What to Do When a Cat Does Not Groom Herself

Grooming is the crucial thing in cats’ life. They spend a majority of their time grooming and cleaning themselves. When cats stop grooming themselves, it is always a big thing. Grooming does not only clean cat’s coat, it improves their circulation and prevents spreading infections. Cats who stop grooming themselves encounter immunity problems and are more susceptible to parasitic infestation. Furthermore, lack of grooming may create matted fur, usually composed of dead hair and dirt. While brushing may remove small mats, the large ones can make serious complications. For all of these reasons, we should intervene as early as possible. But, to do so, we need to watch for the signs that might point at the cat’s reluctance to grooming. Pieces of food on a cat’s fur, dirt, remains of the litter on their paws, etc., might suggest that a cat neglect this important habit. To learn more about what to do when a cat does not groom herself, the article “How to Clean Your Cat When He Can’t Do It Himself” gives us the following tips.

1. Take your cat to the veterinarian.
2. Incorporate brushing into your daily routine.
3. Wait until your cat is relaxed before initiating a grooming session.
4. Take steps to protect yourself and keep your cat calm.
5. Determine how frequently you should brush your cat.
6. Be gentle as you brush your cat’s fur.
7. Use the brushing session to examine your cat’s skin.
8. Remove debris with a metal comb.
9. Untangle any knots that you find.
10. Remove mats you can’t untangle.
11. Use a brush to remove loose hair.

Feline experts suggest regular brushing for cats that avoid grooming themselves. They benefit from our assistance in maintaining their proper hygiene. Moreover, cats who suffer from arthritis, pain, or have some other medical issue need our help. They certainly should visit a vet and take proper medication. Some older cats and cats on medical treatment need our assistance and after a while, they continue licking themselves as before. Often times, cats in pain continue grooming themselves after the medicine start working. In any case, whatever causes a cat to stop grooming herself, the first thing is to consider a medical issue. It is only after we exclude medical problems that we might take other steps.