Curious about cat grooming?
If you’ve never owned a cat that needed grooming then you might be baffled by the concept of bathing a cat, especially because most people believe all cats hate water and bathing any cat is a dance with danger. Based on our experience and the hundreds of cat groomers with the National Cat Groomers Institute we find that’s just not true!
So we made a page full of some of this most common questions we get about cat grooming to get you started with re-framing and understanding the process and value of this hygiene-oriented service.
It’s true that cats spend 30-50% of their day licking/grooming themselves to remove dirt, dead hair, and oils from their coat. Some cats do a pretty good job too!
If you spent an hour in your garden and then came inside to eat lunch, would you lick your fingers and call them clean? Of course not! You would wash them with soap and water, or at least sanitize them.
We wash cats with specialized cat soap made for de-greasing and hot water to get them actually clean, which saliva just can’t do. A clean coat once it is dried can be easily brushed to remove the dead hair that may cause matting & hairballs if left to build up.
“Don’t cats clean themselves?”
This is a pretty common one but if you know… you know.
If you’ve ever had encountered a cat with endlessly shedding hair, matted and tangled fur, or long sharp nails then you’ve already encountered the #1 reason most cat owners seek out a cat groomer.
Cat hair has a very short life cycle. When the hair dies it attempts to remove itself from the coat so a new one can grow in -ideally this is shedding, but it can also form into matting if it is unable to fall from the coat. Cats lick themselves to remove this dead hair and maintain their coat to the best of their ability. The more oily and greasy a cat is, the more this hair will cling to the fur and struggle to release.
This grease and oil collection on the fur is why senior cats often matt up as they become unable to easily reach parts of their body, or why most cats matt on their bum/rump and behind their back legs.
“Why does a cat need grooming?”
Some cats don’t and some cats do ‘need’ grooming, however every cat can benefit from regular grooming.
Feral cats do get matted. The average lifespan of a house cat is 15-20 years, while a feral is 5-10 years. If you’re lucky to see a feral this old, you will see their fur clumped, dirty, and in some areas likely fully matted.
True wild cats with no ancestral history of domestication fair better, their fur is designed not to matt up tightly but to clump and form a dense undercoat that keeps them warm.
All of the domesticated house cats we’ve encountered do not share this trait due to the domestication of cats centered around appearance. When a domestic cats fur matts it forms into a tight clump that if left untreated can lead to skin issues, behavior changes, restricted movement, and in some cases where neglect has extended for years it can be dangerous to their health or even fatal.
“Why don’t feral cats/wildcats get matted without grooming?”
This isn’t really applicable, since most people don’t own a wildcat, but it does get asked a lot.
There are plenty of reasons to shave a cat and while opinions on the validity of these reasons vary person to person, here are a few reasons our clients have requested their cat shaved:
A cat struggling with overheating may have their belly or full body shaved to help regulate their temperate better.
A cat that has long fur may be shaved to prevent it from matting up and tangling, especially in the belly and sanitary area. Shaving reduces the amount of maintance needed to prevent this.
A cat that has skin conditions may be shaved to apply medicines or monitor hot-spots and other skin conditions including fleas which are very difficult to remove from a long haired cat without shaving.
A cat that sheds a lot may be shaved to reduce the amount of shedding and greatly help those in their family who may have allergies to cats.
“Why would you ever shave a cat?!”
Different cats and owners have different needs. Were not here to judge, we are here to help.
If your cat is coming to the groomers every 4-6 weeks, then you do not have to brush or groom them in between appointments.
If your cat is coming less frequently then every 6 weeks, yes you should be brushing your cat daily to prevent matting and help them remove built up hair. There are specific tools best suited for different types of coats.
Feel free to call us and book an appointment for a person recommendation on which tools would be best for your cat. We sell a large variety hand-picked for different coat types.
Some cats fair just fine without grooming for most of their life -especially short haired cats which have very low maintainance coats. We see a lot of these cats who only need grooming assistance once in a while or as they get older -and were happy to help!
“Do I have to brush or groom my cat at home in between appointments?”
This depends on what kind of cat you have and how often you are having them groomed.
Your cat will smell and feel different after a bath or shave and they will have had to leave their home for a bit to attend grooming -these may not seem like a big deal to you but to your cat they’re huge changes!
The most common stress reactions post-groom are low or no appetite, minimal drinking, hissing at other animals or owners, hiding, and inssessant grooming.
After you return from your grooming appointment, give your cat 48 hours to calm down at home. Try not to fret about them or pull them out of hiding because this will cause more stress -just let them relax, sleep, and lick themselves to reset their natural scent.
If your cat is acting strangely after your groom, call our salon and let us know. We will make a note in your cats file for next time and can discuss options to minimize stress even more such as mild sedation or express services.
If your cat continues to act strangely past 48 hours or does not use the litter box within 24 hours, contact your veterinarian.
“Why is my cat acting differently after their groom or being hissed at by my other cats?”
The simple answer is that cats do not like change and being groomed involves a lot temporary changes.
“Won’t a bath stress my cat out?”
In most cases the idea of bathing your cat likely stresses you out more then the cat. We’re not stressed about it and the cats can tell!
Yes a bath might stress your cat out, just like going to the dentist might stress your cat groomer out. But it’s essential to the health of many cats that they be groomed on a regular schedule so that they do not become matted, which will severely affect their quality of life.
People are often surprised to hear that our heavily practiced and researched methods of low-stress cat grooming work so well 90% tolerate being bathed and blow-dried by a professional fantastically and even enjoy some parts of the groom -particularly the hot water and brushing.
Some cats even come to enjoy the entire grooming process as it involves warmth, attention, good scratches, and often treats! They understand that they feel great after a groom and they aren’t afraid to strut their stuff around the house afterwords. We have plenty of cats that finish their groom as complete love-bugs.
