Assitance with grooming for show

kai bengals

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Alright so I'm a complete newbie at this whole long haired cat thing. I need lots of help and advice on how to make sure my Maine Coon is properly prepared for his next show in 3 weeks.

I have on hand, a slicker brush, a steel comb, with extra spacing between the tines, Suave shampoo for degreasing and some fancy high end shampoo for bringing out shine and color for brunettes.

I have been told to wash him once with Sauve, then the fancy shampoo. Blow dry his hind quarters first, then his front and belly.

What else do I need and what am I already doing wrong?
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

Alright so I'm a complete newbie at this whole long haired cat thing. I need lots of help and advice on how to make sure my Maine Coon is properly prepared for his next show in 3 weeks.

I have on hand, a slicker brush, a steel comb, with extra spacing between the tines, Suave shampoo for degreasing and some fancy high end shampoo for bringing out shine and color for brunettes.

I have been told to wash him once with Sauve, then the fancy shampoo. Blow dry his hind quarters first, then his front and belly.

What else do I need and what am I already doing wrong?
I haven't read the standards for the Maine Coon but I'll tell you basically my show grooming routine.

The best degreaser that I've found (and many, many other persian owners) is Goop hand cleaner. They even make a groomers goop now but you can only order it online. The regular white Goop hand cleaner still works wonderfully. But if Suave works for you, go for it! But these are the steps I take:

Rub down thoroughly with Goop handcleaner (use lots and rub down to skin.) Some keep it on for 10-15 minutes. I never have and it still works great.

Rinse well with Warm water.

Lather with Dawn dishwashing liquid and rinse well.

Lather with regular shampoo (I use one for whites and one for blacks because Maxx is a bi black and white). Rinse well.

Rub down with conditioner. Leave on for a few minutes then rinse.

Final rinse with 1/2 C white vinegar to a gallon of water. (I don't use that much vinegar for every day.... just for the show bath) It helps restore pH and makes them squeeky clean and shiney.

Then I blow dry paying attention to the legs, belly and tail first. Note: A high velocity pet dryer works soooo much better! If you don't have one, you may want to consider buying one. I use the Metro Air Force pet dryer. It is made to not get hot enough to burn the cat and it blows hard enough that it does the combing out for you. Don't comb fur while wet. Move the dryer in little circles and point toward the growth point of the fur. Basically drying from the bottom up! Using the circle motion and drying from the skin up fluffs them up. Pay special attention to the back of legs and bottom of tail when drying. Many people forget these areas and then you end up with kinky, bunched up fur. It's important to lift the tail and thoroughly dry the back of it. That takes some getting used to on the part of the kitty!


After drying, I comb Maxx out with a medium tooth comb. The comb should not catch or pull, if dried well and with a pet dryer. Finish with a fine tooth comb. I use a flea comb on the face and legs/paws. I don't know many long haired cat owners who use slicker brushes on show cats but then again my experience has been mostly with Persian's and Persian owners. The slickers stretch the hairs and can damage them, making the ends split and resulting in a frizzy look.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. And feel free to ask if you have specific questions. Have you ever checked out PandEcats.com? They have a lot of expert grooming advice. A lot of it you have to pay for. I bought a year subscription and learned TONS!
I'd say a subscription is well worth the money!

This site specializes in Persian and exotics.
http://PanDCatsPanDCats

This is their sister site which deals with all breeds:
http://Show Cats OnlineShow Cats Online
 

sohni

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Wow. I bathed Tsekani with puppy shampoo once the day before the show and rubbed him mostly dry. Then I let him lay on me while he dried the rest of himself, after which I rubbed him with a knobbly rubber glove. That was the extent of my show routine plus cleaning the ears. He would never stay still for a blow dryer.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by Sohni

Wow. I bathed Tsekani with puppy shampoo once the day before the show and rubbed him mostly dry. Then I let him lay on me while he dried the rest of himself, after which I rubbed him with a knobbly rubber glove. That was the extent of my show routine plus cleaning the ears. He would never stay still for a blow dryer.
I guess it's a good thing he's a short hair!
Short haired cats are much easier, for sure!
 

missymotus

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A friend of mine has a MC kitten, she uses goop followed by dishwashing detergent and blows dry. That's all I know


Originally Posted by Sohni

That was the extent of my show routine plus cleaning the ears
And that's even more complicated than our routine, mine get a quick bum check as they're shoved in the carrier
They clean each others ears so I don't have to worry about that.
 

goldenkitty45

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I'll defer to the longhair "experts" for show grooming. I know pretty much how to groom AFTER the bath....lol
 
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kai bengals

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Thank-you! This is good information.


I've noticed his fur gets tangled looking, but actually isn't tangled. If I run the comb through it once a day, it smoothes right out. He has a very silky coat. So far I haven't used the slicker brush on him. Maybe I won't use it at all, I certainly don't want to damage his coat.

Originally Posted by mzjazz2u

I haven't read the standards for the Maine Coon but I'll tell you basically my show grooming routine.

The best degreaser that I've found (and many, many other persian owners) is Goop hand cleaner. They even make a groomers goop now but you can only order it online. The regular white Goop hand cleaner still works wonderfully. But if Suave works for you, go for it! But these are the steps I take:

Rub down thoroughly with Goop handcleaner (use lots and rub down to skin.) Some keep it on for 10-15 minutes. I never have and it still works great.

