The Different Tools For Combing And Brushing Your Cat

Combing and brushing your cat is a vital aspect of grooming. There are many advantages to combing and brushing. First, you get rid of loose hair and prevent the formation of hairballs in the cat's intestines. Hairballs, if not coughed out, can be very painful and your cat could require surgery to get rid of them.

Secondly, combing and brushing your cat helps to remove the dead skin and enhances the healthy sheen of its fur. Thirdly, you can get rid of fleas and flea dirt by using flea combs. Fourthly, you can tackle knots and matted hair in your cat's coat. Knots can be painful for your cat and difficult to remove if left for too long. Lastly, by combing and brushing your cat's fur, you can spend quality time with it.

You should start out by combing your cat's fur in the direction of the hair growth. Finish off by brushing so that the natural oils present in the hair follicles are distributed evenly throughout its coat. This is what gives the fur its shine.

There are various kinds of combs and brushes that you can use, depending on the breed of cat.

Wide toothed metal combs should be used on long haired cats. Fine toothed combs can be used for short haired cats. Flea combs are used to get remove fleas and flea dirt in the cat's fur. You can get rid of the fleas trapped in a flea comb by dipping it in flea shampoo.

Brushes are normally of two types - hard bristled and soft bristled. Hard bristled brushes can be used on short haired cats with thick coats. Soft bristled brushes can be used on short haired cats with sleek coats.

To brush long haired cats, you can use pin or wire brushes. These brushes have bristles that are set wider apart. These are great for untangling knots in the coats of long haired cats. You could use the wire brushes first and finish off the session with a soft bristled brush.

Slicker brushes are flat metal brushes. They have small and fine wire bristles, bent at right angles. These brushes are great for loose hair. Slicker brushes can be used for both long and short haired cats. Again, after using the slicker brush, you could use a soft bristled brush to make your cat's coat nice and shiny.

You can also use an undercoat rake while combing and brushing your cat. It looks like a garden rake and is good for preventing knots from forming in a cat's undercoat.

If your cat doesn't like brushes or combs, you could wear a grooming glove. These gloves have small prongs on the surface which help remove any loose hair while you pet your cat.

Combing and brushing your cat might not be easy at first. But with the right combs and brushes, it can soon become fun time that both you and your cat will look forward to.