2022 Guide to Caring for Your Kitten: Grooming, Health, and Happiness

How to care for a kitten’s fur? Although your cat is very beautiful, she is much more than just a beautiful snout. Cats not only have an amazing coat, but also a biological nature to care for.

How to Take Care Kittens? Rough tongues are like small brushes, with them the cat removes dead hair and distributes fat throughout the fur. Cats are also smart enough to know that if these biologically innate care measures aren’t enough, such as lumps form or fur entangles, your help can be expected.

Kitten fur care

How to Take Care Kittens? The kitten’s fur needs to be cared for not only to make it look good – combing removes dead hair, helps maintain the health of the fur and skin, establishes a closer connection with the pet, and is also an opportunity to check his general health.

Combing is an important part of kitten care, but its coat is softer, fluffier, and shorter, so compared to adult cats, it will only take a few moments to comb it. If a kitten gets used to combing regularly from an early age, it will be much easier to care for later and easier for both of you. It’s good that most cats really like the gentle attention they get when combing, and as soon as they see a brush or comb in your hands, usually, the cats will just have to run to comb.

Combing the kitten

Long or short coat

Whether you need to comb your kitten thoroughly often depends usually on his coat. A short-haired cat is usually only combed once a week, and a long-haired cat will need to be cared for daily and with the right tools – ask the breeder or cat hairdresser for advice on how to care for a particular breed of cat’s fur.

Long-haired breeds of cats need more care, they need to be combed for longer, so it is worth combing such a cat on a non-slip table surface to make it more comfortable for both of you.

Try to get used to combing even a small kitten. Head to the table where you want to comb the already adult cat, and praise and pamper as much as possible with one or more delicacies. He will soon associate this place with combing and rewarding delicacies.

How to comb a kitten

• Put the kitten on its knees and give it a sniff brush. Convinced that it is safe, the kitten will rub his muzzle into it.

• Start combing gently. Start from the back and swipe to the sides.

• Speaking quietly in a calming voice – praise your kitten as good as possible.

• Every few minutes, when you stop combing, pat it to feel even more pampered. You can give a treat as a special reward.

• Repeat this procedure several times a day, combing longer and longer.

• Once your cat is used to this sensation and its combing is no longer disturbed, you can start combing your tummy, tail, ears and other sensitive areas.

• Comb very gently and the first hours of cat care should be very short. No need to rush, most importantly, make the cat feel calm. When you notice that she is bored or anxious, stop touching sensitive areas and just comb her back.

While your cat is calm and enjoying this procedure, take advantage of this time and quickly see if she is healthy. Here are some things you can do to inspect at home:

• Touch the paws and gently inspect the nails and fingers. First, inspect one nail to get it used to it, and as much as you can praise, you can even pay off for a treat. For the next few hours of combing, try inspecting two nails, then more, slowly develop your pet’s pedicure skills until he responds completely calmly.

• If your pet continues to growl at the end of the care hour, try to carefully inspect the inside of the ears and gently open your mouth to inspect your teeth and palate.

• Always end your kitten’s care hour with a nice sip and caress – he really deserves it!

How to shorten a kitten’s nails

When crawling into a tree or sharpening a nail in a scraper, a cat can throw off the outer layer of a nail, but don’t be scared – it’s normal! All cats are accustomed to scratching. Their nails are layered, so if the outer layer comes off, a brand new sharp lower nail is revealed (sometimes you’ll find the outer nail shells near your favorite scratch points). If your cat is active and healthy, walking outdoors, you probably won’t need to shorten her nails. However, domestic and older cats will sometimes need to trim their nails – shortening the cat’s or kitten’s nails is a common care procedure.

How to shorten a kitten’s nails

• Train your kitten from an early age during the nail shortening procedure. It is best to start getting used to this procedure by simulating a nail haircut – just click the cat’s finger to reveal the nail, then offer some delicacy or praise.

• To shorten the nails of a cat or kitten, it is important to know how to do it correctly. After all, you would least want to cause the animal pain, cut through the blood, or cut a sensitive area of ​​the nail. Your vet will be happy to show you how to shorten your nails properly and check to see if you are paying for it, and if you don’t themselves shorten the cat’s nails, he will do it for you.

• Inspect your cat’s nails once a week, as well as your thumb, the one on the inside of your foot, just below your wrist. It rarely touches the ground, so it often overgrows, especially in older cats.

• When inspecting your cat’s nails, inspect the paw pads and toes to make sure they are healthy and clean.

• Like humans, cats can grow nails. If you suspect that your nail is growing in your paw, talk to your veterinarian as he may need your help.

Additional weekly cat and kitten examinations

Not only do you need to comb your fur and take care of your nails, but you also need to take care of a few more things to make your cat feel really good.

• Check that your cat’s ears are clean and do not smell bad. If they are dirty, have an unpleasant odor, are red, or if your cat keeps shaking his head, contact your veterinarian. A common problem is ear mites, especially if the cats are younger.

• Swipe your hand across your cat’s entire body. Look for any scratches, bumps, lumps, or sore spots. If you are worried about anything, contact your veterinarian.

• Check your cat’s eyes and nose, and contact your veterinarian if you notice any discharge or redness.

• Inspect the cat’s tail. It must be clean. If it is dirty or shows signs or worms of worms, visits a veterinarian.

• Finally, rub the coat in front of the hair with your hand and shave it. Check the hair roots for signs of parasites or dirt from fleas (black dots). You can protect your animal from infections by taking regular measures against fleas, and if you have not been able to take care of them, your veterinarian will advise you on how to eradicate them.

Bathing a cat or kitten

Most cats live a life without bathing, but sometimes the cat has to be washed. If you need to treat a skin condition or clean your fur after a stomach upset, as well as a wash if you have smeared anything by exploring the area, your cat may need a special shampoo.

While it is common to think otherwise, some cats love to swim endlessly, especially if they have occasionally had the opportunity to enjoy a warm bath from an early age. If your cat doesn’t let you bathe in any way, the cat hairdresser will be happy to do it for you. However, if you want to bathe yourself, use these few tips to keep bathing out of trouble.

• Check the water temperature carefully. If the water is too hot, you will scald your skin, and if it is too cold, your cat may feel uncomfortable or even get sick.

• When bathing, make sure your cat feels good and praised, and calm as much as possible. It will come in handy and pamper you, and it will be much easier if another person helps you, especially if the cat tries to escape!

• Make sure your cat doesn’t start to worry. Some cats are very afraid to swim, so be careful not to bite or scratch them. If you are worried, consult a specialist animal hairdresser.

• Be sure to use only cat shampoo and read if you need to wait a while before rinsing (this may be the case if the shampoo is therapeutic). Be careful not to get the shampoo in sensitive areas such as the eyes or ears.

• If your cat is very scared to bathe, try to wash only those areas that are absolutely necessary to keep her in the bath for as short a time as possible.

• Rinse her coat thoroughly to remove any shampoo residue.

• Then pat dry with a warm towel and leave in a comfortable place until the coat dries. It is better not to use the hairdryer if the cat is not used to it from an early age – the dryer can scare the cat.

• If you keep more than one cat, they may get stuck after bathing, especially when they are under a lot of stress. Separate the bathed cats until they calm down, then wipe them all off with the same towel to distribute their scents.