Cats are fantastic pets. They are easily house-trained, wonderful company and can be great fun at play. Your cat will always remind you if you`ve forgotten to feed him by being very vocal about it or (worse) bringing in prey but it`s not always so easy to remember to groom your cat. Grooming minimises hairballs by removing loose hairs and also stimulates the circulation.
It is a great idea to introduce gently grooming to your cat early. After all, a tiny kitten will be easier to handle than a fully grown tom-cat. For short haired cats such as the British Shorthair, Siamese or the average moggie a gentle brush every few days and use a fine-toothed metal comb once a week to remove dirt and dead hairs. Use the metal comb in the direction the coat grows and use the bristle brush to sweep the coat up in the direction of the head, then smooth down again. For cats with long hair such as the Persian a steel comb will need to be used every day. If the cat has knots in the coat gently tease them out with your fingers or cut them out carefully with blunt-ended scissors. Most cats enjoy being groomed and will purr but if your cat becomes highly agitated use a soothing voice and, if neccesary, cat treats.
In extreme cases, it may be neccesary to bathe your cat. Occasionally your cat may get especially dirty or be infested with fleas or ticks or even get covered in something toxic such as oil. It is advisable to get at least 2 people involved as just about all cats hate to get wet. Trim your cat`s claws before bathing to minimise scratches. Remember to not make the water too hot and don`t overfill your bath. Have the appropriate shampoo ready and a towel on hand to speed up the bathing process. Finally, rinse thoroughly as leaving shampoo traces on your cat could irritate their skin.
It`s not just grooming supplies that you`ll need for your cat. It`s important that their independent nature is respected and a cat flap is the perfect way of doing so. They can be locked in many cases if you need to keep your cat in the house, but also prevent you needing to get up in the middle of the night to let him in or out. It`s always a good idea to have a few cat toys on hand if your cat fancies playing with you and a scratching post is a godsend to any cat owner who knows the horrors of scratched furniture.
So you cat can easily get in and out of your house, go to cat flaps online for many options of cat flap.