How To Keep Long Haired Cats Clean

Pilus, pilus—everywhere! Sound familiar? Yous probably have long-haired cats in your firm—ones that leave tufts of fur on the comforter, in their favorite spots on the couch, and all over the pair of pants that didn't brand it into the laundry basket (non that we're calling you out or annihilation). And we haven't even talked most the dreaded hairballs that await unsuspecting bare feet. Unless you're in the market place for a hairless cat, y'all're going to face up this kind of thing on a daily basis. But with a regular pet grooming routine, the hair-raising issues that plague long-haired cats and their owners will soon disappear. We've enlisted the assistance of Sarah (Miller) Thomas, Certified Feline Master Groomer at Wil-O-Paw Animal Hospital in Coloma, Michigan, to give us some expert tips on caring for long-haired cats.

Commencement Them Young

Brushing is a necessary office of pet training, says Thomas, and information technology's important to begin the procedure during the first few months of kittenhood. You can do this in brusque sessions that include cat treats so that your kitty learns to think of brushing as a positive experience. The same tin be done with older long-haired cats. Try the KONG Cat ZoomGroom Multi-Use Brush for a gentle brushing session. But some furry felines seriously detest brushing, and they allow y'all know it. In this case, Thomas recommends leaving the chore to a pet preparation professional person instead of only brushing them once or twice a year, as their brush hating volition merely get worse.

Constitute a Schedule

Even though they share the trait of a flowing coat, long-haired cats have their own unique training needs. "If your true cat is beingness groomed professionally every 4-8 weeks, and so very little brushing is required at home. Some nevertheless benefit from a weekly five-10 minute rummage-out while on a monthly training schedule," says Thomas. She adds that de-shedding tools are helpful, only cautions pet parents not to overuse them in any ane expanse, which can cause peel irritation. The FURminator Long Hair deShedding Border and Safari Shed Magic De-Shedding Tool work well to reduce shedding in long-haired cats, which means less pilus to ingest.

Prevention Is Primal

Have you ever had to deal with matting? According to Thomas, prevention is the best solution. And the way to do that is with professional pet training. "Mats are formed when the natural oils in the pare build up while shedding pilus is trying to fall out. The shedding hair sticks to the greasiness and begins to class a tangle. If not removed, the tangle rapidly grows into a mat or even a pelt!" says Thomas. Yous might be able to brush out a small mat, but large, tight mats tin go painful for kitties, and they need to be shaved off by a groomer.

Can a King of beasts Cut Tame the Mane?

You've probably considered shaving your long-haired cat, especially if you lot live in a hotter climate. Before yous send your furball off to become those long locks shaped into a safari-style lion cut, Thomas warns that information technology might not be the all-time pick for every aspiring mutiny. "Cats have very sparse skin that must exist stretched taut to foreclose injury while using clippers. For this reason, elderly cats or cats with sparse skin due to wellness conditions may not be the best candidates for shaving," she explains. But there's good news for healthy long-haired cats. A lion cut is fine for them if the possessor wants to minimize shedding. And for cats that live in hot environments, "regular, full-glaze grooming can prevent extra shedding hair from edifice up and trapping hot air side by side to the pare." If you exercise go for the shave, simply be certain to protect your newly shorn mini-lion from sunburn.

Surviving the Dreaded Cat Bath

To bathe or not to bathe—that's the question for parents of long-haired cats. Washing cats might not seem like your idea of fun on a weekend, just it can aid eliminate oil buildup and reduce cat dander, a common allergen. You lot can do information technology yourself at dwelling house, or take your kitty to a professional that's experienced at washing cats. Thomas notes that, contrary to popular belief, nigh cats relish the bathing procedure, but y'all should go along these things in heed before washing cats:

Mats and drying: A skillful degreasing shampoo can assistance prevent mats. Those that haven't been removed can shrink every bit they dry, which pulls your pet's pare. Manus drying, not air drying, should be done to prevent this.

Shampoo selection: Utilise a cat-safe shampoo that'southward specially formulated for washing cats, and be conscientious effectually the facial area. FURminator Hairball Prevention Shampoo is a blend of natural ingredients with no parabens or chemic dyes.

Health bug: Cats with heart or thyroid bug might not be able to withstand the unabridged pet grooming process in one session. Consult your vet and talk to a professional person cat groomer.

Frequency: How often your cat needs bathing depends on the breed and coat consistency. Information technology could exist anywhere from in one case a week to every 3 months—it all depends on the cat.

"Treating" the Skin and Coat Right

There are many options for functional treats—from hairball-reducing snacks to those that can help improve coat quality. Hairball treats "ordinarily piece of work by helping existing hairballs pass easily through the digestive tract," says Thomas, although they can't preclude your cat from licking themselves and ingesting more hair. She suggests pairing a hairball-reducing diet with regular pet grooming. Greenies Feline SmartBites Hairball Command Chicken Flavor Cat Treats are tasty, dual-textured snacks that assistance control hairballs and ease digestion. To keep your long-haired true cat's glaze full and luxurious, check out Greenies Feline SmartBites Healthy Skin & Fur Salmon Flavour True cat Treats. They evangelize a guaranteed level of omega-3 fatty acids from fish oil in a crunchy, savory treat for peel and glaze health. As with whatever treat, these should be given in moderation. "True cat treats with fish oil or omega-three fatty acids are known to aid with coat quality and may be a good pick every bit long as the owner is careful not to overfeed," notes Thomas. But she also points out that a poor-quality coat could be the sign of kidney or thyroid disease or another health business, and so be sure to discuss your pet'southward condition with your veterinary.

How the Pros Do Information technology

Ever wondered what happens during a pet grooming session? How do they turn a scruffy feline into a proud lion with a radiant coat? Thomas runs us through the steps:

1. It starts with a nail trim and a small, sanitary shave on the rear.

2. The adjacent and most important step is a expert degreasing bath with a cat-safe shampoo. Any cat that has not been bathed has not been truly clean-cut! At least two lathers of shampoo are applied until the hair is squeaky clean.

3. The cat is then wrapped in a towel, and the ears and heart surface area are carefully cleaned.

4. Adjacent comes the blow-dry with a loftier-velocity dryer. This dries the coat to the skin, blows out shedding hair and tangles (reducing brushing fourth dimension after), and allows the groomer to see every inch of skin, many times exposing ticks, lumps, abscesses, and even puncture wounds of which the owner was not enlightened.

v. Finally, kitties get a thorough combing out to remove any excess shedding hair. A variety of tools are used, including greyhound combs, smaller face and feet combs, condom back-scratch combs and de-shedding tools.

vi. A finishing spray/cologne is applied, and the grooming procedure is complete!

So, if you want to cut down on hirsuite dust bunnies and inadvertently wearing your cat's pilus every bit an accessory, have some time to plan out your kitty'due south unique pet grooming schedule. Bated from reducing the amount of shedding, it's a pretty important part of overall health for long-haired cats.

Nikki Naser, BeChewy Senior Editor
Instead of owning thirty cats, Nikki has an impressive drove of 30 cat-themed T-shirts, and just four pets—a ginger-haired senior cat, a senior Maine Coon, a middle-anile Choodle, and a young kitty who showed upwardly i day on the back steps. A former Orlando resident, Nikki worked on several tourism publications before moving to Southward Beach. When she's non stopping to take pics of customs cats to mail service on Instagram, Nikki spends her time with the office pets at Chewy, writing for their BeChewy blog.