The most important cat grooming tools are, of course, the ones every cat comes with, namely the beasts own tongue. However, while cats largely do a good job of cleaning for their own coat, claws and teeth, the right tools and a regular grooming regimen by the cat’s owner will keep kitty extra healthy and especially handsome, as well as keep the cat owner’s home free of loose hair coating clothing, carpeting, and furnishing.
There are four cat grooming tools that are an absolute must for maintaining your pet. These are a bristle brush, fine tooth comb, and nail clippers.
A bristle brush may be specifically designed for longhaired or shorthaired cat varieties. A bristle brush smoothes the coat, removes loose hair, removes matted tangles, and helps take dust and dirt particles from the feline’s fur. Brushes come in every shape and size imaginable, featuring metal or plastic, hard or soft, wire or pin type bristles. Most cats will come to adore the sensation of being brushed if introduced to with a gentle touch.
A fine tooth comb may be needed to work out especially stubborn knots from a longhaired cat’s furs. Remember to go slow and easy, working out the knots from the bottom. Avoid painful pulls on pussy’s hair, as this will make the cat happier and save one’s own body from gaining interesting patterns of claw marks.
Many pet owners never even think of brushing their cat’s teeth, but the truth is, a cat requires dental care almost as much as a human does. Cats can develop large deposits of tartar, gum diseases, tooth decay, and other dental problems if their teeth are ignored. A little preventative medicine is better than a costly and traumatizing trip to the vet’s office for kitty once a problem has developed. In addition, if your cat actually sleeps with you in the bed, as is the case with many pet owners, fresher breath for kitty is a good thing! A toothbrush kit and some toothpaste for your pet should be in every set of cat grooming tools and will run you around $15 and should be used a few times per week. Toothpastes for cats are designed specifically to taste appealing and be non-harmful if swallowed, so getting the cat to allow their use should be no great chore.
Nail clippers are an essential cat grooming tool if one want to make sure the little beast will not be shredding other accessories, such as one’s couch, drapes, or pants leg. The alternative, surgical removal of the cat’s claws, is not humane and is even illegal in many localities now. A scratching toy will not keep sharp tips from forming on a cat’s claws. The best clippers fall into the “guillotine” type, wherein the point of the claw is inserted into a small hole and a squeeze cuts off the tip. Scissors and nail clippers, while they can be used, are not nearly so user friendly and mistakes can result in painfully cutting the living part of kitty’s claw.
Investing in a good set of cat grooming tools is well worth the returns it will bring in terms of the pet’s health and appearance.
Tags: gum diseases, pet owners, gentle touch, tooth decay, cat grooming tool