Cat Grooming Basics

When it comes to keeping clean and tangle free your cat will need a helping hand from you. We share our top grooming tips and advice with you.

Cats are neat freaks. In fact, if you’re a cat owner, you know firsthand that your cat is a fastidious groomer. After all, it seems to spend most of its life either sleeping or grooming!

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But as gung-ho as your cat is about keeping itself groomed and clean, the truth is that it could still use a bit of help from you.

Grooming is about more than just keeping your cat looking good. Grooming your cat on a regular basis will also help you to keep an eye on its health. And grooming your cat can even help to prevent feline health issues such as digestive problems caused by hairballs. Regular grooming can also help to improve the health of your cat’s skin and coat.

GETTING STARTED

If you’re already a cat owner, this probably goes without saying: Don’t just snatch up your cat one day and commence to grooming if you’ve never groomed the cat before. The outcome is likely to be unpleasant for the both of you.

Instead, slowly accustom the cat to the process of grooming.

Pick a time when the cat is relaxed and content – after eating, perhaps. Then start with short grooming sessions of maybe 5 to 10 minutes. Pet and praise the cat as you’re grooming, and maybe even offer a treat at the end of the session. And if the cat begins to show signs that it’s none too happy about what’s happening, stop for now. You can try it again later.

With time, the cat will become accustomed to the process, and will likely come to enjoy it.

BRUSHING BASICS

Regular brushing offers benefits such as dead hair and dirt, and removing or preventing mats and tangles. But do it right, or you’ll end up with a cantankerous kitty on your hands!

Always brush in the direction that the hair naturally lays, never against the ‘grain.’ And be extra gentle around the belly and chest.

For shorthaired cats:

• Start with a fine-toothed metal comb. Run it through the cat’s fur from head to tail tip. Watch for small pepper-like specks that could indicate the presence of cat fleas.
• Use a bristle or soft rubber brush next to remove loose hair.

For longhaired cats:

• Start with a wide-toothed comb to remove debris that may be caught in the cat’s coat. Carefully untangle any knots.
• Next use a wire brush or a bristle brush to remove loose hair.
• Consider using a toothbrush to brush around the cat’s face.

And if you encounter matting in the cat’s fur, don’t try to cut it out; one or both of you may end up getting hurt.

Brushing twice a week should be plenty for most shorthaired cats, while a longhaired cat may need brushing every day.

BATH TIME (SAY IT ISN’T SO)

Does the idea of giving your cat a bath send shivers of fear down your spine? Understandable! It’s well known that most cats aren’t particularly fond of water. You may even have been witness to a vivid demonstration of this fact in times past.

Luckily, cats don’t often need the help of a full-blown bath.

But on occasion, your cat’s coat might become sticky or dirty to a degree that the old tongue-bath just isn’t going to cut it. So you’ll have to get involved. Fortunately, though, bath time doesn’t have to be a time of terror for the both of you – if you do it right:

• Start by making the water temperature pleasant. It should be warm – not hot, and not cold.
• Use a shampoo that’s made specifically for use with cats, and labeled accordingly.
• Use a sink or tub in which you’ve placed a rubber bath mat, filled to a depth of just 3 or 4 inches.
• Gently wet the cat down using a spray hose, but DO NOT spray or pour water directly on the cat’s head – you don’t want to spray or pour into the cat’s eyes, ears or nose. If you don’t have a spray hose, use an unbreakable pitcher.
• Start at the cat’s head, and gently work in the shampoo from head to tail.
• Rinse gently but thoroughly, making sure that all the shampoo is rinsed out. Again, be sure to avoid spraying or pouring water directly on the cat’s head.
• Gently pat dry with a large towel.

And one last tip: If your cat’s nails need clipping, do it BEFORE bath time!

PEDICURE, PLEASE

Getting your cat to accept having it’s claws trimmed by you really shouldn’t be too difficult, IF you approach it properly.

Start out by spending some time just training your cat to be comfortable and accepting of having her feet handled. Begin to massage its feet on a daily basis. Do that by running your hand along its leg, and then very gently pressing with your thumb on the pad of each toe, causing the claw to extend. After a week or two the cat will likely become comfortable with its daily foot massage.

Once the cat is comfortable with the massaging, it’s OK to clip. Use a quality, sharp clipper or nail scissors specifically designed for use on cats. Cut parallel to the flat of the claw, and clip off only the white tip. Be VERY careful to avoid the quick, which usually appears as a pinkish area that you can see through the translucent claw.

