We collect the arsenal of a home hairdresser: how to comb long hair in cats. How to Train Your Cat to Brush: Vet Tips Basic Cat Brushing Tools

The coat of a cat is an indicator of its health. If she constantly sheds, looks bad, then you need to change the diet and include vitamins. The coat requires special care, especially for long-haired breeds. The most common care for cats is constant combing and washing.

Cat combing

Before you start combing the wool, you can sprinkle it with talcum powder (this will simplify the procedure), after using a metal brush or a comb with the rarest teeth, draw along the growth line of the hairs. And then you can use a comb with thick teeth and remove tangled knots (especially scrupulously in the neck and tail). If there are a lot of tangled lumps in the cat's fur, then they must be carefully cut off with scissors. Then comb the wool with a massage brush. Sprays or conditioners can then be used to make the coat shiny.

How to comb a cat

Try to communicate with her and praise. After this procedure, reward her with delicious food. During combing, the fallen hairs are removed, and they will no longer fall into the ventricle.

For hair care when combing you will need:

• comb with rare teeth;
• comb or rubber brush;
• combs with rare teeth;
• flea combs.

Bathing cats

Bathing instructions:

1. Excessive smearing of wool, whether it be artificial or natural substances.
2. The presence of fleas.
3. Preventive measures.

Swimming restrictions:

1. Bathing a sick animal is definitely contraindicated, as it is exposed to even more infections.
2. It is not recommended to bathe a cat with a full belly. The period from eating to bathing must be 3 hours.
3. Do not make stressful situations for your pet.
4. Do not submerge your animal upside down in the water.
5. Remember, if the cat has a long coat, then before bathing it should be carefully combed out.
6. As mentioned above, you should not be zealous with frequent bathing.

How to wash a cat?

Bathing cats

The best place to bathe is in the kitchen sink, as it fits your height comfortably. The surface of the sink must be strengthened, for this, use a rubber mat so that the cat stands confidently on its paws. Take a little water, so that only it touches the tummy. The water should be up to 38 degrees. Gradually lower the cat into the water and slowly moisten it. Wash with shampoo, then rinse thoroughly with water. Then wrap the cat in a large towel, preferably a terry towel, and hold it in your arms for 30 minutes. If she is not afraid of a hair dryer, then you can use it and dry the coat.

Do you adore your furry pet, but are you tired of constantly collecting his fur all over the apartment? Solving the problem is simple: you just need to comb the cat! But how to do this if the animal is afraid of the scallop? Olesya Ratushnaya will tell! Learn useful tips from a veterinarian on how to teach a cat to comb in our material.

Cat hair, like our hair, needs daily care. And one of these procedures is combing. If you are the owner of a short-haired pet, you need to bring his fur in order two to three times a week. If the cat has a very long and thick coat, then the procedure will have to be repeated every day.

The most versatile choice for combing animals is the slicker brush. This is a comb or brush with which you can comb out both long-haired and short-haired pets. Furminator is very effective in the fight against tangles.

If your pet is not very fluffy or reacts extremely negatively to the comb, then try special gloves with cloves. First, we run the fur of the cat with a wet hand - then the wool will not scatter. And then we stroke it with a gloved hand, combing it out at the same time.

Council number 1. Brushing the cat while feeding

Brush your cat and feed him his favorite treat at the same time. So the procedure for the cat will be associated with something pleasant and tasty.

Council number 2. Brushing the cat while playing

Try brushing the cat while playing with it. So he will have an association: combing - positive emotions.

Council number 3. Combing a cat with catnip

Put your pet's combs and brushes in a bag of catnip: a pleasant smell will attract the cat's attention. Such a trick will help to calm down even a very obstinate cat.

Correctly comb cats only according to the growth of wool, so as not to damage

undercoat and not hurt the animal. I also advise you to use a special spray to untangle the fur. It will greatly facilitate the procedure and allow it to be carried out less often. It can be purchased at a veterinary pharmacy, or you can prepare it at home.

There are two wonderful recipes based on a decoction of herbs. But, unfortunately, such sprays are not suitable for cats with white hair, because they can leave a shade on it.

Recipe 1: we make a decoction of herbs (chamomile, nettle and burdock root) and add lemon juice to it: for 200 ml of decoction of herbs - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of lemon juice.

Recipe 2: make a decoction of herbs (chamomile, nettle and burdock root) and add glycerin or apricot oil: for 200 ml of decoction of herbs - 1 tbsp. a spoonful of glycerin or oil.