Rinse well with Warm water.

Lather with Dawn dishwashing liquid and rinse well.

Lather with regular shampoo (I use one for whites and one for blacks because Maxx is a bi black and white). Rinse well.

Rub down with conditioner. Leave on for a few minutes then rinse.

Final rinse with 1/2 C white vinegar to a gallon of water. (I don't use that much vinegar for every day.... just for the show bath) It helps restore pH and makes them squeeky clean and shiney.

Then I blow dry paying attention to the legs, belly and tail first. Note: A high velocity pet dryer works soooo much better! If you don't have one, you may want to consider buying one. I use the Metro Air Force pet dryer. It is made to not get hot enough to burn the cat and it blows hard enough that it does the combing out for you. Don't comb fur while wet. Move the dryer in little circles and point toward the growth point of the fur. Basically drying from the bottom up! Using the circle motion and drying from the skin up fluffs them up. Pay special attention to the back of legs and bottom of tail when drying. Many people forget these areas and then you end up with kinky, bunched up fur. It's important to lift the tail and thoroughly dry the back of it. That takes some getting used to on the part of the kitty!


After drying, I comb Maxx out with a medium tooth comb. The comb should not catch or pull, if dried well and with a pet dryer. Finish with a fine tooth comb. I use a flea comb on the face and legs/paws. I don't know many long haired cat owners who use slicker brushes on show cats but then again my experience has been mostly with Persian's and Persian owners. The slickers stretch the hairs and can damage them, making the ends split and resulting in a frizzy look.

If I think of anything else, I'll let you know. And feel free to ask if you have specific questions. Have you ever checked out PandEcats.com? They have a lot of expert grooming advice. A lot of it you have to pay for. I bought a year subscription and learned TONS!
I'd say a subscription is well worth the money!

This site specializes in Persian and exotics.
http://PanDCatsPanDCats

This is their sister site which deals with all breeds:
http://Show Cats OnlineShow Cats Online
 

sohni

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I was wondering if the bath was necessary, he didn't look or feel one bit different post bath to pre bath. I looked it up online though, and all the sites said to bath him.

I really need to bath my DLH HHP, he is white and black and his feet are cream coloured. They should be white too!
 

goldenkitty45

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I've always washed my cats prior to shows. You might want to try some Nexxus Simply Silver (great for whites) on your HHP's feet and use a toothbrush for scrubbing gently - try to let the shampoo (its purple) sit for a few mins before you wash it off.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by Kai Bengals

Thank-you! This is good information.


I've noticed his fur gets tangled looking, but actually isn't tangled. If I run the comb through it once a day, it smoothes right out. He has a very silky coat. So far I haven't used the slicker brush on him. Maybe I won't use it at all, I certainly don't want to damage his coat.
You're welcome! Like I said... that is just my routine. You can take any or none of the parts!
Your MC looks like he has a beautiful coat. And it probably isn't as important for the MC to look quite as fluffy etc. You may be able to get away with a scrub down with Dawn (or suave but I just really like Dawn), your brightening shampoo and then a conditioner and vinegar rinse. Probably the blow drying routine is the most important for a long hair. I have to do other things for Maxx such as sculpt his face (plucking and shaping) and shaping the tail etc.
 

goldenkitty45

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The only parts you "fluff" on a MC is the tail and a bit around the ruff. The body is combed down. I've noticed on MC's the tendency to have a slightly wavey coat around the ruff/chest
 

abymummy

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

The only parts you "fluff" on a MC is the tail and a bit around the ruff. The body is combed down. I've noticed on MC's the tendency to have a slightly wavey coat around the ruff/chest
Ruffs and tails should be fluffy indeed. And sorry GK, no, no waves allowed anywhere!

Having said all that...is TICA as particular about grooming as CFA is? For CFA, Coats on MCO accounts for 20 points which is a lot! Penalties for short, even coats and the coat should be shaggy yet smooth and silky.

If you need any of MY grooming secrets...shout out!
 
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kai bengals

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Originally Posted by Abymummy

If you need any of MY grooming secrets...shout out!
Adilah, you know I do!

Since with the bengals, there's really no show prep,
just a quick wipe down with a chamois and a bum check like Amanda said and off they go.
I did bathe Rome prior to one show, but it's not the norm for me.

So to say, I'm out of my element with showing this Maine Coon, is an understatement. I am however up to the challenge.


Teri and I have been grooming him daily and I believe I have his coat looking good. No oily spots, chin is nice and clean. No waves, no tangles in his belly fur or ruff. Tail looks fluffy at all times.

I'm concerned about messing all that up when I bathe him and have to dry him!
 

kitytize

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Both of my Somalis get the goop and dawn. One thing I was told and have learned is all cats are different so bathing for each cat is different. Reds are more greasy than ruddys so Veeshan is a lot easier to groom! After the goop and dawn Veeshan only gets one other shampoo and it is usually a voluminizing one. Kingston on the other hand is very greasy. He gets the goop and dawn and 2 other shampoos. After many many combinations I have finally found what works best for Kingston and it is goop,dawn, F1R2 Show Coat, and F1R2 All Seasons. So basically you can experiment with any voluminizing, clarifying, or greasy/oily shampoos. Rinse, rinse, and more rinse are very important. So if you think you are done rinsing Rinse again! Blow drying is also important. Do your best to blow dry them to 100% dry.
 
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