Grooming I

Cats love to feel and look fabulous. They spend many hours of their day grooming themselves and often enjoy any help given by owners. This is a wonderful opportunity for cat owners to spend quality time with their feline friends and build a stronger relationship by using this act as a bonding moment. The grooming process allows stimulation of the skin that greatly contributes to a pristine looking coat with the muscles to support it.

Natural Grooming

Cats possess natural grooming abilities and are able to make use of their paws, mouth, teeth and even claws for a lengthy grooming session. If one has ever hand fed a cat, it’s noticeable that the feline tongue has a rough texture. Saliva in the mouth softens and coagulates dirty on the coat and allows for removal by using the tongue.

Cats also have areas which are hard to reach, in this instance they will use their paws instead of tongue to clean places which the tongue cannot reach. This can be described as using a wet cloth to bathe with as cat paws act as cleaning pads. Teeth are also used to remove any dirt particles that may be clinging deep within the fur coat. This is certainly a good way to get the most stubborn nuances out!

Amazingly, the back claws of a cat mimic a tooth comb that can serve as a once over to make sure that bigger particles are removed during the grooming process. The front claws offer a different role here by stimulating the release of oily substances around a cat’s head. This eventually transfers around other parts of the body and acts almost like a natural perfume. Cats are their own cosmetic kit and use this perfume to leave their scent in areas that are marked as their territories,

Cats carry remarkable flexibility and put this to work and carry out an intricate grooming session on a daily basis. Long haired breeds spend a considerable amount of time to reach every crevice to ensure that their long fur is kept pristine. This helps to avoid any risk of skin infection that may be present or developing. If one sees their household cat in the middle of a grooming session it may be best to leave them be as this is an important time of the day. Even young kittens groom themselves, their mother will often assist but the kittens soon learn the essential procedure which turns into a joyous activity.