Persian Cats Need Daily Grooming

As you may or may not know, most cats are perfectly capable of grooming themselves, and for many breeds, the owner doesn’t need to do anything further. Unfortunately, in the case of Persians, this is not the case. Persians have long, beautiful hair, and they are considered to be one of the most high maintenance cats in existence.

Grooming begins with daily brushing. The cat should be brushed once a day, or at the very least once every two days. Brushing with a natural bristle brush, followed by a metal comb, is essential to keep the Persians fur from knotting up. You should not use nylon combs, as these do nothing but generate static electricity, which is already a problem for Persians.

To combat static electricity, there are many things that you can do. You can gently rub the cat with a fragrance free dryer sheet. You can also purchase anti-static sprays that are made especially for pets. You can wipe the cat down with a damp paper towel, or you can use hand cream on your hands before handling the cat.

When you are brushing and combing your Persian, if you discover a knot, try to work it out with your fingers. It is important to be gentle, so that you don’t cause the cat pain. You want your Persian to continue to enjoy the time that you spend brushing him – and if it always results in pain, he will quickly learn to hide when you get the brush. If necessary, use round tipped scissors to cut the knot out of his fur.

Persians do have eye drainage, and this is normal. Excessive eye drainage, however, is not normal. For normal drainage, wipe his eyes with a warm, moist cloth once or twice a day to prevent gunk build up and discoloration. For excessive eye drainage, visit the veterinarian to find out what the problem is.

Unless you will be showing your Persian, bathing him in the tub really isn’t necessary, unless he has parasites or a skin condition that needs treating. If this is the case, follow the directions on the medicated shampoo that you are using, and bath the cat in lukewarm water. Make sure that you rinse him well, and avoid getting water in his eyes or ears. After the bath, you can towel dry him a bit, and try to get him combed out before he runs away to hide. He will eventually lick himself dry.

Finally, you will most likely want to trim your Persians nails ever couple of months. If you’ve never done this before, you can have a groomer or your veterinarian show you how it is done, or pay the groomer or veterinarian to do this for you.