Cats are typically fastidious groomers, spending numerous hours a day grooming themselves. Grooming keeps them clean and helps keep their skin and coat healthy by promoting oil circulation from the skin throughout the hairs. It also helps reduce loss, comparable to when humans comb our hair. You'll likely notice your cat increase their grooming sessions during the cold weather. However, your cat might need additional human grooming to keep up with the other fur throughout the winter.
Winter is a good time of year. You can watch snowfall while sipping your favorite hot beverage in cute cat mugs while you and your cat are snuggled before the fireplace.
Winter isn't just a comfortable, sleepy season. It's a time when your cat might be facing some unique wintertime grooming needs.
I understand this from personal experience. My cat Otis has longer hair, and grooming him becomes extra delicate in the wintertime. I recently spent an hour trying to trim some mats from his hair. Oh boy, did he yowl and hiss!
The cold weather may be a perfect time to stay comfortable and warm, but it may not always be so when it involves brushing your cat. Below I have some suggestions to make things better for you and your kitty!
Cat Winter Grooming Needs
The amount of grooming a cat needs will depend upon the kind of coat a cat has and its cat age. Short-haired cats may only need a quick brush every week, if not nothing at all.
For cats with long coats, or cats who are a little bit older or who are perhaps arthritic or have difficulty grooming due to weight problems, you may need to clean regularly.
Not only will cats have different grooming requirements at different stages in their lives, but their grooming requirements in the winter season may also differ. I, therefore, suggest constantly watching on your cat's coat, especially as they age, because they might need more brushing at that later phase of life. Most older and senior cats will dramatically cut down on how much they can groom themselves, implying owners need to groom more often, particularly throughout the winter season.
Brush Cat's Thicker Coat More Often
Cats usually shed in Spring and Fall. In the springtime, they're doing away with the wintertime layer; during fall, as the temperature starts to drop, they're shedding to accommodate a new wintertime coat.
This means that your cat's hair will is generally thicker in the wintertime to defend against the cold. For some cats, this means they might not be as keen on cleaning themselves because there's so much more hair to get to.
Comb your cat more often while they're shedding and sporting a thicker winter coat. This will help stop the fur from tangling up and becoming nasty mats.
Start with a pet brush or wide-toothed comb—groom smaller areas in the body one by one, helping them get used to the experience.
How to Correctly Brush Your Feline in the Winter season
Regular brushing and checking the cat's coat on a regular basis will prevent mats from forming and improve general coat health. Brushing the coat frequently not only helps in maintaining their coat in shape, but it also offers a way possibility to bond with your cat!
Start slowly with grooming, and also keep your sessions short. Pay attention to indicators that your cat is ready to stop the brushing session, like flipping the tail, lowering the ears, and growling. There are also some grooming tools and grooming products on our website for these purposes. Some eliminate loose top hair but do not brush the undercoat. Talk with your cat groomer or vet regarding what brushes are best for your cat.
The Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush removes loose top hair without aggravating the cat's undercoat.
Flea combs are more efficient at pulling away dead undercoats. For when you need to brush the undercoat, the use of a flea comb or other combs with teeth close with each other is much more recommended. The Cat Hair Removal Massaging Shell Comb is cost-effective and preferred by cat moms and dads.
How to Brush Hair During Shedding Period
Although cats shed throughout the year, they undergo major shedding seasons twice a year, usually in the springtime and fall. That thick wintertime layer that your cat is currently growing will experience a big shed throughout the springtime, and then in the fall, your cat's coat is preparing to grow the thick winter coat. Throughout shedding season, you need to amp up the regularity you groom your cat, especially cats with longer coats. Brushing during the shedding period will help stop matting and eliminate any loose hair.
Be Careful With Matted Hair
If it's already too late and your cat has matted fur, you'll need to clip it, but be very careful! Cats are very sensitive, making unexpected movements when their hair is pulled.
Never use scissors to remove mats. A cat's skin can be thin; you don't want to take the chance of nipping the skin while trying to remove matting.
Regular grooming is crucial for coat care, but if your feline's layer gets matted, do not use scissors, as this can lead to unintended injury. A grooming appointment with a certified groomer or your veterinarian is needed if you can not remove the mats with a brush or comb.
Help Them Grow A Healthier Winter Coat
You can help your pet grow a healthier ad thicker winter coat by making sure they have a healthy and balanced diet.
Feed them feline food that is created specifically for healthier layers. Fatty acids like a cat-formulated Omega 3 supplement can help the hairs grow shinier and thicker.
Of course, before including anything or changing your cat's diet, you need to speak with your veterinarian.
Indicators of a Healthy Cat Coat
As a part of your grooming routine, you'll want to examine your cat's coat to ensure that it is healthy. But what are the signs of a healthy coat?
If while you are cuddling or grooming, your cat bears in mind any modifications in your feline's hair. A healthy hair on a cat looks shiny and unmatted. A healthy skin underneath should be clear and without dry skin, flakes, and scabs. Shedding is generally a sign of a healthy coat, so long as your cat is not losing too much hair. Whenever you are cuddling, petting, or grooming your cat, take the chance to observe any change.
Furthermore, if you see any spots where the hair is falling out, or the skin is greasy, half-cracked, or bumpy, you may need to seek advice from a vet.
Avoid Static Shock
In the wintertime, your cat might be more vulnerable to getting shocked by static electricity. Often, just petting your cat can be sufficient to create a slight shock! Indoor heating removes humidity in the air, leaving a cold and dryer environment more prone to static.
Before grooming, wipe down your cat with a pet wipe. When you wash them, consider using a moisturizing shampoo. You can also cut down on static in the air by using humidifiers.
Never use fabric softener sheets on your cat, as these may have harmful chemicals to cats.
Battle Painful Joints
When temperatures are lower, an older or an arthritic cat's joints might flare up in the cold weather. This means that they'll feel discomfort sometimes, and they'd be extra sensitive to touch. It also means that they may not be as willing and able to groom themselves.
If you need to groom an arthritic cat, keep in mind to be extra mild with them. Suppose you need to wrap them like a burrito to remove the matted fur or clip their nails; try heating the towel a little in the dryer first.
Keep in mind; not all cats will take to grooming, particularly in the wintertime, if they're feeling extra delicate or have particularly severe mats. If your pet cat seems to be disregarding their hair, get them looked into by a veterinarian. Some vets will shave trouble areas or eliminate harmful mats themselves.
Don't feel bad if you need to take your cat to a cat grooming specialist or the grooming salon. It simply means that you're looking out for your pet's health and are helping them be as comfortable and safe as possible. Pet groomers are our friends.
How do you brush your cat in the winter months? Do you have any kind of unique methods or techniques? Let us know by commenting below!