IT’S NICE TO BE NEEDED

Compared to certain other pets, cats are relatively low maintenance – a nice perk for cat lovers. But like all of us, your cat could use a helping hand now and then. Independent creature though your cat may be, it still needs your help in remaining happy and healthy.

And that’s kind of a perk, too, wouldn’t you agree?

Brushing your Cat’s Teeth: Dental Care for your Pet

Does your cat have smelly breath? A bit of prevention can go a long way towards keeping your pet’s teeth healthy and ultimately save you money.

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An estimated 80% of pets have dental disease by 3 years of age. Unfortunately many cats develop significant pain and infection due to unhealthy teeth, as well as being banished from the bedroom.

WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

While humans tend to get caries or holes in our teeth, cats are more at risk of periodontal disease, which is disease around the base of the tooth near the gum line. The accumulation of sticky plaque, made up of bacteria, proteins and food, hardens to form calculus on the teeth.

This hard calculus causes inflamed and bleeding gums (gingivitis) and as the condition progresses, there is loss of attachment between the gum and the tooth. As the gum separates from the tooth, little pockets of infection develop around the tooth. The bacteria around damaged teeth leads to the foul smelling breath and illness associated with dental disease.

Cats that have daily brushing of their teeth will have much fresher smelling breath and be less inclined to need costly dental treatment. Getting into the habit when your kitten is young is the best way to start, but any cat can be trained with enough patience and lots of food rewards.

WHAT DO I NEED?

Pet toothpastes are flavoured like meat pastes, so they become part of the reward for allowing brushing. You can get various flavours like chicken or even cheese. Human toothpaste is not meant to be swallowed and pets will hate that minty foaming stuff that we like, so a pet toothpaste is a very worthwhile investment.

There are various different styles of toothbrush. You can use a soft baby’s toothbrush or a finger-brush. Just make sure the brush is soft to avoid damaging the gums.

TEACHING YOUR CAT TO TOLERATE BRUSHING

To teach your cat to accept brushing, first start out with some toothpaste on your finger and touch the teeth, allowing your pet to lick the paste. If this is tolerated, get a face washer or the edge of a towel and dip it in water and rub it in the paste, then onto your cat’s teeth. Gradually increase the contact time as your cat’s tolerance increases. Use lots of treats to reward your cat every step of the way. After the washer is accepted, switch to a soft toothbrush or finger brush.

TECHNIQUE TIPS

• Aim for 5 seconds on each tooth and brush once daily.
• Pay particular attention to the base of the tooth, aiming for a 45° angle with the gum-line.
• Avoid a vigorous side-to-side action that will damage the gums, gently use a circular, flicking motion along the gum-line.
• Brush only the outside of the teeth, the tongue will take care of the inside.
• If your cat has bleeding gums after brushing, take him to the vet for a check-up before doing more brushing.

WHAT IF MY PET HAS LOTS OF DISCOLOURATION, PLAQUE OR CALCULUS?

If your cat’s breath is smelly, there is discolouration, recession of the gums and a large amount of calculus you will need a professional dental clean. No amount of brushing will get hard calculus off the teeth.

A scale and polish using an ultrasonic scaler like your dentist uses needs to be performed under anaesthesia to do the job right. Once the teeth are nice and smooth and white, preventative brushing will slow down the build-up. It only takes 3 days for plaque to start reforming, so ideally start your training with tooth-brushing before the dental, so that you know you can effectively brush all the teeth once your pet has recovered from the procedure. If the teeth are too painful, this may not be possible, but you may be able to at least train your pet to allow touching around the face, mouth and get him used to the toothbrush and paste.

Most Vets will suggest waiting 2-3 days after a dental clean before brushing, so you want to be sure you can effectively brush your pet’s teeth from the start.

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A Head to Toe Guide to Washing Your Dog

Bathing your dog can be a wonderful bonding experience but it’s also a very practical necessity for our sometimes smelly, four-legged family members.

While that doggy smell can be completely normal, many dogs do seem to be particularly on the nose. Getting your dog used to regular grooming and bathing from an early age and making sure you have fun doing it will ensure you have happy, healthy and odour free canine companion.

SHAMPOOS AND CONDITIONERS

Dogs have skin that is half the thickness of human skin, is very sensitive and has a different pH. You can’t always assume that human products are okay for your pet. Use a good quality and gentle pet shampoo and if your dog is prone to dry skin, greasy skin, frequent skin infections or is itchy, ask your Vet which shampoo is best.

You can also view our guide to dog shampoos for a more detailed look at what shampoos will suit your dog. Conditioners are not really necessary, unless your dog has particularly dry hair. Most pet conditioners are leave-in and can be applied as the coat is drying, or even without washing first.