Last tips:

Brush your furry pets only when they are in a good mood.
Carry out the procedure gently and carefully.
It is not recommended to use your own combs: hard teeth can scratch your pet's skin.

How many furry owners know how to properly comb a cat? And this procedure is one of the most basic in the care of animals. Combing helps the pet get rid of excess hair in a natural way, and its owner gets rid of cat hairs throughout the apartment. How often do you need to comb a cat, how to do it at home and what to do if the animal is not given?

Combing: why is it important

Combing is an important and healthy procedure for a pet. Firstly, it allows the owner to once again examine the skin of the animal for any problems (beginning disease, ticks, fleas). Secondly, combing wool helps prevent stomach problems: when an animal washes itself, licking itself, it swallows a huge amount of falling hairs. In the stomach of the animal, all swallowed wool rolls into lumps and can provoke illness. So, many owners may notice that their animal has become lethargic, passive during molting, perhaps it has begun to vomit. These are the consequences of poor grooming. That's why it's so important to brush your cat's fur. Well, the plus for the owner is that after spending several minutes combing the cat, he may not suffer from hairballs and hairs flying around the apartment.

Varieties of cat hair

Cats vary in length and thickness of coat. Their care and how many times they need to be combed depend on these distinctive features.

Short-haired cats (breeds: Siamese, Rex and others) practically do not need to care for their coat. If you are thinking about how to comb a short-haired cat, then it would be right to give preference to a mitten.

Long-haired (Persians, Angoras, etc.) need daily care, otherwise the hairs can stray into tangles. Therefore, they need to be brushed frequently.

Semi-longhaired (Munchkin, Bobtail) also need frequent brushing.

Sphynxes are cats that are practically devoid of hair. Combing them is not necessary, but skin care is necessary.

Also, cats may or may not have an undercoat. Cats with an undercoat require more frequent and thorough brushing.

Rules for combing a cat

How often (how many times a week) should you brush your pet? It is believed that short-haired and smooth-haired breeds can be combed once a week, but long-haired and fluffy ones will have to be combed with a furminator daily so that tangles do not form.

To comb a cat properly at home, you must follow the following recommendations:

• If the cat has long hair, stroke the pet with a gloved (rubber) hand before the procedure to remove excess hair. To do this, you can use a special mitt-brush. It is convenient to comb a smooth-haired pet with such a device.
• To properly comb a pet, you need to do this first along the wool, and then against it. If the animal has formed tangles, they must be carefully combed out.
• To accustom to this procedure the animal should be from childhood. There are situations when an adult unaccustomed pet is not allowed to be combed out.
• Many owners may have a question: how to comb a cat if it is not given. The main thing in this matter is patience, start combing slowly, finish the procedure if the animal is frightened and strongly resists. After a while, the animal will get used to combing and will only enjoy it.

How long should the procedure take

The duration of combing for different cats is different. Long-haired beauties are scratched daily, tangles can form. The procedure can take up to 40 minutes.

Much less time is spent on combing a cat with short hair: about 15-20 minutes, 1-2 times a week.

How to comb a pet?

The real test for the owner begins when the animal molts, when it is necessary to comb the cat's hair and thereby help it. During this period, a short-haired cat must be combed every 3 days, fluffy - almost daily.

You can effectively remove hair by combing it against hair growth. When choosing how to comb a cat, at the initial stages, preference should be given to brushes with sparse teeth. Over time, you should gradually switch to combs with more tightly fitting teeth.

You need to finish the combing procedure in this way: moisten your hand with water and wipe the cat's skin several times (against hair growth). This is an effective way to remove the remnants of dead hair.

To accustom a kitten to combing at home should be from the first molt, which takes place at the age of 5-7 months.

Combing contraindications

Combing wool is an important and necessary procedure for health. But in some cases, the owner should abandon combing with a furminator and choose more gentle methods. So, you can not comb your pet with this device if:

• the animal has skin problems: ulcers, irritations;
• there are scratches and abrasions on the body.

You should also be careful with tangles. You need to comb them carefully so as not to hurt the pet.

It is forbidden to use a furminator for combing animals that do not have an undercoat. These breeds are: angora, sphinx, singapura, havana, burmese, oriental cat and others. Furminator is not used when combing breeds with curly hair (cornish or devon rex and others).

It is important!

