Kitten Skin and Coat Care

Many people assume their cat will be self-grooming, and it's true that many feral cats do fairly well without the help of brushes and baths. But that assumes that they have short hair, that they have no skin problems, and that you don't care if they have parasites or aren't all that pleasant to cuddle with. Chances are, you have different plans for your cat, so you need to lay the foundation for grooming now, before your kitten decides you've come up with some evil plan to torment him. 

To accustom your kitten to grooming, you'll need a soft bristle brush and a flea comb. If your cat has long hair, you can introduce a wider tooth comb or a pin brush as needed. 

Begin when your kitten is drowsy and relaxed. Grooming is not supposed to end up being a mock fight with the brush, but more of a relaxing massage. Hold your kitten in your lap when he's drowsy and let him fall asleep as you stroke him with your hand. Then substitute the brush. Use long, gentle strokes rather than short choppy ones. Start by gently brushing down the length of his back and sides. As he accepts this, move on to stroking his legs and the top of his head. After he accepts this, move downward to his feet and rearward along his tail. Use a comb to rub behind his ears and under his chin. Then move on with the comb to his head, back, sides, legs and tail. Leave the chest and abdomen until last, because if he's at all playful, there's a good chance he'll take this as an invitation to grab the comb! 

If you encounter a tangle, don't just rip through it. Stop the brushing and ease the tangle apart with your fingers, pulling it apart lengthwise and taking care not to pull at his skin. Give him a treat for being good. 

Now is also the time to introduce your kitten to the concept of bathing. To start, warm the room and use tap water that's about the same temperature as you'd bathe in. You don't have to bathe his entire body. Just wet a foot or leg the first time, and let him earn a lot of treats. It's a lot easier if you have a helper who can steady him. 

Be sure that he doesn't get cold afterward---you want him to enjoy the experience. Dry him with a towel and keep him in a warm place. If he has long hair, you'll ideally want to get him used to a blow dryer. Just turn it on near him at first and let him get used to it. Then let the blown air hit his back from a distance, gradually moving closer.  Use a low heat setting and be careful not to burn your kitten's skin. When using a blow dryer, start with the cat's back and sides, saving the tail, abdomen and hind legs for last as these are the areas most likely to evoke protests. If it's cold, he'll quickly learn that the blow dryer is nice! But give him treats to further convince him. Never place a cat in a carrier with a blow dryer aimed inside. What seems like a good idea has killed many cats when they overheated as a result left there too long. 

Grooming allows you to detect the presence of skin problems or parasites, such as ticks and especially fleas. "Flea dirt" refers to black grains of flea feces found where fleas have been. If you place some of these grains on a white surface and add a little water, they will turn red. This occurs because they are digested blood the flea drank from your cat. Look especially around the tail base, head and neck for flea dirt. 

Look for any areas of hair loss or reddened skin. Ringworm, which is not a worm but a fungal infection, is fairly common in kittens . Your veterinarian can diagnose and treat the condition. 

Grooming allows you to spend some relaxing time with your cat, engaging in a bonding activity that you both should enjoy. Of course, that time will be much more relaxing if your cat isn't already matted and if you've taken the time to accustom him to being groomed while he was still a kitten.