WHERE TO BATH YOUR PET

Smaller dogs can be easily bathed in the laundry sink, a baby bath, the normal bath tub or even the bottom of the shower. Using a non-slip mat can make your pet more secure on the slippery surface. An inside bath allows you to ensure the water is warm, but not warmer than your skin. If it is a nice sunny day, you can wash your pet outdoors and a nice game of fetch or a walk afterwards is a great way to stop them rolling in the garden and will speed up the drying process.

TECHNIQUE

Keep a hand on your dog at all times when you are washing them. This will make it less likely they will shake all over you and attempt to leap from the bath. Have everything ready before you go and make sure you include a good massage while shampooing and towelling off to make the whole experience pleasurable for your pet. If your dog is a bit worried about bathing, particularly in certain areas, use lots of food rewards to encourage good behaviour. If your dog is prone to wiggling and getting water in the ears, place a piece of cotton wool loosely in the ears to avoid getting water down there.

Bath time is a great time to check your pet’s nails, ears, teeth and skin for any abrasions or new lumps and bumps. Systematically feel your pet all over, perhaps while you are doing a nice massage with the shampoo.

START WITH THESE BASICS

• Hose or handheld spray for the taps if using a sink or bath
• Towels
• Bathmat or something clean to stand on if outside
• Shampoos/conditioners
• Brush
• Face washer or sponge
• Hairdryer if you need a quick dry
• Cotton wool
• Ear cleaner
• Nail clippers
• Treats

THE STEP-BY-STEP WASHING PROCESS

1. Brush your pet to remove any tangles or debris from the coat.
2. Get your pet wet, avoiding the head.
3. Apply a 20c piece amount of shampoo, lathering up all over.
4. Massage your pet to distribute the shampoo.
5. Leave on for the recommended length of time.
6. Meanwhile use a face washer or sponge to wipe down the face (no need for shampoo).
7. Rinse, making sure all the residue has disappeared.
8. Stand back and allow your pet to shake.
9. Towel dry.
10. Use a hairdryer on a low heat with a brush or take your pet for a walk in the sun to dry.
11. Check your pet’s ears and remove any cotton wool. If your dog needs an ear clean, check our ear cleaning guide for detailed instructions.
12. Check your dog’s nails, if they need trimming, follow our step-by step nail trimming guide.Get Up To 50% OFF Treat of The Week + FREE Shipping W/ PetSmart Coupon. Save now!

SMELLY DOGS

Dogs that really do smell bad may actually have allergies or dermatitis. Take your pet in for a check-up with your Vet to rule out any underlying problems such as bacterial or fungal skin disease or dental disease. Your Vet will also be able to recommend the best shampoo for your dog’s skin type. develop a smelly odour in between baths, have slightly red or itchy skin may have allergies. Dogs that have fleas often also develop itchy and smelly skin, so ensure your flea control is up to date, even if you don’t see visible fleas on your pet.

You can also use Dermoscent to increase the fatty acid balance in the skin and improve smell. There are also various leave-in conditioners that can be applied in between baths to improve smell, such as Aloveen.

We hope you enjoy the time spent giving your pet a bath. This quality time can become very important to your pet and doing the job yourself can save you a great deal of money over the lifetime of your dog.

Brushing Your Dog’s Teeth: Preventative Dental Care

Does your dog have smelly breath? An estimated 80% of dogs have dental disease by 3 years of age. Help protect your dog with these simple dog brushing techniques and preventative care.

Unfortunately many dogs develop significant pain and infection due to unhealthy teeth, as well as being banished from the bedroom. A bit of prevention can go a long way towards keeping your pet’s teeth healthy and ultimately save you money.

WHAT IS PERIODONTAL DISEASE?

While humans tend to get caries or holes in our teeth, dogs are more at risk of periodontal disease, which is disease around the base of the tooth near the gumline. The accumulation of sticky plaque, made up of bacteria, proteins and food, hardens to form calculus on the teeth. This hard calculus causes inflamed and bleeding gums (gingivitis) and as the condition progresses, there is loss of attachment between the gum and the tooth. As the gum separates from the tooth, little pockets of infection develop around the tooth. The bacteria around damaged teeth leads to the foul smelling breath and illness associated with dental disease.

Dogs that have daily brushing of their teeth will have much fresher smelling breath and be less inclined to need costly dental treatment. Getting into the habit when your puppy is young is the best way to start, but any dog can be trained with enough patience and lots of food rewards.

WHAT DO I NEED?