• Combing should not be neglected: this procedure is a real help to your pet.
• The comb should be selected depending on the characteristics of the animal's coat.
• How many times - depends on the length and thickness of the coat of a particular pet.
• It is necessary to accustom to the procedure from a young age; at first, until the kitten gets used to it, you can do it effortlessly. You can distract and play with the animal even if it is not allowed to be combed.
• Avoid the formation of tangles. And if they do appear, get rid of them carefully and with caution.
• During combing, examine the skin of the animal: this will allow you to detect any problems in the early stages of their manifestation.

Have you noticed how hard your cat licks its fur? Pets are very clean, but even they need help sometimes. Before brushing a cat, you should know as much as possible about this procedure. After reading our tips, you will become well versed in this matter.

Why you need to brush your cat

When you start scratching a cat, you not only take care of his fur, but also get additional positive emotions from his mood. After all, it is also a useful massage for the skin, which allows it to breathe better. And also, a way to remove foreign irritants that are entangled in the animal's fur.

The most obvious benefit in this procedure for the owner himself is the well-groomed appearance of his cat, which is pleasant to look at. And of course, in the state of the apartment, because there is much less wool and dust.

How animal fur works

Do you already know what cat hair is and what it consists of? It is set up very simply:

1. Auricle: This is long cone-shaped hair. They protect the skin of the cat from injury and retain heat.
2. Undercoat: This is short and fine hair. As a rule, they serve to keep the heat in the animal's body and prevent it from freezing in the cold season. It is in the cold that there is an active growth of undercoat hair, which is also called downy.
3. Vibrissae and sensory hairs: Whiskers, eyebrows, hairs located above the upper lip - thanks to them, cats have a pronounced sense of touch, which helps to analyze the environment. Also, they are on the tail and paw pads, it is due to them that pets easily hunt for moving prey.

How to care for cat hair

You should start caring for a cat's coat from the time when he was a kitten. This is necessary so that the pet gets used to combing and does not worry, perceiving this as a form of communication with the owner.

But even an adult cat can be easily accustomed to this. Just stroke it with your hand along the entire length of the coat and strictly along the coat, in no case do not mind. And after that, you can pick up a scratcher.

How to brush a cat's fur?

There are several types of items that you can comb your pet with.

• Brushes. They are rubber and steel. Their teeth are rounded.
• Combs. Made from metal, plastic or wood. In appearance, they differ in frequent and rare parting between the teeth.
• Terry cloth can perfectly serve for laying pile on a cat's coat. If there is no fabric, you can replace it with wet suede.
• Special gloves with roughness, designed for massage.

Pick up a rare comb and start combing the cat. After that, use frequent. A brush made of bristles perfectly removes static from the pet's coat and gives the fur a shine. It is necessary to complete the combing procedure with a brush made of rubber. She perfectly collects the fallen hairs.

How to brush shorthair and longhair cats

• Shorthairs are groomed with a comb, in which the teeth are of equal length. After the procedure is completed, we no longer use a rubber brush, but use wet suede.
• Grooming long haired cats requires more time, as it takes much longer to comb them. The comb must have teeth with frequent and different heights. If you do not scratch them daily, then be prepared for the formation of tangles.

In the event that tangles have formed in the fur, immediately proceed to unravel them. Try doing this with your fingers. If not, carefully cut with scissors.

Owners who are not embarrassed by tangles in cats and they ignore them, risk the health of their ward. Indeed, in cases of felting of wool, skin diseases can occur, from which the pet will suffer greatly.

How often do they need to be brushed?

If you let your cat go outside, be sure to inspect it upon return for the presence of tangles, which may appear due to burrs clinging to wool or dried paint.

Vet Tip: If your cat is stained with paint, don't try to wash it off with solvent and don't let him lick it off. Best of all, wait. After a while, the paint on the wool will dry and you can carefully cut it off with scissors.

Proper grooming is essential for all cats. Moreover, depending on the length of the fur, the frequency of combing depends. For example, cats with long hair need to be brushed daily. But for shorthairs, once a week is enough.
In spring and autumn, during the molting period, you need to adjust the frequency as needed. Also, if the pet is sick or stressed, he loses his hair, it also needs to be combed out, help him.

Where should they be scratched?

Scratch your cat along the entire length of his body, from tail to head: chest, sides, back, tummy. For convenience, hold the cat on your lap, turning as you need.

