Cat’s are known for being extremely clean animals. They are so good at cleaning themselves that humans often forget that they should brush them from time to time. But, felines do need help from time to time. Furthermore, some breeds require more grooming than others.
In addition, proper grooming material is the first step for individual grooming, next to your felines willingness to be groomed. So, the most common question among feline lovers is – How often should I brush my cat?
How Often Should I Brush My Cat?
It’s not easy to answer this question as each cat is, just like humans, individual and has specific needs. Moreover, cats come with a different coat in terms of length and thickness. Some breeds require everyday brushing, others once a week, while there are breeds that will be brushed only when they allow you to groom them.
The best answer to this question is to understand what your cat needs based on her fur. After all, there is a difference between brushing a long-haired cat and a short-haired.
Brushing A Long-Haired Cat?
Long-haired cats, like Maine Coons and Persians, require daily brushing. It’s simply said ‘a must’. Long cats can develop tangles, knots, and mats. For this type of coats, you should use fine-toothed combs, as well as de-matting brushed. It’s extremely important to be gentle during this brushing moments as you don’t want to produce any sort of a pain to your feline. Furthermore, if you feel like you can’t get the mats out yourself, you may need a professional groomer.
Brushing A Medium-Haired Cat?
Cats like Japanese Bobtail, mixed breeds, and even Manx are members of this group. Recommended brushing frequency for these cats is a couple times a week to daily if you can arrange it. If your cat shed a lot, you should brush her coat on a daily level. For these cats, you can use slicker brushes or even grooming mitts. They should be more than enough for medium hair.
Brushing A Short-Haired Cat?
The most famous short-haired cats are Egyptian Mau, British Shorthair, and the American Shorthair. These cats are probably the easiest to brush, so you can brush them a few times a week, although the daily brushing won’t hurt. However, you should be careful when it comes to the length of brushing season, as you don’t want to produce any skin irritation or bald patches.
Of course, if you are having a hairless cat the grooming habits are slightly different.
How Long Should I Brush My Cat?
Each brushing session is different, especially as they are based on your cat’s willingness to stay still. There are people that will brush their feline until feline’s hair stops dropping. However, the best advice that we can give you is to brush your cat for as long as she feels comfortable. So, the best thing that you can do for your feline and her brushing is to start grooming early on.
Start Grooming Early On
Grooming should be a comfortable experience for your feline. Moreover, she should enjoy it. So, if you have a kitten or a relatively young cat, you should make her accustom to an idea of being groomed from an early age. Keep it as simple as possible, so your feline doesn’t see it as an unpleasant experience.
Brushing your kitten in a nutshell:
- Use the right tool – have a proper grooming tool, according to your cat’s hair length.
- Start easy – start brushing with a few gentle brushstrokes.
- Pet her – give her favorite cat treats or food so she can stay calm for a longer period of time. By doing so you will associate brushing with positive experience.
- Increase the number of brushstrokes – with time you can slowly increase the number of brushstrokes, until your feline is completely comfortable with the brushing process.
In addition, avoid any step that can stress your feline and lead to a negative experience, meaning don’t force it, and don’t press to rough. In addition, follow feline’s reaction. If she shows any of the following signs, you should make a break:
- Swishing the tail
- Flicking her ears
- Flattening her ears
- Tensing her body
- Hissing
- Growling
- Scratching your hands
If your cat shows any of these moves, make a break and resume brushing another day.
Fast fact: Make frequent breaks during feline’s brushing session for a positive brushing experience.
Why Should You Brush Your Cat?
Just because your feline already keeps herself clean and has a daily grooming season it doesn’t mean that you shouldn’t help her out. So, you don’t have to brush felines coat all the time, but you can help from time to time. This will be beneficial for both of you on many different levels. Firstly, you will bond more and spend some quality time together.
After all, who doesn’t like seeing their feline sharing love look? Secondly, regular brushing will improve your feline’s general health. Here are the top 5 reasons why you should brush your cat regularly.