Pet toothpastes are flavoured like meat pastes, so they become part of the reward for allowing brushing. You can get various flavours like chicken or even cheese. Human toothpaste is not meant to be swallowed and pets will hate that minty foaming stuff that we like, so a pet toothpaste is a very worthwhile investment.

There are various different styles of toothbrush. You can use a soft baby’s toothbrush or a finger-brush. Just make sure the brush is soft to avoid damaging the gums.

TEACHING YOUR DOG TO TOLERATE BRUSHING

To teach your dog to accept brushing, first start out with some toothpaste on your finger and touch the teeth, allowing your pet to lick the paste. If this is tolerated, get a face washer or the edge of a towel and dip it in water and rub it in the paste, then onto your dog’s teeth. Gradually increase the contact time as your dog’s tolerance increases. Use lots of treats to reward your dog every step of the way. After the washer is accepted, switch to a soft toothbrush or finger brush.

TECHNIQUE TIPS

• Aim for 5 seconds on each tooth and brush once daily.
• Pay particular attention to the base of the tooth, aiming for a 45° angle with the gum-line.
• Avoid a vigorous side-to-side action that will damage the gums, gently use a circular, flicking motion along the gum-line.
• Brush only the outside of the teeth, the tongue will take care of the inside.
• If your dog has bleeding gums after brushing, take him to the Vet for a check-up before doing more brushing.

WHAT IF MY PET HAS LOTS OF DISCOLOURATION, PLAQUE OR CALCULUS?

If your dog’s breath is smelly, there is discolouration, recession of the gums and a large amount of calculus you will need a professional dental clean. No amount of brushing will get hard calculus off the teeth.

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How to Clean Your Dog’s Ears: A Pet Parents Guide

Many dogs have ears that require regular cleaning. With this simple process cleaning your dog’s ears is easy enough to do at home provided you have the right equipment.

WHY CLEAN YOUR DOG’S EARS?

Dogs have very long ear canals, usually from 5-10cm in length. They also take a right-angled bend, so foreign material often goes in, but is difficult to get out. If dogs get water in their ears during swimming, this water can pool down in the horizontal ear canal and increase the risk of infection. Ear infections are much more likely in a warm, moist, dark environment like an ear canal. If your dog swims, cleaning the ears out after swimming is a great routine to get into.

Key features and characteristics of the canine ear.

Dogs that have skin allergies and are prone to frequent ear infections will also benefit from regular ear cleaning. Your Vet can recommend how frequently to clean the ears, but as a general rule, not more than weekly and ideally at least monthly.

WHAT YOU NEED?

• Ear cleaner
• Cotton wool
• Treats

WHAT SORT OF EAR CLEANER?

There are various types of ear cleaners, but the most important thing is that you only use a good quality dog ear cleaner. Never put olive oil, vinegar, shampoo or any other substance in a dog’s ear. Also avoid poking around with cotton buds in the ear, you will only work any wax and debris further in and potentially damage the ear drum.

STEP-BY-STEP PROCESS

Firstly if your dog has very red, itchy, inflamed and painful ears, see your Vet before you start cleaning. It is quite likely your dog has an ear infection, so ear cleaning will not do much good at this point. If your dog has an infection severe enough to damage the ear drum, some ear cleaners can damage the ear further.

Ear cleaning can be a messy job, so find somewhere in the house that is easy to clean and avoid wearing your best Prada for an ear clean.

1. Give your pet a treat for sitting and show him the ear cleaner.
2. Gently hold the flap of the ear upright and fill the ear canal withear cleaner. Direct the tube vertically downwards.
3. Keep a hold of the ear and move your hand down to where the ear meets the head.
4. Massage at the base of the ear, aiming to mix the ear cleaner around within the ear canal. You should get a great squelchy noise if you are doing this correctly.
5. After you have massaged the ear for 20 seconds, stand back and let go of the ear.
6. Your dog should now vigorously shake his head.
7. Grab some cotton wool and use it to wipe out the folds at the opening of the ear canal until it looks pretty clean.
8. Give your dog a treat and repeat with the other ear.

The key with ear cleaning is to use a large amount of ear cleaner. As the ear canals are quite long, the wiping step is not to get all the ear discharge out. The idea is that when you massage, you will be breaking up the discharge lining the inside of the ear canal, so that it forms a solution with the ear cleaner. Your pet can then shake the liquid out.

Remember if you see lots of redness, the ears are particularly smelly or they are painful, see your Vet. Your pet most likely has an ear infection and ear cleaning may be too painful and damaging to perform.

An infected ear looks a little like this:

Typical visual signs and symptoms of ear infections in dogs.

