the best possible care of their hair.

• Always brush your cat’s hair dry, never wet.
• If your cat is shedding a lot, look for a deshedding brush or comb to help remove loose hair.
• Brush hair in the direction that it grows, working one section at a time.
• For tricky knots, sprinkle a bit of talcum powder and work slowly.
• As you brush, feel around your cat’s body for any abnormal lumps, bumps, or mats. Give their skin a good once-over as well for signs of parasites or wounds.

If you do spot signs of wounds or parasites, it may be time to speak to a vet. They can advise on how to help wounds heal and how to manage parasitic infestations.

Nails & Paws

Healthy paws and strong nails are central to your cat’s health and happiness. They help your cat run, climb, jump, and occasionally shred your couch. Cat grooming calls for a kitty pedicure every once in a while. Here are our best tips for caring for your cat’s paws:

• Regularly check your cats’ paws for cuts, wounds, splinters or sore spots.
• Trim your cat’s nails with a pet nail trimmer, taking care to avoid cutting the quick. If you’re unsure where their nail quick is, cut off just a small amount at a time.
• If your cat is uncomfortable with getting their nails trimmed, trim a few nails at a time and then give them a break. You may need to spread this process out over a few days.

Most importantly, never declaw your cat. The surgery requires amputation of the end of their toes and can leave your cat’s feet sensitive and in pain. If your cat hates getting their nails trimmed, talk to your vet or a professional groomer.

Ears

Your cat’s ears are fairly low maintenance and likely only need attention if they show signs of irritation or a lot of wax build-up. If you suspect your cat is experiencing a lot of discomfort in their ears, talk to your vet before jumping into ear cleaning—and never use a q-tip in your cat’s ears. Your vet can advise on what’s causing the irritation and the type of ear cleaning solution your cat may need.

Teeth

Regular at-home teeth cleaning is an important part of your cat’s grooming routine. While this doesn’t replace all feline dental care, it can minimize dental issues and keep your cat’s teeth and gums healthy. To care for your cat’s teeth, follow these cat grooming tips:

• Pay attention to your cat’s breath. Extremely stinky breath can be a sign of dental issues as well as some more serious conditions like stomatitis..
• Regularly check on your cat’s gums for signs of inflammation. If you notice inflammation, talk to your vet.
• Only brush your cat’s teeth with dental care products for cats—never human.
• Keep up dental cleanliness with treats designed to freshen breath and clean teeth.

Eyes

Just like humans, cats’ eyes can get gunky and crusty from time to time. Crusts can be gently wiped away with a clean cloth or a damp bottom ball. But if you notice a sudden increase in gunk, inflammation, or other changes in your cat’s eyes, it’s probably time to see a vet.

Final Notes

Grooming isn’t just for dogs. It’s a key component of your cat’s regular care routine. Not only can it help keep them happy, but it can improve your life, too. Less pet hair on your clothing, fewer hairballs—it’s a win-win!

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