Mr Red's Grooming Advice

 Mr. Red's Grooming Advice

Believe it or not, most cats need a little help with their grooming. We should particularly pay attention to our cats' eyes, ears and coat.

Whether your kitty is purebred or mixed breed, the key to a well groomed cat lies in the length of a cat's coat. A cat with a very short, single coat similar to the Siamese, Burmese and Cornish Rex need very little grooming. The dense-coated short-haired cats like British shorthairs and Scottish folds require a monthly grooming session. Semi-longhaired cats resembling Maine coons should be combed more regularly. Cats with long, flowing coats resembling the Persian (Like Me, Mr. Red) should be combed and have their faces cleaned at least every other day (my face gets cleaned twice a day).

Combing and Brushing Your Cat

Louie

The cats coat is the biggest grooming challenge. Some cats shed a lot, some get leaves and sticks stuck in their coats (Like my Persian friend Louie who thinks he should be in the army as he can camouflage quite well with the leaves and sticks), some cats get under cars and can become quite greasy and then some cats just get clumps of matted hair anchored to their coats. Remember to comb gently from front-to-back and reassure your cat with a soothing voice (I enjoy my daily brushes). Do this as much as needed to keep shedding and knots to a minimum. The proper combs and brushes can help.

Taking Care of Mats
The dreaded mat can form on even the most well-groomed cats, especially during seasonal shedding (I tend to get some knots under my arms, around my neck, or on my belly, and i get brushed on a daily basis). If you find these clumps of dried, tangled hair in your cat's fur, never try to cut them out because you could slip and cut your cat's skin. Cat's skin is very fine and you can nick it very easily which in turn can give the cat a bad grooming experience. Not all cats like to be brushed and if they have had a bad experience, it can make it harder for you to keep them well groomed. It is better to work out a mat with a grooming comb.

With one hand, try to hold the hair as close to its base as possible without pulling directly on the cat's skin. Hold the grooming comb in your other hand and use the tip to pick at the mat gently until it begins to loosen up. As it starts to break apart from the coat, it can easily be combed out. Repeat as necessary.

Cleaning Your Cats Eyes 
Eye matter can be a problem in big-eyed, short-nosed cats. Breeds like the Persian (yep, that's me) that have that "mushed-in" look to their faces. The large eye openings and the small distance from the tear ducts to the nose in these cats create an area for more tearing to occur than usual. Rather than pooling into tear ducts, the tears spill over the lower eyelids. Once the tears come in contact with air, they are "oxidized" and turn brown, staining the area below the eyes and creating a glue-like substance that needs to be cleaned out to keep the area healthy and the cat comfortable.

To clean the eyes use a soft washcloth or a wet tissue. Hold your cat's head and wipe the damp cloth gently across the lower eyelid. Be careful not to rub the eyeball directly. Let the moisture soften the eye matter and then go back and wipe again. Make sure you use a fresh section of the cloth or tissue each time.

Mr. Red - "That is my advice to you"

*I did collect some of this information from http://www.petplace.com/