Cat coat care: Silky fur for gentle paws
No matter if you have a long-haired Persian cat or a short-haired house cat: good coat care for cats is the foundation of healthy skin. Every day, your cat's body produces new hairs while old, dead hairs are shed. Well-groomed fur not only looks beautiful, but also stimulates blood circulation in the skin, helps prevent parasite infestations and makes it easier for you to spot skin problems early on. Regular brushing also prevents your cat from swallowing too much hair.
Even though your feline friend cleans her coat several times a day with her rough tongue, you can support her coat care with a few tips and tricks.
The right brush
To find the right brush for your cat, you should know how your cat's fur is actually structured. Like many animals, cats have what is called guard hair, with undercoat underneath. Depending on the breed, the undercoat is more or less dense—the guard hair longer or shorter. In any case, it's important to have the right equipment for cat fur. The hair structure differs greatly from that of human hair, so you should keep your hands off your own brush when it comes to coat care.
Depending on the length of the fur, you will need different brushes and combs. While short-haired cats manage with simple, soft brushes, Angoras may need a brush with metal bristles. The best approach is a combination of soft and firmer brushes: with the latter, you can remove loose hairs, while the former ensures smooth fur. Cat combs help to loosen major tangles. Ideally, these should be made of wood as plastic can cause unpleasant static in the fur.
Shedding season—year after year
All cat parents know it: when your home and clothes are covered in a sea of cat hair and even the best team of vacuum cleaner and lint roller can't keep up, it's a sure sign that the next shedding season is just around the corner. Twice a year, your feline friend changes her coat between the light summer coat and a thick, warm winter coat. This change occurs in spring and autumn and is basically the normal hair growth cycle in cats—just in an accelerated form.
During the approximately 8-week shedding period, especially intensive care is necessary. You should brush your cat at least once a day during this time—long-haired breeds even more often. Besides brushing, you can also support your feline friend nutritionally. Healthy oils like salmon or linseed oil usually have a positive effect on shedding and coat health. You can feed these oils to your cat all year round to help prevent coat and skin problems.
Give this a try!
Stress-free coat care—here's how
To make sure daily coat care doesn't become a stressful ordeal for your house cat, you should get them used to the procedure gradually. Grabbing your cat and brushing away is not a good idea, as these gentle creatures are usually skeptical of new things.
Let your feline friend sniff the brushes and combs thoroughly at first. Meanwhile, you can pet her or associate the contact with a treat so your cat links these items with a good feeling. Then carefully start to run a soft brush through your cat's fur without applying pressure. If she seems unsure or avoids the situation, try again later. Only reward your cat with a treat at the end if she allows herself to be brushed without running away.
To make it as pleasant as possible for your cat, you should never brush against the direction of hair growth. Apply as little pressure as possible, as harder bristles in particular can cause injuries. If your furry friend is new to your home, you should first earn their trust before you start brushing. Once your cat gets used to it, coat care is a perfect opportunity to strengthen the bond with your pet and regularly spoil her with a massage.
