We collect the arsenal of a home hairdresser: how to comb long hair in cats

Long-haired cats are the pride of their owners.

They attract the admiring glances of others and beckon with their bewitching beauty.

But only the cat and its owner know how much effort it takes to maintain the impressive appearance of long-haired pussies.

Basics of daily grooming

It is widely believed that a cat is able to take care of itself.

This statement may be true, but it concerns outbred residents of neighboring courtyards.

They really do not care about wind and snow, dirt and rain.

They are able, thanks to the unique structure of the cat's tongue, to independently remove excess hair and get rid of pollution.

It is a completely different matter when it comes to thoroughbred cats, especially long-haired ones, such as and, and, and. They are not able to keep their wool in proper order. And no matter how much the pussy tries to work with its tongue, without additional care, the fallen hairs accumulate, form tangles and create an untidy appearance of the animal.

In addition, with matted wool, serious skin diseases are formed. With severe irritation of the skin, you have to resort to unplanned haircuts.

And if for some breeds a seasonal haircut is a natural procedure, then the Persians after a haircut are likely to change their color. And for show cats, this is a complete collapse of a career.

With daily licking of the hairs, the cat swallows the hair, which accumulates in the stomach. It's good when a cat spits up lumps of stray hair or they come out with feces.

But there are cases of intestinal blockage when the problem has to be solved in an operative way.

Therefore, regular hair care for long-haired cats is not only a cosmetic procedure, but also a preventive medical one.

In addition, daily combing of the animal helps to massage the skin, which improves blood flow and affects the well-being and mood of the pet.

How to train a cat to comb?

In the process of combing a cat, the appearance of small and significant problems is inevitable in the form of processing especially sensitive areas, the formation of matted hair.

Therefore, the cat may respond to such a procedure inadequately. For some pussies, brushing is as much of an ordeal as bathing.

Considering that a long-haired cat will have to be combed almost daily, and during periods of molting especially fluffy specimens twice a day, it is necessary to accustom a cat to combing from a very young age.

You can start combing a fluffy kitten from the age of 1.5 months. If you try to develop the habit of a daily pleasant procedure, in the future there will be no problems with daily grooming.

It is necessary to choose a favorable moment when the animal is in a good mood. It is better to carry out the procedure before feeding. Then the cat will associate combing with delicious treats that are given to her after the session.

If you try, then for a home beauty, combing will not be an inevitable procedure, but a pleasant pastime, when the hostess says gentle words to her pet.

Between the cat and the owner, thanks to daily communication, a special psychological bond is created.

And even when you have to hurt the cat during grooming, it will react adequately and will not resist combing in the future.

Getting ready for brushing

Only at first glance, combing does not cause much difficulty.

Of course, if you follow the requirements for the regular care of long hair, the number of problems decreases dramatically.

But all the same, with an amateurish approach, either the animal does not perceive the procedure, or a lot of strength and nerves will have to be spent, or too much hair is combed out, but the result is not encouraging.

To properly conduct daily grooming, you will have to stock up on both patience and knowledge, as well as a certain arsenal of a home hairdresser.

To conduct a home combing session, you will need specific devices in the form of:

• a metal comb with long, sparse and slightly rounded teeth;
• a metal comb with frequent rounded teeth of medium length;
• a metal comb with frequent short rounded teeth;
• combined massage brushes, in which metal teeth have an antistatic coating;
• scraper to remove matted wool;
• kapron comb;
• special gloves for combing.

In addition, you will need additional ones in the form of talcum powder, conditioner and spray.

Step-by-step instruction

Usually cats calmly tolerate scratching of the neck, head, and back. Therefore, it is better to start manipulations from these places.

But it is difficult to calm an irritated animal and it will not be possible to continue the procedure in a calm rhythm.

Therefore, it is better to go from simple to more complex and problematic areas.

1. Comb the head, cheeks and area behind the ears first with a fine-toothed comb. After that, you can use a toothbrush to collect the fallen hairs from the head.
2. The collar of a long-haired cat is carefully combed in the direction of hair growth. For Persians, in which the collar should give the impression of a halo, finish the procedure by combing out towards the muzzle.
3. We comb the breast up, directing the comb from the paws to the muzzle.
4. We comb the back of a long-haired cat after hygienic combing towards the withers so that each hair is separated from each other.
5. We smooth the sides from the head to the tail.
6. We comb the cat's belly, laying it on its knees on its back, running the comb from the chest to the tail.

In this case, you need to act especially carefully so as not to hurt the papillae.

7. We comb the front paws when the cat lies on its back. Stretching out the foot, we comb the armpit area.
8. We comb the “panties” on the hind legs from the heels to the tail.
9. To comb the tail, use a sparse comb that needs to be drawn against the coat. At the end of the procedure, the tail is shaken so that it fluffs up.

In addition to daily grooming, the cat should be combed directly and when the animal dries after a hygienic wash.

To facilitate the procedure of combing long hair, you can use a special talcum powder.

You can use cornmeal.

Such powders help to greatly facilitate further manipulations carried out with the long hair of cats.

Do not use baby powders, especially those with fragrances.

Cats are often allergic to these products.

Sprinkle the wool with the product, after which we carry out the processing with a scraper.

GiGwi Trimming comb

The scraper helps to remove superficial stray hairs.

Use a scraper before the main combing, sprinkling wool with special talc.

Using such a device can greatly facilitate subsequent combing.

Manufacturer: GiGwi

Estimated cost: 420 rubles.

Now you can start combing with a metal comb with rare teeth.

If tangles have formed, which is most often observed behind the ears, between the shoulder blades, on the stomach and in the groin, use a comb with rare teeth.

Divide the stray hair into parts and comb gently, holding the lump at the base.

If there are significant tangles, use scissors with blunt tips, directing them along the hairs.

This method allows you to cope with large and complex tangles.

Tangles are cut out when other methods do not help get rid of the problem.

TRIXIE - Trixie scissors for cutting dogs and cats 180 mm

Scissors are a necessary tool for keeping long-haired cats.

They will come in handy in the fight against tangles, helping to unravel the stray lumps.

If necessary, you can independently correct the haircut of the animal.

Estimated cost: 742 rubles.

Long hair combs for cats

Use a variety of combs for combing wool, starting with combs with sparse teeth, moving on to those with fine teeth.

At the next stage, a comb with rare teeth is used, which allows you to comb out small knots and remove dead hairs.

A similar device is also useful for combing the collar, "panties" and tail of a long-haired cat, where the hair is restored much more slowly.

When choosing a comb, pay attention to the processing of the teeth. They must be antistatic.

Combs with plastic teeth do not create an electrified wool.

Estimated cost:

• - 226 rubles;
• Hello PET Comb - antistatic 24 teeth / 12 / 14324 - 199 rubles;
• - 112 rubles;
• - 470 rubles.

Slickers for long haired cats

To fully care for the long hair of a cat, you will need a slicker.