Cats don't want to be unclean and they need you to help them remain clean. Grooming your cat is important.

You need to do it to take off the loose hair on the cat. Brushing Brushing your cat's hair will keep it from ending up in his stomach. It is not effortless to digest and often the cat can only get rid of it through hairballs. Many cats have trouble with getting rid of hairballs. If the cat can not get them up, it can get into the intestines and cause a blockage. This is life threatening to the pet. If your cat seems to be constipated it may be a indication of a blockage.

Long-haired cats should be brushed and combed daily; short-haired cats only need grooming about once per week. While brushing your cat's coat, keep an eye out for lumps and skin irritations. Brush along your cats back, from head to tail with firm pressure. Repeat this a few times, and then switch to the other side. You should brush each area 4 or 5 times and always remember to brush in the direction of the hair growth.

Don't groom the face or paws with the brush though. Cats who do not like to be brushed can still be groomed with a different tool for instance the grooming glove. Many cats won't even mind if you do this to their face either. If you begin to groom him when he is still young, he will learn to allow it. He may even look forward to being groomed. Many cats will even carry their combs to their owners.

Check Eyes, Ears, Claws and Teeth, too When you do brush him, make sure to check his eyes and his ears too. They should be clear and bright without anything in the corners. The ears should be clean and pink. Dirt that gets into the ears can be a sign of ear mites. These can cause the ears to shrivel up and your cat to lose his ability to hear.

Each time you groom her, try going a bit farther with your examination, praising her with words, strokes, and treats for letting you handle her. If she struggles, it is best to let her go, and try again another day. You can use a cotton ball slightly dampened with warm water to clean the inside skin of your cat's ears. Never put a cotton ball or swab into her ear canal. If she reacts and jerks, you could harm her.