How to Clean Your Cat When He Can't Do It Himself - Getting Your Cat Professionally Groomed

1. Try professional grooming if you can’t keep up with your cat’s grooming. If you aren’t home a lot or you’re too busy to regularly groom your cat, you might consider taking your kitty to a professional grooming service. Among the services offered by a groomer are: brushing the fur, shaving difficult mats, clipping nails, cleaning ears, and bathing.

2. Find a groomer that specializes in cats. Look online or ask for a referral from your veterinarian. Check to see if the groomer is part of the National Cat Groomers Institute of America. This association institutes and maintains standards for cat grooming.

3. Consider your cat’s stress. You need to balance how much your cat might get stressed out if you take him to a groomer. Consider how well your cat does in the car riding to the groomer. The experience of grooming can be difficult for a cat. But if your cat’s fur is in really bad shape, it might be worth the stress to get him cleaned up.[28]

4. Ask your vet about clipping your cat. If daily brushing and occasional spot cleaning are not sufficient to keep your cat clean, speak to your veterinarian about whether or not clipping your cat’s fur is advisable. Clipping is often not necessary for cats with normal grooming habits or for those that can be easily groomed by their owners. But long-haired cats tend to mat easily. They often object to daily brushing and do not adequately groom themselves. These types of cats may do better if most of their fur is clipped.[29]
- Depending on the cat's temperament, this procedure may require sedation by a veterinarian.

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