If you are wondering how often you should have your cat groomed, we can help.
While we would rather speak to you about your cat and your cat’s history, the answer typically depends on 3 things: your cat’s coat texture, length, color and skin condition.
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Texture
What is the texture of the coat? Silky, greasy, coarse? While most believe long-haired cats have the most demanding grooming schedule, some short-haired cats require grooms more often.
For example, Bertie is a 7 year old domestic short hair. She has a very DENSE coat. Cat’s with dense coats require regular bathing (every 4-6 weeks) to eliminate excessive shedding, hairballs and even matting.
COAT LENGTH
Maincoon cats, with their long hair (and, in the kitty above, a muti-color cat) require frequent grooming. We recommend most long-haired cats get a bath, blow dry and comb out a minimum of every 8 weeks in order to keep their coat from becoming matted.
COAT TEXTURE
While dense coats require frequent grooms, so do coat’s that are soft or cottony. These types of coats mat easily and must be brushed or combed daily and groomed frequently (every 2-4 weeks).
COAT COLOR
Cottony coats need more frequent bathing to keep them in full coats. This is especially true with Persians, Exotics, Himalayans and those with certain colors like white, blue, blue-cream, pale-colored like the cream and white Persian above (photo courtesy Danelle German, founder of the National Cat Groomers Institute).
COAT CONDITION
The condition of your cat’s coat is also a factor. Is the kitty older, overweight, eat a lot of starch-filled treats or has a poor diet? Does your kitty suffers from diabetes, thyroid or other health condition? All these factors contribute to a greasy, matted, dandruff-filled coat.
But, my cat isn’t greasy? Don’t cat’s groom themselves?
People become easily confused when I mention cats are greasy. They say, “but cats groom themselves.” What does it mean to groom? It’s cleaning and resolving a problem such as removing dirt and debris so the end result is a clean, flake-free, pleasant-looking and smelling cat.
I don’t know any cat who can truly groom himself. He can lick himself, but he can’t give himself a good scrubbing bath using de-greasing shampoo and lot of water. He can’t remove dandruff on his fur. Dandruff isn’t due to dry skin; rather, it’s dead, greasy skin that needs to be scrubbed in the bath using cat-specific shampoo, water to get rid of oil, filth, grime, germs and dead skin.
What about hairless cats? Do they need a bath?
Spynx cats are hairless cats, (as seen in the photo above, courtesy Pinterest). While some may have a little bit of hair on their face or other parts of their body, this hair is too sparse to soak up oils on the skin. Since they have a lot of oil on the skin, and can’t be distributed around the hair, it has no place to go except folds of the skin. Then it gets transferred to your pillow and other areas where your kitty goes.
A good de-greasing bath each week or every 2 weeks will combat the problem and get kitty clean.
Still struggling or confused about your cat’s coat or grooming needs or want to book a groom?
Call us 860-462-6184