If you are thinking of adding a Persian Cat to your home, one of the things that you need to be aware of is the breed’s grooming requirements. The breed has a characteristic long and silky fur that needs to be groomed daily to achieve the Persian’s popular lustrous locks.
Grooming your Persian Cat
Despite its regal bearing, the Persian Cat is a breed of simple needs – regular meals and a few minutes’ worths of playtime. Provide these and your cat will love you.
However, Persian Cats are notorious for their incredibly high grooming requirements. Regular grooming is necessary, not just to maintain this cat’s beautiful coat. Regular grooming can also improve this feline’s health and well-being.
Apart from daily brushing of the cat’s fur, you will also need to pay special attention to its nails, eyes, and ears.
Caring for your Persian’s fur
The Persian’s long coat is prone to become tangled and matted. Fortunately, both can be prevented through daily brushing.
Apart from daily brushing, you will also need to bathe your cat regularly, anywhere between every two or six weeks.
Aside from keeping the fur in optimal condition, brushing and bathing can help keep infections, parasites, and hairballs at bay.
1. Brushing and combing
Ideally, you should brush your Persian coat daily. If this is not possible, you can brush your pet’s fur every other day, or at the very least, once a week. For this task, you will need to invest in a cat brush, comb, and clippers.
Start each daily grooming session by combing your Persian fur gently. Many experts say that you should avoid combs made out of nylon as these generate static electricity. Combing is essential for a couple of reasons. First, it helps prevent the formation of tangles. Second, you will have an easier time brushing and washing your pet’s coat.
Apart from paying special attention to the body’s fur, you should not neglect the fur on the cat’s face. However, be gentle when combing your feline’s face as it has sensitive parts.
Brushing your pet’s coat helps you achieve two goals. First, you can keep your cat’s excessive shedding under control. Brushing helps remove loose hairs trapped in your cat’s undercoat. Second, regular brushing ensures the health of your cat’s topcoat.
When brushing your Persian’s coat, start from his head, move down to his body, and end with his tail. Ideally, you should brush the coat by moving down along the length of the fur.
2. Removing tangles and matted fur
Daily combing and brushing remove and prevents tangled and matted fur. If you neglect to groom your cat’s fur, mats can form on the coat. Essentially, mats are clumps of fur that have become severely tangled. When the fur is matted, your cat becomes vulnerable to skin irritation and infections.
To deal with matted fur, you have to pry loose the tangled fur with your fingers. Make sure that you go about gently, otherwise, your Persian can make a fuss. After removing the separating the tangled fur, you can comb the affected areas.
In some cases, the matting can become so severe that your only recourse is to trim portions of your cat’s fur. The easiest way to do this is by using an electric cat trimmer. If this is your only option, make sure that you trim off as little hair as possible to prevent the formation of bald spots.
Alternatively, you can bring your pet to a professional groomer who knows exactly how to remove matted fur.
From time to time, you will need to trim your Persian’s backside. Due to his thick coat, fecal material can collect on the hairs found in this area.
3. Bathing your Persian
Regular bathing is another key component of grooming your Persian Cat. Like most cats, Persians dislike taking a bath. However, if you start bathing your cat while he is still a kitten, you can make bath time manageable for both of you.
Start by placing your cat inside the tub filled with about four inches of water. The water should not be too cold or too hot. Otherwise, you will have to deal with an irritated cat.
After placing your Persian inside the tub, wet him slowly, working your way from the tail to his body. Once your cat is thoroughly wet, you can begin applying shampoo.
Finding the best shampoo for your cat can be a hit-or-miss affair and you might need to experiment until you find the best brand for him. In general, you can use just about any cat shampoo available on the market but one option that is generally well-liked is the John Paul Shampoo for Dogs and Cats. Some owners prefer using children’s shampoo with a no-tears formulation. There are even some owners and breeders who use Dawn dish detergent on their Persians.
In applying the shampoo on your cat, make sure that you rub your pet gently. Alternatively, you can use a sponge for this task. As much as possible, avoid getting your feline’s face and ears wet. Otherwise, they will dislike the idea of bathing.
Once you have lathered your cat’s fur, the last thing you will need to do is to rinse the shampoo away.
After bathing your pet, the next order of business is drying his coat. Due to the Persian’s thick fur, you cannot allow it to air dry. This is why you should strongly consider investing in a hairdryer.
You can use the hairdryer you use on yourself but make sure that you set it to low to prevent discomfort in your Persian. Or you can consider buying a hairdryer specifically made for cats. These hairdryers have a lower setting.
Once your cat is thoroughly dry, you can begin cutting his excess hair on his backside, face, and ears. Be careful when cutting hair on your Persian’s ears as you might accidentally cut his ear leather.
Trimming your Persian’s nails
Every few weeks, you will need to trim your Persian’s nails. Although this is a tough task, trimming is nonetheless important to protect your cat, yourself, and your furniture from scratches.
The primary challenge in trimming a cat’s nails is that felines tend to dislike having their paws held for a long time. Fortunately, you do not need to trim all of the nails in one go. Once your cat signals that he has had enough, you can stop and resume trimming the remaining nails on another day.
Although some owners use clippers for human nails, others prefer clippers specially made for felines. Whatever type of clipper you use, make sure that these are sharp to prevent hurting your pet.
Start by making your Persian calm and comfortable. That can mean bringing him to the bathroom, setting him on a table, or even on your lap. Once your cat is settled, take one of his paws and then press this with your fingers. The claws will then extend.
When trimming your cat’s nails, be sure to avoid the quick which is the pink part of the nails. The quick contains nerve endings and blood vessels, making it sensitive. If you cut beyond the quick, your cat’s paw can bleed.
If your bleeding occurs, remain calm. Apply pressure on the claw and then dip it in styptic powder or cornstarch.
Typically, you will need to cut the nails on the front paws more often than the rear claws as these cause the most damage.
Remember, you do not need to trim all of your cat’s nails all at once. When your cat has grown impatient, it means that the session is over.
Persian ear and eye care
Due to the Persian’s facial shape, the breed is susceptible to eye drainage. The facial shape creates undue pressure on the tear ducts which causes eye drainage.
To prevent staining on the facial fur, you should wipe away the drainage on your Persian’s face daily. For this task, all you need are cotton pads and a non-toxic cleaning solution. Be sure to use different cotton pads for each eye.
From time to time, ear wax can build up on your Persian’s ears. You can remove excess ear wax using cotton balls and cleaning solutions formulated for cat ears.
Grooming your Persian is essential
Before adopting any breed of cat, it is critical to look into a few factors specific to the breed, including the grooming requirements. If you have set your sights on getting a Persian, be prepared to set aside time to groom your pet daily.