bath or grooming..?????

so i have a question about grooming..?? i am new to the whole mommy kitty thing.. well sorta i had a cat "lilly" when i was younger but i was to young to know everything so she was just your typical house cat.. but anyways, with my Jack and Wiskey i want them to have everything a cat should have, like normal grooming.. if nessacary.. they are both short hair kittys and im not to sure if i need to bath them once in awhile or get there fur cut at all..?? i've always had dogs my whole life so i know they need a trim now and then and a bath every so often.. but, i really wanna be a great mommy to my babies so please let me know..

A short hair kitty never needs a hair trim. You can bathe occasionally if they'll let you, but more so than anything just trim their nails on a regular basis and comb out dead coat when they're shedding.

nice.. so i have been doing everything right for them.. i cip theyre nails once i feel them dig in to me.. and i hve tafted brushing them more due to the weathr and the season breaking throug.. thank you so much..

If they are shorthair cats, then NEVER should be trimmed - no reason to do so. You can bathe them every few months (like 3 times a year) if you want. I show cats, so mine are bathed as kittens and before each show.

I do have a non-show cat, and she gets a bath 2-3 times a year just to keep used to it in case its necessary.

As far as nails - mine are checked and clipped as necessary every week.

Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

If they are shorthair cats, then NEVER should be trimmed - no reason to do so.

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Never say never. Cats can get themselves into the weirdest circumstances - ie, glue, tape, paint, etc (house remodeling with curious cats....).

The only time short hairs will get a mat is if there is something in the fur. Barring situations like that, there's not enough fur to worry about.

Bathing a cat is completely up to the individual. Some bathe their cats more often due to allergies. Just know that whenever there's a home with more than one cat, when you wash one cat you generally have to wash the other so they'll smell alike.

Hi,

personally I don't think cats should be bathed unless there's a very good reason to do so or they hopp in under the shower at their own free will. For cats scents are very important and so naturally their own scent is important to them, too. Taking that away from them doesn't seem fair to me.

I've never had a short haired cat who needed baths- even though they are indoor/ outdoor kitties they always smell very faintly and nicely of cat and have all been able to keep their coats in pristine order.

regards,

Christine

hum... i have a long haired kitten who's brothers are both short hair... he starts to get weird tufts in between his toes... its not litter, ive been cleaning that out no problem.. but should i trim that area? He is brushed every morning after we do some training but this whole kitten thing is new to me...
and doesnt clipping their nails hurt them? Should i try to just file them instead?

Toe tuffs on a long hair or even a medium hair cat are completely normal. Again, unless you're showing the cat you just leave these alone. The only negative thing that will cause is your cat to slide a bit more on a smooth surface - my long hair kitty actually enjoys this, as I suspect most cats do.

With clipping it depends on the clippers you use. Some will cause more pressure and don't cut as cleanly. These can cause some discomfort but unless you clip too short and cut the quick, there should be no pain.
I've never seen a cat actually tolerate claw filing - it probably catches and feels odd to them.

Originally Posted by Booger

hum... i have a long haired kitten who's brothers are both short hair... he starts to get weird tufts in between his toes... its not litter, ive been cleaning that out no problem.. but should i trim that area? He is brushed every morning after we do some training but this whole kitten thing is new to me...

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Hi,

don't trim that area if he's got no problems with the tuffts being dirty. Tuffts on a kitties feet are soo cute

Originally Posted by Booger

and doesnt clipping their nails hurt them? Should i try to just file them instead?

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I'd also recomend clipping the nails- if done correctly with a cat nail clipper this is as painless as having your own finger nails clipped

If you're not sure about how to do this ask your vet to show you how it is done, but it's really not very hard. If your kitty is impatient do one paw at a time

Personally I wouldn't clipp a cats nails unless it is necessary- which is when a cat starts getting caught up with its claws. If your cat uses a scratching post this might not be the case at all.

regards,

Christine

Originally Posted by cjh27

Personally I wouldn't clipp a cats nails unless it is necessary- which is when a cat starts getting caught up with its claws. If your cat uses a scratching post this might not be the case at all.

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Many people think that scratching posts dull a cats claws when they really don't. Cats use them to help remove the old outer sheaths from their claws and actually sharpen them.

Personally I believe one should always trim their indoor cats claws and not wait till the cat has snagged itself in some item around the house. Some cats can panic with this happens and tear their claw (or even tear it out) or possibly break a toe if they struggle enough. I've had a close call with Tomas because his claws grow so quickly.
It's also a good idea to keep those claws trimmed because you simply never know when your cat is going to launch itself on or off you (a good example is the day before yesterday for me - my Tomas was sitting on my lap in the living room and I had the big door open when someone walked up and rang the door bell. It really spooked him and I would have ended up shredded had I not clipped his claws recently!).

Ok Strange, I stand to be corrected - however, as a general rule (barring the weird circumstance) a shorthair cat doesn't need to be shaved down.

I have a cat that has long beautiful hair. His winter coat was so pretty and now his coat has developed matts...I have tried brushing him and cannot get them out...Any ideas out there that might help him?

Originally Posted by Cricketsman05

I have a cat that has long beautiful hair. His winter coat was so pretty and now his coat has developed matts...I have tried brushing him and cannot get them out...Any ideas out there that might help him?

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You could try using a soft slicker brush. Hold the mat over your hand and take short fast strokes on the mat to brush out. This is time consuming but usually works them out without losing any coat. Another option is to take scissors and make a cut through the mat then use the slicker brush the same way to demat. This will lose some of the coat in that spot but shouldn't be too noticeable. Or you can cut the mats out, leaving some patches to regrow, or take the kitty to be shaved down and start over if it's too badly matted. If you don't want the matting to start in the future daily combing should do the trick. Brushes often don't reach down into the coat so mats start regardless of brushing.

Originally Posted by Cricketsman05

I have a cat that has long beautiful hair. His winter coat was so pretty and now his coat has developed matts...I have tried brushing him and cannot get them out...Any ideas out there that might help him?

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http://www.thecatsite.com/forums/sho...ight=kizzy+mat

That should help you. I ended up having to carefully cut the mat out. The thread above lists some safety recommendations and how I cut it out.

Brushing a cats fur long or short helps keep kitty from swallowing too much hair while they groom, this will help lessen fur balls in the tummy. A bath removes a cats sent only for a short time, just like it removes a humans sent for a short time. Nothing wrong with a bath for anyone. I have 1 short and 2medium and 1 with ultra fine long hair, complete with tuffts between toes, at the back of the ears, long feathers on both sets of legs, and long fur on belly. He gets his back legs shaved by the groomer 3 times a year, and I clip under his front arms to avoid matts. I trim feet and any other area to help him not drag litter through the house, it also stops him from eatting the litter he pulls out with his teeth. Less junk in his tummy to cause problems.

I wouldn't bathe a short haired cat if I had one. Unless they got into something, of course. And the only way I'd have anything trimmed would be if they kept getting poo stuck around their rear. A domestic, short haired cat should be able to take pretty good care of themselves.