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Cat Articles

| Not-Using-Litter-Box | Stop-Cats-from-Biting | Cat-Shedding |
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Articles | main | Cat-Shedding |

Cat Shedding

Brushing your cat daily or even weekly helps to cut down on cat shedding. An excellent way to brush your cat is to use two types of brushes. One that pulls the outer hair and another that picks up the deeper hair that is closer to the skin. Brushing often will not only reduce cat shedding, but can also help prevent the development of hair balls that can get caught in your cat's digestive tract.

Some cats will enjoy brushing while others won't let you get near them with a brush! A cat that avoids getting brushed has often had a bad experience in the past that they are associating with the brush. For example, is it possible that your cat is used to getting brushed at the veterinarians office and they hate going to the vet?

If this is your case, try associating the brush with activities your cat enjoys. For example, set the brush beside their food dish when they eat and on the floor when you play with them. If you can eventually get your cat to allow you to brush them, they will likely enjoy the experience!

For those cats that enjoy brushing already, an excellent brush to use is one with a fine, jagged tooth (fig 1 & 2). This brush is called a "Shedding Blade" by professional groomers. The surface tooth of a shedding blade resembles that of a hand-saw. Smoothly go over your cat's entire backside with this brush to pull out the loose hair.

Next, use a brush with short to medium length bristles. This brush looks similar to the one you use on your own hair (fig 3). Stroke your cat's entire backside with this brush to remove loose hair that the shedding blade missed. You're cat will usually love this bristled brush because of the massage it gives to their skin.

As an optional step, you can use a soft bristled finishing brush for smoothing out the coat. This will also pick up any aditional hair that is clinging to the surface of the coat. It's not necessary to be as thorough with this brush, but it's a good idea to polish them off with a soft bristled finishing brush.

Brushing daily allows your cat's excess hair to get on the brush instead of the furniture. It also helps prevent hair-balls because less hair finds it's way to your cat's stomach. When your cat licks off their coat to groom themselves, less hair will be swallowed and hair-balls will be less of a potential threat.

Try and brush your cat daily or at least weekly to cut down on cat shedding and hair balls. by using two types of brushes during this grooming process, you will remove most of their excess hair. Brushing regularly is enjoyable for most cats and it is a great way to minimize cat shedding.

The main difference between the dog and cat brushes are the sizes. For most cats, you'll want to get the small to medium sized brush.

	The Millers Forge Vista "Shedding Blade" (brush that looks like a saw-tooth) works great for removing lose hair. It is slightly cheaper than the Safari Shedding blade that goes for 8.78. Both brushes will stand the test of time and either one is an excellent tool to have ready for your home grooming kit. Available at PetcareRx Price: $5.62
	Millers Forge Vista Shedding Blade, Small

	The Safari Dual Shedding Blade has one side with a course tooth and another side with a fine tooth. This brush is a good option if you have both short and long haired cats. Available at PetcareRx Price: $8.78
	Safari Dual Shedding Blade, Medium

* Both PetCo and PetcareRX are presently offering free shipping on orders of $50.00 or more.

* A good thing about buying from PetCo online is that if for any reason your items don't work out, you can easily walk in and return or exchange them at your local PetCo store.

	This is an excellent all in 1 brush for the cat owner who wants to keep it simple. One side is a shedding blade and the other is a pin type brush with softer curved bristles. If you're looking for a convenient all-in-one solution, this is it. Available at Petco Price: $14.99
	Four Paws Ultimate Touch Pro 2 in 1 Brush with Shedding Blade (Small; 4" W X 8" H)

	This "pin brush" is similar to the one pictured in Fig. 3 above. It's a good quality brush that should last you for years. Available at Petco Price: $6.99
	Finishing Touch Small Pin Brush for Cats (Small)

	This brush provides a two in one solution with the pin brush on one side and a thick, soft bristled finishing brush on the other. Available at Petco Price: $14.99
	Four Paws Ultimate Touch Cat Combo Brush ()

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