Depending on your breed of cat, grooming can be an almost daily task. Groom your kitten properly with these must-have accessories and have them looking ready for the catwalk!
Suitable brush or comb
While it’s quite easy to brush a short hair breed of cat, brushing your long-haired kitten can be quite tricky! Getting the correct brush and/or comb is therefore important if you want to make sure that you get rid of all the dead, loose hair.
For a short hair, just about any kitten or cat comb or brush will do, even a grooming glove, if they prefer. A long hair, for instance a Persian kitten, will need to have their undercoat brushed as well to make sure that all the loose hair is removed. The removal of this hair will also make sure that your kitten don’t get — or don’t get as many — hairballs.
For your long hair, look for brushes or combs that have fine teeth and that state that they also brush the undercoat. A detangling comb or brush for your long hair is also a very handy item to have in your kitten grooming arsenal. Using one of these on any tangles will ensure that you remove it with as little discomfort to your kitten as possible, and also means that you won’t have to get out the scissor to get rid of it!
Toothbrush and toothpaste
To keep your kitten’s teeth healthy, start getting them used to having their teeth brushed when they are still young (much easier than trying to start when they’re already an adult!). Use a toothbrush and toothpaste that is specifically for kittens and cats and never use human toothpaste.
Shampoo
There are some cat breeds, for instance the Sphinx, who needs to be bathed to get rid of a build-up of oils on their skin. However, there may be other time that you need to bathe your kitten. When this is the case, always use a shampoo specially formulated for them and never human shampoo. No, not even human baby shampoo.
There is now also dry shampoo available for cats, which can be a great help if you need to get your kitty clean but you don’t want to immerse them in water.
Cat wipes
Another great help for keeping your kitten clean, is cat wipes. Simply wipe away any dirt or dust (you never know what sudden showers the weather may bring!) and then leave your kitten to their normal wash. These are especially handy when you bring your kitten in from playtime in their cat enclosure and you quickly want to clean their paws.
A towel
Whether you’re bathing your cat or not, having a towel on your lap or underneath your kitten while grooming will catch all the stray hairs, making cleaning up afterwards so much easier for you!
A flea comb
Fleas can be an absolute nightmare — especially on kittens. If your kitten picked up fleas and you need to get rid of them, a flea comb is an absolute must-have.
A treat or two
Your kitten definitely won’t mind a treat (or two) during the whole grooming process to show them what a good kitten they’re being. You can also give them a treat once the grooming is done, which will become a signal to them that they are free to go play again.
Scratching post
Kittens, just like adult cats, need to look after their claws and a scratching post is the best way to go about this.
Photo by Pixabay.
