It’s no secret how much most people love cats. Whether it’s a Persian cat with long hair, a Bengal cat with short hair, or a hairless cat like the sphinx, as a cat owner, you want to do your best so that they can stay healthy and beautiful. With most cats, the main contributing factor to their looks is their hair, so any cat owner must learn how to take proper care of it. Here are some guidelines that can help you out.
How to Brush Your Cat’s Hair?
Before you even start brushing your cat, you need to make sure that they don’t have any signs of bald spots, ticks, wounds, or bumps on their skin. If you find any of these, get in contact with your vet as soon as possible.
To brush your cat’s hair, you first need to make sure that your cat will stay in place with you. Try to get yourself and your cat into a comfortable position. Before this, you should check how your cat is feeling. If they don’t feel like being touched, it’s best to wait for a couple of minutes for them to be receptive instead of forcing them.
The type of brush you may need will depend on the length of your cat’s hair; the same goes for the sequence that you should follow when brushing them. At the end of your brushing session with your cat, reward them for sitting through it so they can relate the activity to a positive experience.
Long-Haired Cats
For long-haired cats, you should use a long-toothed metal comb with blunted points. Their ability to straighten out tangles and remove loose hair that your furry friend may have is what makes them the best for long-haired cats. If your cat has matted spots, consider getting a brush that removes some of the smaller patches.
Given that long-haired cats shed great amounts of hair, you should consider brushing them almost every day. Not only will this keep them cleaner, but it will also keep your cat’s hair away from your furniture.
Experts recommend brushing from their legs up to their abdomen and then to their head. Try to brush in the same direction that hair grows, as it can be uncomfortable for them if you do it the other way around. Finally, make small movements to prevent any hard tugging on your cat’s hair.
Short-Haired Cats
For short hair cats, a rubber or bristle brush will work. A rubber brush works best for dead hair, while the bristle one is better at removing dirt and other debris. With a short-haired cat, you should start at its head and work slowly toward their tail. Don’t forget to go brush their chest and belly as well. Same as with long-haired cats, brush in the same direction that their hair grows.
Given that short-haired cats don’t shed as much as long-haired cats, you don’t need to brush them as much. At least once a week should be enough to help them get rid of dust and hair that they can’t get on their own while self-grooming.
How Does Nutrition Help Your Cats’ Coat?
According to VCA animal hospitals, cats need proper nutrition to maintain and replace the hair that they are constantly shedding. If your cat’s diet is of poor quality, or if it’s a diet that’s not designed for the life stage they are in, they may not have enough proteins, fats, and calories to meet their body’s demands. Not only will it affect their fur and skin condition, but it will also make their digestive system work harder in an attempt to get rid of everything they didn’t use while processing their food.
You can identify if your cat’s diet is a problem for their health if their hair is dry and their shed more often than usual. Sometimes a diet that worked for them at two years old won’t be enough after four or more years. Talk to a vet to learn about the best diet possible for your cat’s age.
Why Is My Cat Losing Hair?
There are two main categories of hair loss in cats. Firstly, it’s related to their genetics and their breed. Your cat is either born with a condition where they don’t have hair, although their breed usually does have it, or they are genetically predisposed to lose their hair after birth. Either way, this first cause of hair loss usually doesn’t represent a health issue for your cat.
The second reason is a disease or illness that your cat is going through that makes them lose its hair. Some of the possible health issues can be an infection, allergies to either bugs or food, recent pregnancy, fever, cancer, and more.
Get in Touch With Your Rancho Santa Margarita Vet
If you identify any weird behavior in your cats like over-grooming or more shedding than usual, you can request an appointment with us here so we can identify the problem and get your furry friend back to normal
