Top Grooming Tips for Your Himalayan Cat

There's are some really gorgeous cat breeds around and none more so than the Himalayan. These attractive felines came about by crossing a Siamese with a Persian and are renowned not only for their calm natures, but their stunning coats too. However, with these beautiful looks comes a price because caring for a Himalayan's coat takes a bit of time and effort.

However, Himalayan kittens have a pretty normal looking coat, much the same as any other cat, but at around six month's old this all changes when their fur starts to thicken up all thanks to the lovely, soft undercoat that's been growing during the first months of their lives. This is when daily brushing starts to be an essential to keep their fur from getting matted and tangled.

Setting up a routine when cat's are young makes the whole process of keeping their coats looking good that much easier for both your and your pet. In fact, a lot of Himalayans find grooming sessions extremely relaxing and look forward to being brushed because it means they get to have more one to one contact with their owners.

Tools You'll Need to Invest In

It's best to spend a little more money and buy good quality grooming tools because you know they will stand the tests of time. Buying lower quality combs and brushes usually ends up being a false economy simply because they will need replacing sooner than better quality ones. With this said, the tools you'll need in a grooming kit are as follows:

• A wide toothed metal comb
• A soft bristle brush
• A fine toothed metal comb
• A good pair of scissors - preferably ones with rounded off tips.
• A rubber mat
• Lots of healthy and tasty cat treats!

It's important to reward your cat for being good when they're being groomed and you have to fiddle about with their coats, ears and paws which is why it's a good idea to keep lots of tasty but healthy treats around during a grooming session.

Daily Grooming

There are loads of advantages to brushing your cat's coat on a daily basis because not only do you get to strengthen your bond with them but you also get to do the following:

• Check for fleas
• Check for any sores or lumps and bumps
• Take out all loose and dead fur which helps reduce the risk of your cat developing a hairball
• You won't find so much cat hair left around the house which includes on furniture, carpets and curtains
• Your cat's coat always looks brilliant!

It's really important to brush a Himalayan during the hotter summer months because this is when they tend to feel the heat because of their thick coats. Brushing it out and removing all dead hair, helps thin the coat out and this in turn means your feline friend will feel a lot more comfortable.

Grooming Kittens Makes Life Easier Later On

As previously mentioned, it's important to groom Himalayans when they are still kittens even though their thick coats haven't grow through yet. At first, it's more a matter of going through the motions than anything else, but the effort is well worth it because it will make your life a lot easier when they're older.

How to Groom Your Cat

It's always easier to groom a cat with them standing on a table and preferably on a rubber mat to prevent them from slipping. Having your pet higher up means you don't end up hurting your back either. You also have a little more control over them than you would if you tried to brush them on the floor where they could scoot off and hide more easily.

• Using a soft bristle brush remove as much excess dead hair as possible which will help prevent any tangles from forming.
• If you find any tangles, it's best to de-tangle them using your fingers but if any prove really stubborn, don't be afraid to trim them using a good pair of scissor, preferably ones with rounded off tips. This will make it that much easier and reduces the chance of pulling on matted fur which might end up hurting your feline friend!
• Once as much loose hair is out of the coat and it is tangle-free, next take the wide toothed comb and go over your cat's body one more time being careful when you come across any more tangles which are typically around ears, elbows and tails.
• Next, take the fine toothed comb and repeat the process one more time.
• Lastly, this is the most important part of the process, remember to give them a tasty and healthy treat for having been good. Next time you get out the grooming kit, your feline friend will know what to expect and be on their best behaviour again!

Weekly Grooming

Every week, you need to check your cat's ears to make sure there is nothing horrible going on. This includes seeing if there is a build-up of wax, if there's any trace of ear mites and to make sure there's no nasty smell coming from their ears which could be an indication they've got an infection. It's really important to only clean the areas inside your pet's ears that you can see and to never use a Q tip to clean deeper because you could end up doing more damage than good.

If you think there's an ear infection or your cat has got ear mites, you need to talk to your vet who might want to examine them before prescribing the right medication and treatment.

Checking Teeth

It's also important to check your cat's teeth on a weekly basis and if you start doing this when your Himalayan is still a kitten, as an adult cat, they should not object to this being done. If, however, you've adopted an older cat, it might be better to leave these dental check-ups to a vet to avoid being accidentally bitten by your cat.

Conclusion

The Himalayan is a gorgeous looking feline and they make wonderful pets. However, to keep their coats in good condition, it's important to set up a grooming routine that you can stick to. Daily brushing not only helps keep a coat looking good, but it removes as much excess hair as possible which reduces the risk of your cat developing a hairball. It also means you get to strengthen the bond you have built up with your cat and they will love all the one to one attention you give them.