Your meticulous cat or kitten will wash himself constantly with his rough tongue, so you’ll rarely, if ever, need to bathe him. But even with all the time cats spend grooming, they still need some help from you. Your cat should be brushed or combed every day to keep his hair off the furniture. This daily brushing will also help minimize the amount of hair he swallows. Frequent grooming is also necessary to help maintain a smooth, shiny coat and to prevent any medical problems that may be associated with an unhealthy coat.



Begin grooming when the cat is still a kitten, so he will get used to it and even coem to love those cuddly brushing sessions. Use treats to reward your cat or kitten during and after the grooming process.



Gently brush or comb your cat’s hair, brushing in the direction that the hair grows. Groom longhaired cats daily with a steel comb made especially for cats; a stiff bristle brush will do the job for shorthaired cats.



Periodically, you must also clip your cat’s nails. A specially made cat nail clipper is the best tool fo rthis job. Start clipping the nails when the cat is a kitten. This will get your cat used to nail clipping at an early age.


Spending a few minutes each day grooming your cat will ensure a beautiful coat. It will also help to limit shedding and hairballs, and will help you discover hair coat problems, including the presence of fleas.