How to Keep Your Cat's Fur Sleek and Healthy

Keeping your pet healthy requires some time and effort on your part. Cats are generally very clean as they take to licking themselves which, for the most part, keeps their fur quite clean. However, there are times when it will need to be cleaned. Here are some suggestions for simple cat fur health, as well as some other tips on keeping your cat healthy and well groomed.

Brushing will keep the fur and skin healthy

Unless your cat has no fur at all you will want to make sure that you take some time to keep the fur well brushed. Not only does this keep the fur from getting matted and knotted, it helps keep your cat's skin healthy as well. Brushing your cat daily can help remove excess fur and will also help cut down on hair balls. When a cat's coat is healthy it will look shiny and smooth; no bare patches. Brushing regularly will also help you keep an eye on sore spots within the skin and you can get them to a vet if you need to.

Shaving is another option

If you have one of those cats that absolutely hates being brushed you can always take them to a groomer and have them shaved. Brushing will keep the fur from getting tangles, but if they hate it you're going to end up with dirty and matted fur. It's much easier to take them in and have them shaved; generally every 6 months. It may look funny for the first little while but will save you time on bathing and especially fleas. Talk with your vet to see if shaving is something you should do for your cat if they don't like brushing.

Brushing regularly keeps a healthy coat.

Watch for fleas

Fleas can be a problem with any pet you own, not just cats. And although cats are fairly clean themselves they have been found to get fleas from other animals or being outside. You may notice that your cat is scratching or biting her fur a lot. They may have fleas, or they may just have flea dirt (flea poop). In order to keep her fur healthy and clean you need to address this problem immediately. You can buy flea shampoos and combs from any pet store, or take them to a professional to get them treated professionally.

Give your cat an occasional bath

Cats don't require bathing every day basically because they take good care of themselves as it is. Most cats actually pride themselves on their appearance, which is why they keep themselves so well groomed. There are certain times however that your cat will require a bath no matter how much the chore is dreaded. If your cat has been outside a lot and seems to have an excessive coat of dirt on them you will want to try and bathe them to get rid of it. Animals can sometimes get things stuck to their fur that can poison them or stick to their fur without a good bath. The other time you want to give your cat a bath is if and when you find fleas on your cat, as we have already discussed.

Keeping your cat's fur healthy definitely takes some extra work on your part and will also require you to take care of the rest of their body as well. Keeping their eyes, ears, and nose clean, as well as paws, and proper diet. These all contribute to a healthy cat and a healthy coat.

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