7 Mistakes to Avoid When Brushing A Cat for Beginners

Cat likes to keep himself hygiene and takes half of his waking time to groom his hair, either directly using his barbed tongue or paws that have been damped by his saliva. Even that, cat’s capability to clean himself has its limitation. For this reason, it is necessary for the cat owner to give further treatment, particularly in regard to feline’s fur.

Some new cat owners who are still not familiar with this four-legged animal may have less experience of how to take care of them, especially when it comes to brushing their hair. The lists below show you some common mistakes you should avoid when brushing your cat, for beginners in particular. You might also want to read these:

1. Choosing the wrong equipment

Most people will take false equipment when they brush their cat without knowing its implication. Therefore, you should know that brushes used specifically for grooming cat have different shapes and purposes. They are made to follow different characteristic of the various type of cats.

The length and the thickness of your cat’s hair should be the main guidance when picking the right tools. Using a brush with short teeth on the longhaired cat will not give the desired result, since it cannot reach the bottom of the coat. On the contrary, combing a shorthaired cat using a brush with long teeth might inflict an injury on the cat’s skin.

2. Brushing in the wrong direction

Brushing has its own method too since each cat needs different care. It may not be known and receives less attention from many cat owners, but you must know where you have to move the brush. Either moving upward against the flow of the coat or going down following the direction of the hair, most people will immediately adopt the latter. However, it is not always the right decision. It is indeed become a suitable approach to handle your shorthaired cat. Yet cats with the long and thick coat may leave some unattainable tangle after such attempt, making the effort ineffective.

It has to be noted though; some cats do not like the brushing against the natural direction as it gives more force than the other method. Therefore, your cat may deliver you a nasty scratch or bite if you persist. In the end, you have to consider this when deciding the right brushing direction.

3. Partial brushing

Skipping some areas of the cat is a common mistake that you should avoid when brushing them. Many cats owner only brush some areas around cat’s back and leave other sensitive parts, such as the back of ears and legs, untouched. Therefore, upon the lack of treatment, these places may gradually produce mats and tangles, which are subtle enough to be noticed as they are mixed with the coat. They can also appear if you do not give proper brushing on your cat’s fur, even if the grooming is done regularly. Mats can significantly affect your beloved pet. It will irritate the cat’s skin in which it pulls the skin as he moves.

You should also take care of the inside of cat’s ears, nails and hair between paws for the complete grooming. These parts are frequently left uncared for, yet they can possess serious implication.

4. Brushing after a bath

Cat owners may question themselves whether brushing should be done before a bath or vice versa. Some of them decide the former and the rest make the wrong choice. Cat’s fur, especially for those with long hair, is prone to mats that become worse after the contact with water. Hence, they are better to be removed before taking your cat to the bath. In addition, brushing before a bath can help to remove much loose hair. As the result, there will be less fallen hair while bathing and the shampoo can easily make its way to your cat’s skin.

5. Neglecting regular schedule

The most important yet easily forgotten mistake. While an absence occurs in the usual schedule of brushing, cats might possess other serious problems besides mats and tangles. Hence, once you are dedicated to providing brushing for your cat, you should not make any halt. Moreover, you have to learn when your cat is in need of the habitual care.

There is a distinct treatment when it comes to the time for brushing between shorthaired and longhaired cats. The short one only needs one to three times a week, while it can take one until two a day for the longhaired. The time might even increase when the shedding season begins.

6. Unsuccessful attempt to remove mats

Matted hair is surely a hindrance during the brushing process. It is common for people to take it away at the time they found one. Some are easy to be removed, some are not. Using a brute force or pointed object such as scissors to dispose of the adhered mats may result in severe injury on your pet’s skin. Another result is your cat might not want to be brushed again. You are better to bring your cat to the professional groomer if this happens. Ultimately, it can be prevented by giving routine grooming.

7. Depend solely on the cat’s self-treatment

There is no denying that a cat can spend most of the time cleaning himself. Despite that, it cannot be used as a reason to not supply additional care. As what have been said before, cats need a helping hand. They cannot do all the grooming tasks on their own.

Even within the family, a mother cat often licks her offsprings until a month. The kittens then continue the habit as they begin to groom their selves and each other. Besides the purpose of removing dirt, it is believed that the routine is able to strengthen their bond and imparts comfort.

For this reason, it is necessary for a cat owner to brush his own pet, for it does not only benefit the cleanness of the cat, but also its trust in its owner. Although it cost your patience, keeping regular brushing as well as teaching your cat to stay calm during the grooming will create a less weary experience when the next session occurs. It also offers you a good opportunity to check for unnoticed fleas and injury and helps you prevent mats and tangles. Therefore, it will reduce the amount of hair that cat swallowed upon doing the self-treatment treatment.

Hafizh Alfarisi