- More Brushing, Less Shading
- Flea Spotting
- Brushing Promotes Healthy Coat
- More Brushing, Cleaner The Cat
- Stronger Bonding
Brushing your cat on a regular level will reduce the amount of excess hair. Basically, that means less hair on your floor, furniture, and everywhere else actually. Hair that would normally be swallowed or fall to the ground will be easily swept up into the brush. Of course, you can’t avoid the cat from shedding completely, but you can reduce shedding with regular brushing practice.
Regular brushing is a great way to check your feline’s skin. Furthermore, this is a great way to see if your feline suffers from any form of skin infection. In addition, you can spot easily and remove ‘flea dirt’ in your cat’s fur.
Of course, if you notice any fleas make sure that you use a vet-recommended flea and parasite medicine, or preventive medicine to keep fleas away. In addition, regular skin and coat check-up can stave off health issues like anemia, heartworms, and even flea allergy dermatitis.
Your cat can maintain her coat until a certain level, but she will need additional help to keep her coat healthy. After all, the condition of your cat’s skin is an indication of her overall health. Seasonal changes and stress in a combination with external parasites cay affect your cat’s skin.
Your feline’s fur can easily get messy by dirt and other substances, that can easily stick to your cat’s fur. Felines usually can remove it, at least not entirely, so you should help her with it. Any kind of dirt can create layers and lead to a mess, especially if your feline is long-haired cat. So, it’s up to you to keep your kitty clean and shiny.
If you have more than one cat than you have probably noticed that they groom each other often. Cats do this as a way to build mutual trust and show love and affection. By brushing your cat you are supporting her need for a companion, and overall you are building trust. Therefore, she will trust you more and show more affection as well.
How To Brush Your Cat?
Brushing should be enjoyable and comfortable both for you and your feline. So, make sure that you start slowly and arm yourself with a bunch of patience, because you gonna need it, especially if you are just introducing your feline to the brushing and grooming life. The first thing that you should bear in mind is that if your felines keep on refusing to be brushed, you shouldn’t force it. Instead, you should try brushing one section at different times of the day for as long as your cat allows you.
Brushing your cat in a nutshell:
- Start early – it is important to get your cat used to grooming and especially brushing from early ages. By doing so, your cat will learn to fancy brushing sessions.
- Find the right brush – test different brushes so you can find one that fits your feline the best. Always choose the brush that’s recommended to your cat’s coat length.
- Get your cat to know the brush – make sure that you keep brushes next to where your cat likes to nap or spend an excessive amount of time. This way your cat will get familiar with the brush and won’t look at it as a treat.
- Use human toothbrush – this is a great tool when you need to reach areas that are not easy to access, like areas around the ears.
- Start gently – start with gentle strokes so your cat can get used to it, and start with the back of the brush to get your cat used to the brush.
- Create peaceful environment – make sure that space or the room is silent and free of other stimulation such as children running around, dogs asking for attention, or any other noise.
- Reward her – give your cat treats or serve her food after the brushing session. This way she will learn to connect brushing with positive actions. Always end with a rub and a treat.
Brushing Tools
Having the right brushing tools is the basic step. If you get this one wrong, your feline will not be the fan of the brushing for sure. That being said, your brush should match the cat’s coat type. Basically, you need to find a soft-toothed flea comb for short-haired cats, while for medium-haired and long-haired cats you should look for longer brushes and a wide-toothed comb.
Moreover, having gloves or grooming mittens should be enough to remove loose hair and even check for fleas. Also, if your cat seems uncomfortable you may need to change your brush, or try different brushing style, or apply less pressure.
Quick Tip: To check for fleas and flea dirt, you should brush your cat opposite direction of the hair.
How Often Should I Brush My Cat – Key Takeaways
Yes, cats are great at grooming themselves but it doesn’t mean that they don’t need additional help from time to time. You probably had a chance to see two cats grooming each other for an excessive period of time, and that should be a clear indicator that your cat does need help occasionally. Also, by brushing your cat you will make your life much easier, especially during the shedding season.
For successful brushing, you will need a proper brush (for your cat’s coat length), silent surrounding, and a routine, as most cats require at least two times to be groomed during one week. This is a great way for you to bond with your feline as well. Therefore, brushing is a practical and emotional practice that you should use to the maximum.