This month celebrates my third 12 months of penning this column, and I hope you might be having fun with it. We’re coming into Spring (fortunately for us people!). By Katie Gwilt – The Kat Woman
With the climate hopefully getting a bit hotter, let’s discuss cats and shedding their fur, together with a number of the issues it could possibly trigger, in addition to different springtime issues.
Shedding season
Within the yearly cycle of a cat’s typical fur progress, there are two major occasions they do a full shedding. One is Autumn, once they begin to develop their thick winter coat and shed their summer season ones, and the opposite is now. Spring is often the larger of the 2 shedding seasons as they’re letting that massive, thick winter coat go and rising in a lighter, much less dense summer season coat. They’re dropping a number of fur, which can also be getting caught towards their pores and skin, inflicting matting and pelting. Even short-haired cats can get matted round this time of 12 months if not given some further TLC. For cats who go outdoor, that is extra noticeable as they’re extra delicate to modifications in temperature.
What does this imply for cat groomers?
One of many major issues I’m seeing in the intervening time is a whole lot of cats with dense fur are actually scuffling with shedding their fur and never having it get caught towards their pores and skin. Cats that don’t often knot simply have gotten matted and pelted. It’s so straightforward to overlook one of these shed fur for his or her people as it’s proper at pores and skin stage and sometimes looks like common pores and skin in the event you don’t know what matting looks like. It could possibly go unnoticed till it’s widespread and an actual downside. Typically, folks will attempt to clip the matting out themselves, which may result in accidents and worse.
What can cat groomers do about it?
So much is concerning the training of your shoppers. Ensuring that they’re utilizing the suitable combs and brushes for his or her particular cat’s fur is important. Individuals will take the time to brush their cat after which surprise why there are mats occurring, so let’s present them a couple of methods they will use between visits. Plenty of marketed brushes for cats will solely comb the very high of the fur and never get to the roots, which is crucial at the moment of 12 months particularly.
As cat groomers, we need to take further time with these fluffy and dense cats particularly, particularly if they’re older or sick and aren’t capable of groom themselves as effectively. Getting as a lot of that undercoat out is crucial, and for some shoppers, it might imply growing the frequency of their grooms at the moment of 12 months.
Shoppers could also be noticing extra fur balls at the moment of 12 months, too, so a very good brush is required to forestall fur build up contained in the cat’s physique. Bathing cats will assist to take away extra shed fur the place doable.
Personally, I don’t bathe many cats as I discover most don’t tolerate the drying course of effectively sufficient for it to be total helpful. I at all times do a take a look at with the drier earlier than bathing a cat, and it’s possible you’ll have to be further cautious of aged cats, cats with coronary heart issues or are brachycephalic (flat-faced) and will battle to breathe underneath a drier.
Lion Cuts Sure or No
I discover that shoppers begin to ask for lion cuts round this time of 12 months and in the summertime to assist cats preserve cool. Once more, training is vital right here. Cat fur is thermoregulating and is designed to assist preserve them each heat and funky. The UK isn’t often too excessive in climate modifications (though this 12 months now we have already had two storms!), plus a lion lower takes away a stage of safety from the solar and the dangerous UV rays.
I do discover myself doing extra lion cuts within the spring, as by the point the matting has been seen, it’s often widespread throughout the cat’s physique. Once more, I attempt to educate so it doesn’t occur once more within the subsequent 12 months.
I make judgement calls relying on the cat’s well being and habits. Open air cats, I’ll attempt to keep away from a full shave if doable as we nonetheless have fairly a couple of chilly spots, and they’re exploring unknown environments like prickly bushes.
Working atmosphere for cat grooming
As there’s a lot fur flying round in the intervening time, be certain that the area you groom in is well-ventilated. You don’t need to be ingesting all that fur, both! If wanted, you can put on a face masks to guard your airways, however remember many cats can discover these intimidating.
Hold a spare uniform with you if that you must change between further fluffy cats, and have some first rate lint rollers and different merchandise that safely take away fur out of your garments.
With reference to cleansing, give your washer some further care, too. Test it for clogged hair and provides it a great clean-out. There are merchandise that dissolve animal fur, however at all times verify if they’re protected to make use of with cats particularly. With cleansing merchandise, at all times fastidiously verify components and stick with unscented or impartial smells like oatmeal the place doable.
Well being verify
Shedding is a part of the pure life cycle of a cat’s fur and is a traditional course of. It retains their pores and skin and coat wholesome. It’s at all times price reminding folks, although, that extra shedding can generally be a sign of a medical difficulty like hyperthyroidism or diabetes in addition to underlying issues with the kidneys, lives, adrenal glands and even some varieties of most cancers. If unsure, at all times refer the cat to the vet for a full check-up.
Be careful for fleas!
Because it will get hotter, the dreaded flea season actually will get going, too. They’ll conceal in matted fur to flee the attain of chemical remedies.
Now is an efficient time to verify what precautions you have got in place to cope with fleas in your workspace and what you’ll do in the event you groom a cat that you just discover fleas on.
Keep in mind, you aren’t a vet and can’t diagnose a medical situation (together with fleas), however you may level out indicators and recommend a vet go to. Most flea and tick treatment is now on a prescription foundation, and the cat will want a vet to log off on any remedy.
