It is not because cats spend much time to make their toilet, that you should not also take care of their hygiene! Brushing, nail trimming and baths are part of the cares you will have to provide them.
Even if longed-haired cats with require more care – for them, brushing should be daily – every cat need the assistance of their owner to be kept neat and healthy, even more in shedding period. The reason is simple: our houses or our apartments being overheated compared to their needs, they lose more hairs that in out in the nature. They do not find grass to help them vomit when they have swallowed too many hairs while licking themselves. And finally, they do not use their claws as much as if they were living in the wild.
However, it is not because this care is valuable for their well-being that they will remain passive: for that, they should be accustomed when young.
Brush, eliminate:
the minimum is once per week for a cat with short hairs, except in shedding period (every two days, with a currycomb, during molting). But if you have a cat with long hair, impossible to escape daily brushing with a bristle brush. It is of her health we are talking here: if you do not help her, it is likely that she will swallow so much hair, that they will end up obstructing her digestive tract. Moreover, brushing stimulates the micro-circulation and facilitates the new growth of beautiful hair…
Cut, clip:
clipping of the nails of the front legs especially relate to cats living in apartment, because their claws do not wear enough. While holding your cat firmly against you (if necessary seek assistance), take a front leg, press delicately on the phalanges to bring out the claws, one by one and cut only the translucent part using a cat nail clipper (sold in pharmacy, pet store or at the veterinarian). It is painless. And if you really can’t do it, don’t let you lacerate the arm, but entrust the mission of clipping the claws to the veterinarian: he will show you how to do it.
Wash, shampoo:
in a whole cat life, the occasions to take a bath are plenty, for example before a contest, because of a skin disease or, because she was rubbing against a wall of fresh paint or trailed in a place more than doubtful. Start by brushing her for disentangling the hairs. If needed clean the eyes with a compress soaked with physiological salt solution or an ocular product for washing of veterinarian use. Then, once the basin, the sink or the bath-tub is partly filled with tepid water, put your cat there and soak her gently using a glove, by taking care not to sprinkle the head. Wash with a shampoo for cat (no other product) and rinse carefully before drying it with a towel. Brush for the last time: here she is clean and shiny!