The process of combing should be pleasant for the pet, do not suppress his will and do not scratch with force. Find a way to make this procedure evoke only positive emotions in the cat.

What to do with combed hair?

You can just throw it away. Unless, of course, you are one of those craftsmen who spin it, and then knit mittens and socks. This is a normal practice, although rare.

Almost all cat owners, except for the happy owners of sphinxes, sooner or later ask themselves the question: how to comb a cat and is this procedure really necessary for a pet?

Wool is a real barometer of a cat's health and mood. Smooth and shiny speaks of excellent health and excellent state of mind. Dull and disheveled - that the animal is sick or sad. To restore the cat to its former beauty, hygiene procedures alone are not enough. However, combing her hair with the right tools, carefully caring for her, you will help your pet cope with the malaise much faster.

In the first weeks and even months after a kitten (especially a short-haired one) has appeared in the house, few people think about the fact that it needs to be combed out. But then the inevitable comes: the baby begins to shed. The carpet in the living room, the furniture, your trousers - everything is covered with an even layer of wool. With disgust, catching another suspicious hair from a bowl of soup, you think about whether to vacuum this little bastard, and follow the work of the groomers on the TV screen with great interest.

If it is +30° outside in the shade, a short haircut can only benefit your pet. At other times of the year, you can groom his coat yourself. You just need to learn the basics and accustom the cat to such procedures.

Daily combing will help not only speed up the shedding process. This is a pleasant massage that causes the animal to purr contentedly. The coat after such a procedure becomes smooth, shiny, the cat looks healthy and well-groomed.

It is especially important to accustom a long-haired cat to a comb and brush. The tangles into which the hair deprived of care is strayed do not adorn the animal at all. This is an excellent nest for fleas, fungi, and all sorts of infections. When wet, the mat does not dry for a very long time. The skin under it becomes inflamed, reddens. In addition, there is a danger that the tangle will catch on to something and, trying to free itself, the animal will cause itself severe pain. In the future, the cat will be afraid of any touch and will avoid procedures aimed at combing or cutting off the tangle. But in order to save your pet from suffering, it is enough to regularly comb out his fur coat!

Not all animals are comfortable with the combing procedure, especially those who have already had a negative experience with the brush. Their owners do not want to expose their hands to sharp claws, they prefer to once again vacuum the floor in the apartment, leaving the animal to take care of its fur coat on its own. However, such connivance is fraught with the fact that sooner or later the cat will begin to regurgitate the swallowed hair. In case the bowels become clogged, you will have to take her to the clinic. You can, of course, offer a cat a paste that is designed to remove hair from the body that accumulates there during daily washing. But with a lot of shedding wool, it is better to deal with combs and brushes.

How and how to comb a cat from wool and undercoat during molting?

If your pet has a short coat, combing it out will not cause you any problems. Two or three procedures a week are enough to ensure that the animal does not scatter shreds of wool everywhere, looks beautiful and neat. For a cat with long hair (Persian, Angora) this is not enough. It will have to be combed out at least four times a week, and preferably every day.

To care for your pet's coat, you may need the following items:

• brush-mitten;
• cylindrical comb-brush;
• your tender, loving hands.

Rule one: from tail to head

The guard hairs and soft undercoat should be combed in the opposite direction to the growth of the coat. So it will turn out to rid the pet of excess hair much faster.

Rule two: from rare to frequent

You need to start combing a fluffy pet with a sparse-toothed brush, then change it to the one whose teeth are located more often. You need to complete the procedure with a brush with the most frequent arrangement of teeth. Finally, take a cylindrical brush and use it to collect the combed out wool.

Rule three: smooth curls

In order to collect all the hairs from the surface of the cat's body, a set of brushes is not enough. Prepare a bowl of warm water, put your pet on your lap, wet your hand and run it over the cat's fur. A lot of “unaccounted” hairs will remain on the palm. Rinse your hand and repeat your steps. Do this as many times as it takes to ensure that not a single lint remains on the palm of your hand. Many cat owners neglect this simple manipulation, and in vain.

Sometimes it can be difficult to get the comb to certain places. It is much easier to do this with a wet hand. Also, without the help of a brush, you can “comb out” small kittens.

Slicker comb: the most popular

In order to comb out dead fluff without affecting the strong outer fibers, you will need the so-called slicker, or slicker.

