Grooming

Regular grooming is essential for your cat's good health. A glossy, beautiful coat is a sign of your cat's overall health and well-being. It not only helps your cat to look its best, it helps you avoid more complicated problems like parasites and skin diseases. Most cats do a credible job of keeping themselves clean, but they'll need your help when it comes to preventing matted hair and fur balls, and in detecting problems with their eyes or ears. If your cat is not used to being groomed, start with a gentle combing in areas that it seems to enjoy and gradually work up to a full grooming session.

Shedding and Hairballs
Some cats end up swallowing a large amount of hair when they groom themselves.  This hair can wad up inside the cat, forming a large hairball.  This large ball can block, or partially block, the cat's intestines, making him feel generally lousy.  Symptoms include lethargy, vomiting and/or lack of appetite. To minimize hairballs, brush your cat thoroughly and regularly or try a commercial hairball remedy, closely following package directions.  Visit your vet for the correct recommendation and treatment.

Brushing and Combing
For shorthair cats, we recommend grooming once a week with a natural bristle brush and a fine-tooth comb. For Siamese and other breeds without an undercoat, you can substitute a rubber brush for the natural bristled one. Longhair cats require more frequent grooming, usually 3-5 times a week unless it is an outdoor cat. Then, every day is likely to be necessary. In order to properly groom your longhair, you will need a wire brush, a wide-tooth comb and a fine-tooth flea comb.  
Keep in mind that if you choose a long haired cat, you should also choose to keep her well groomed. If the hair gets matted, start by untangling your longhair with a fine-tooth comb or mat splitter. Carefully untangle mats, working toward the skin, not away from it.
Next, use long, gentle strokes to brush your cat from the nose to the tip of the tail. Remove as much dead and loose fur as possible. If necessary, rub your cat's coat with a nylon stocking to remove static electricity.
Finally, give your cat the once over by running your hands over your cat's body, looking for any unusual lumps or sensitive spots.  If you fail to keep your longhaired cat groomed, it may be necessary to have her shaved to get rid of the mats.  

Bathing
In general, you should not have to bathe your cat, as they are very good at keeping themselves clean. However, should bathing be necessary, use only warm water and mild soap, preferably a cat shampoo. Rinse your cat thoroughly, dry it well with towels and keep it away from drafts until fully dried and fluffy, as cats can easily catch cold. If possible, use two tubs or a double sink to speed up the bathing process.

Reasons you might need to bathe your cat are:

• Poison on its fur
• She doesn't take care of her coat as she should
• You are allergic and need to minimize allergens
• You are about to show your cat
• He needs a flea, tick, or lice dip
• Your cat has a lot of dandruff
• Kitty has had an encounter with a skunk
• Bad weather has left him unusually dirty

Trimming Claws
All cats need their claws trimmed on a regular basis unless they need their claws for protection (such as many outdoor cats) or if they have been declawed. In fact, keeping your cats nails trimmed on a regular basis may eliminate the pet owners desire to declaw their pet. If your cat's claws start snagging �?on fabric or on you �?it's a good indication that they need clipping. A pair of clippers designed especially for cats should be used and are available at pet stores. 

Never use regular scissors as they can crush and injure your cat's claw. Since most cats will struggle when you clip their claws, it is wise to wear long sleeves and pants and wait until the cat is sleepy. If your cat is especially reluctant to have its claws clipped, you might need someone to hold it for you, while you do the clipping. Otherwise, begin by holding your cat in your lap or on the floor between your knees. Make sure there is sufficient lighting and that you are familiar with the way the claws look. 

Pin the cat to your side with your arm and hold one of its front paws in your hand. Gently press on one toe until the claw pops into full view. Clip it, being careful not to cut into the quick, the slightly pinkish area containing nerves and blood vessels. When in doubt, trim less of the nail or take the cat to your veterinarian to have this done. Repeat with the next toe and so on. Don't forget the dewclaws �?found only on the front paws �?located right about where humans would have there thumbs.

Ear Cleaning
Since dirt and debris seems to collect primary in a cat's ears, it is important to check them at least once bi-weekly. If your cat's ears need cleaning, use a piece of cotton or cotton swab moistened with hydrogen peroxide. Be careful not to go deeper into the ear than what you can see and never apply the peroxide directly into the ear. Consult your vet if you find deeply lodged earwax or redness and black spots - which may be an indication of mites.

Eye Care
Cats' eyes usually require little maintenance.  Some of the shorter nosed breeds, in particular Persians, may need the folds under their eyes wiped out on a daily basis with a cotton swab.  It's a good idea to keep plenty of clean cotton balls on hand and use a moistened one to remove any discharge from around the eye area.  Have your veterinarian or groomer show you what is needed.

Dental Care
Cats, like humans, need dental care on a regular basis. Bad teeth are painful and can affect the overall health of your cat. You can help minimize or prevent dental problems for your cat through regular cleaning and scaling as the most common problems are a result of plaque and calculus buildup. If left unchecked, this build up can cause inflammation of both the gums (gingivitis) and the membrane lining of the tooth socket (periodontitis). Without proper treatment, the teeth may become infected and fall out. The resulting infection may spread to other parts of the body such as the kidneys or heart valves.
Brush your cat's teeth regularly using a toothbrush and toothpaste designed especially for cats or a child-sized toothbrush dampened and rubbed with baking soda. Do not use toothpaste formulated for humans as your cat will swallow it and it may cause an upset stomach. If your cat is reluctant, use a bathtowel as a restrainer or try putting a little bit of tuna juice on the toothbrush.
Most cats tend to accumulate plaque on the outside of their upper teeth. Brush the outer surfaces of your cat's teeth with a gentle, circular motion. When your cat becomes used to this type of cleaning, try brushing the inner surfaces. Do this by gently pushing back on the corners of the jaws and tilting back the head.
If your cat has red, swollen, or bleeding gums, bad breath, dark spots on his molars, chronic runny nose, loses weight, or is reluctant to eat, you should contact your vet immediately.
Finally, though there is no substitute for regular dental care, dry, crunchy foods can help to keep your cat's teeth clean.