{"id":1277,"date":"2016-06-02T03:54:37","date_gmt":"2016-06-02T11:54:37","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/?p=1277"},"modified":"2016-06-02T03:54:37","modified_gmt":"2016-06-02T11:54:37","slug":"thoughts-for-thursday-why-should-you-groom-your-cat","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/?p=1277","title":{"rendered":"Thoughts for Thursday\u2014Why Should You Groom Your Cat?"},"content":{"rendered":"

\"LilyLicking\"<\/strong>Cats are thought by most to be the most fastidious species in the animal kingdom. Sure, some people use terms such as, \u201cmangy cat,\u201d \u201cfilthy beast,\u201d but in reality, cats spend around half their awake time cleaning themselves. And the reasons are many.<\/p>\n

Cleanliness is important for cats in the wilds. If a cat leaves the scent of food on his whiskers after a good meal, for example, he can be more easily detected by hungry predators. And we all know how closely related our house cats are to those in the wild. We see their wild ancestors in our kittys\u2019 play, while hunting, and in other cat habits. One of those habits is a lot of licking. And that licking serves vital purposes for the cat. It helps to remove dead fur from the cat\u2019s coat, increases circulation, and controls body temperature.<\/p>\n

Is it necessary to help your cat with his grooming routine? I maintain that it\u2019s an important habit to adopt.<\/p>\n

I used to have horses. While horses need more than a little help with grooming for their \"IMG_0592\"health and comfort, the process of grooming is also a good way to bond with a horse and gentle him. Isn\u2019t this an important concept for your cat, as well?<\/p>\n

By using a comb or brush on your cat\u2014even by running your hand over her fur at least a few times a week\u2014you can detect any suspicious lumps, skin problems, sores, or mats (tangled fur). Long-haired cats often need human intervention in order to keep their fur tangle-free, thus keep the cat more comfortable. Inside cats need their nails trimmed on a regular basis. It\u2019s important to check a cat\u2019s ears for dirt, mites or other potential problems. A dull, lifeless coat might indicate a cat with a health issue. Sometimes the signals are subtle at first. But we can thwart a more serious problem if we are tuned into our cat and notice the early signs of illness.<\/p>\n

By the way, a cat who does not spend much time grooming, is probably a cat who is not feeling well. Likewise, if a cat continues to lick excessively in one area, this could be an indication of a problem brewing.<\/p>\n

Once I noticed our Himalayan licking one paw over and over. When I checked, I found that the dew claw had started to grow into the pad. If I\u2019d been more diligent in checking those furry paws of hers, I would have caught the problem before it began to cause her pain.<\/p>\n

\"LilyParadeAlyzayMy Persian swallowed a needle once and it became stuck sideways in her throat. She loved sitting with me when I sewed and she must have been sitting too close to the pin cushion that day. We figure that when she licked her gorgeous shaded silver fur, she must have caught the thread from the needle on her tongue, couldn\u2019t shake it loose and ended up swallowing it, needle and all. Thankfully I noticed the odd protrusion on both sides of her throat\u2014still not knowing what it was or what had happened\u2014and the vet was able to successfully and quickly remove it.<\/p>\n

If you typically enjoy your cats from a distance, maybe it\u2019s time for a change. Pet them all over regularly. Comb or brush their fur, examine their paws, ears, mouth and, yes, you should take a peek at the other end, as well. You might see signs of worms or swelling. Even if you don\u2019t find any issues with your cat, the bonding that takes place is worth the time spent.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Cats are thought by most to be the most fastidious species in the animal kingdom. Sure, some people use terms such as, \u201cmangy cat,\u201d \u201cfilthy beast,\u201d but in reality, cats spend around half their awake time cleaning themselves. And the … Continue reading →<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[4],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=1277"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":1279,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/1277\/revisions\/1279"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=1277"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=1277"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.matilijapress.com\/catscapades\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=1277"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}