The peculiarity of the slicker is in its teeth. They are metal, thin, with a characteristic bend. Depending on the quality of your pet's coat, you need to choose a slicker: the thicker and longer the coat, the longer and more often its teeth should be.

Do not try to use a slicker brush to deal with matted hair. It is intended only for the care of healthy coat, previously combed out with a sparse-toothed comb.

When your cat is shedding, refrain from brushing her coat with a slicker brush every day. Twice a week will be enough. More frequent use will turn your fluffy beauty into a miserable shabby creature. Once the shedding period is over, use this useful tool once a week.

Despite the popularity of the slicker brush, it is just one of the many tools you need to take care of your pet.

Mitten: the easiest to use

If your pet does not like combs and slickers, try using another tool popular with cat owners - a rubber mitten.

Short or long teeth, located at different frequencies on the surface of the mittens, perfectly massage the skin of the animal. Thanks to this, blood circulation improves, the bulbs are strengthened, the coat becomes healthy and shiny. Cats love this massage very much. It can be carried out both on dry wool and during water procedures. Of course, it is impossible to replace a whole set of combs, combs and brushes with one mitten, but if your pet strongly objects to the use of other tools, it is still better than nothing.

Furminators

One of the most popular tools for combing cat hair is the furminator.

Small rakes with often set teeth - this is what this miracle tool looks like.

Furminators for cats are divided into two types: classic and deluxe. They differ in design and width of the ridges.

For small kittens, a 3.2 cm wide comb is suitable.

For small cats weighing less than 5 kg, a comb width of 4.5 cm is sufficient.

The most popular comb width, which can be used not only in caring for a cat, but also for a small dog, is 6.8 cm.

Regardless of the width of the comb, furminators come with short and long teeth, which allows them to be used when caring for a cat of almost any breed. The only exceptions are those breeds whose coat is devoid of undercoat or has a specific shape: Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, Burmese, Singaporean, Oriental, Turkish Angora and some others.

If there are scratches or wounds on the body of the animal, as well as in case of any skin disease, the Furminator must not be used!

Everyone who has ever used the furminator notes that the amount of hair shed has significantly reduced in the cat, its appearance becomes much better due to the fact that the grease is distributed more evenly. Furminators are used by professional groomers, but nothing prevents you from mastering this tool yourself and providing your striped “Murka in a jacket” with the same care as an overseas beauty worth more than one thousand dollars.

How often should a cat be brushed?

Regardless of what breed your fluffy beauty is, you need to comb it regularly, at least once a week. When the molting period comes, your task becomes more difficult. Short-haired cats will have to be brushed once every two or three days, and shaggy Persians and representatives of similar breeds - daily.

How to brush a shorthair cat?

Most short-haired cat breeds do not require much grooming. Once every six to seven days is enough to make your Siamese, Abyssinian or Burmese pet look perfect.

To care for short hair, you need to have a comb with short teeth and a soft rubber brush.

Pass the comb several times from the scruff to the tail, then in the opposite direction. Massage the pet's skin with a rubber brush, smooth the coat first with a brush, and then with your hand. Your pussy looks great!

How to comb a British cat?

The British are short-haired animals. Their thick fur is certainly easier to care for than Persian or Ragamafine, but not as easy as Siamese. A comb with short teeth will be completely useless for the British, and with frequent ones it will inevitably damage the dense undercoat, without which the animal will lose its plump appearance of a teddy bear. Using the same slicker in the care of the British is simply barbaric. Resourceful owners prefer to pick up the faded hair of their thick-cheeked pets with wet hands. Surprisingly, with their help you can collect much more wool than the best brush.

Of course, we are talking only about daily home care. Animals that take part in international exhibitions use the services of professional groomers. In their care, products are used that strengthen the coat, giving it shine and silkiness.

How to comb a Scottish cat?

Grooming a Scottish Fold or Scottish Straight cat is not difficult. Perhaps, it is even easier to comb out than any other. The fact is that the fur coat of charming tartans lies in both directions, like mole fur. You can absolutely calmly iron your pet against the wool, without meeting any objections from her side. On the contrary, a Scottish woman will calmly bask in your arms, exposing her neck for scratching.

Like any other cat, the tartan begins to be combed out with a sparse comb in the direction from tail to head, collecting dead hair, then the direction is changed. The procedure is completed with a brush made of natural bristles, which gives the animal's coat smoothness and unique gloss. When the cat sheds, you can additionally collect hair from it with wet hands. Usually, a thorough combing is enough for her.