Below is a great video on how to clean your dog’s ears:

Most dogs will come to like ear cleaning, so long as their ears are comfortable. This is the one place that dogs can’t scratch themselves, so most will absolutely love it. With lots of treats and encouragement, ear cleaning can become a part of your regular hygiene routine.

Save Money by Grooming Your Dog at Home

Many dog owners prefer to leave haircuts to professional groomers. It’s a job that really takes some know-how and experience to do properly – particularly for dogs with long, continuously growing hair.

But there’s no reason that you can’t become an expert at cutting your dog’s hair, though there may be the occasional comic result along the way! The great thing is that hair grows back, it might take 1cm per month, but eventually that slightly uneven first attempt will start to look much better!

EQUIPMENT

Clippers can be extremely cheap and you can certainly use any style of clippers, rather than having to buy specialised pet clippers. Some are able to be sharpened, which will extend the life of the clippers. When humans use clippers they usually use plastic guards to clip at a longer length. These tend to snag in longer hair coats so are less useful in pets. For around the paws and ears, a sharp pair of scissors is useful, as some areas will be fiddly to use with the clippers. Also make sure you have plenty of treats on hand and a good brush.

GETTING READY TO CLIP

When you start out, having someone to hold your pet is ideal. Groomers will save their backs by always using an elevated table and may even have an apparatus to hold the dog in place or to clip the collar to. Clipping up on the kitchen table can be a great way to keep your dog from moving, but make sure you put a non-slip mat on the table first.

HOW OFTEN?

If your dog has a continuously growing coat, clipping every 6-8 weeks is ideal. If you are able to brush your dog regularly and prevent mats from forming, grooming is not as necessary, but if your dog matts easily you may need to clip the coat short more often. In some ways a longer coat can provide an insulating layer to protect against heat and cold. For dogs that feel the heat however, clipping the belly so your dog can cool down by lying on the ground can help, while still providing protection from the sun.

CARE OF YOUR CLIPPERS

To keep your clippers clean and running smoothly it is worthwhile investing in some clipper spray to keep the blades clean and lubricated. The spray can also be used if the blades are getting hot while clipping your dog. Keep the blades sharp; they are more likely to cut if they are blunt. You will need to have them professionally sharpened in the same place that would sharpen knives. After you use your clippers, brush them free from hair with a toothbrush and apply some blade oil or the clipper spray.

Here are a few tips for doing the job properly. Select a quiet place free from distractions and remember the hair will end up everywhere, so find somewhere easy to clean!
• If your dog is dirty bathe your dog first, using a shampoo made for pets.
• Once the fur is dry, brush out any snags or mats.
• Use clippers in the direction of hair growth in long smooth strokes.
• Use scissors for touch-up and for trimming around extremities: legs, ears and face.
• To clip the paws, brush against the direction of hair growth to push the hair between the toes upwards and cut with the scissors. You can use the clippers to do the underside of the feet.

• Around the eyes, ensure there is no hair growing over your pet’s eyes that could interfere with vision. If your pet is wiggly, using blunt-tipped, curved scissors helps.
• After brushing give your pet a good brush, or if you haven’t already bathed your pet, give him a bath.

ADDITIONAL TIPS FOR NERVOUS DOGS

If your pet is a little nervous about the clippers, get some treats and get him accustomed to the noise of the clippers first. Keep any sessions short and give lots of praise, attention and treats for staying still, even for a short time. Having an additional helper on hand to give your pet treats while grooming is also useful for nervous pets. For pets that tend towards anxiety it may be even more important to groom your pet at home, as you will be able to spend more time acclimatising your pet to the process, while a busy grooming parlour will need to move more quickly. That being said, some groomers offer grooming rehabilitation for nervous pets if you ask. When selecting a groomer rely on word-of-mouth and find a groomer who is very good with anxious pets. The level of care your pet receives is much more important than the quality of the cut afterwards.

MATTED DOGS

For dogs that have matts, sometimes using the clippers can be very painful. It may be necessary to de-mat first using a specialised comb (more information here). If the matts are not too close to the skin, using the clippers on the shortest setting would be the best approach to take the matts off close to the skin. You will need to start somewhere where there are no matts to get to the base of the coat. If the process will be too extensive and painful, consider discussing with your Vet giving your pet a sedative and having the procedure done in hospital instead. Once the matts are gone it will be much easier to maintain the coat with brushing and clipping before they start to develop again.

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Grooming can be a bonding experience with your pet and we hope you enjoy this new skill. And once you master the basics, let your creativity flow and try out some of the more adventurous clips.

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