The Ultimate Persian Cat Grooming Guide

Natural and select breeding over the course of our history has created our luxurious, long, thick signature coats. And we are gorgeous! We are natural beauties, but it also takes effort to keep even beauty at its optimum.

Because of our fancy dressings we tend to be labeled a “high maintenance” breed. The Persian coat, I will not lie, does require a bit more upkeep.

How To Groom A Persian Cat?

Nature has equipped us with many coarse hairs on our pink tongues that serve as customized bristles to comb through and detangle our fur.

My human says it feels like heavy grit sandpaper against her cheek when I give her kisses, but she loves it! When you have as much fur as we do it takes a lot of extra time to maintain it.

For that reason, we benefit greatly with regular grooming assistance from our stewards to lessen our burden, especially during periods of seasonal shedding. We relish in grooming time with our human if it is done with kindness and with a gentle hand. Mom and I use this time to bond.

How do you groom a persian cat at home? We’ll, If grooming sessions are not likely to occur at home, kitty will need regular scheduled trips to a professional cat groomer.

I was sent to a professional groomer to ready me for my adoptive family, but I haven’t been back since, because I have my own personal groomer that has my back  – Mom!

Note, a visit to the professional groomer typically means kitty will be subjected to a bath with water and shampoo unless requested otherwise.

Bath Time

It is not uncommon for humans to bathe their Persian Cats with water and shampoo. This is favored by owners and breeders of show cats that want coats fit for judging at various competitions.

How Often Should You Bathe A Persian Cat?

Well, According to my veterinarian, it is not necessary to bathe the Persian Cat, not intended for show, because cats are very clean animals, cleaning themselves frequently every day.

But if you are a human that has an allergy to cat dander, bathing the cat with water and shampoo can help reduce it.

Also Read: Best Air Purifiers For Pet Hair, Dander, Allergies And Odor

Mom attempted to give me a bath – once, and only once! It was in efforts to sooth my itchy skin. She sat me in the kitchen sink with shallow warm water, but I wasn’t going to have any of that! So for those that choose to bathe their kitties, more power to you.

And I say good luck with that!

Pro Tips

Kittens need to be introduced to water at a young age for them to be more tolerable to bath time as adults.

If you choose to shampoo your cat, please look for a hypoallergenic and fragrance free variety that is designed specifically for cats.

Cats can be very sensitive to fragrances and certain product ingredients. *The following product was recommended to me by my veterinarian:

Shedding & Hairballs

Seasonal shedding will vary depending on temperatures and whether kitty always stays inside or has an indoor/outdoor routine.

I don’t go outdoors, so when the wall heaters turn on in the late fall and early winter, I lay in front of them. I go through a heavy shedding episode in December/January and a lighter one in the late spring when the arrival of sunny days begins to warm up the house.

Please keep in mind, your cat’s coat will stay in better overall condition if your kitty is kept indoors.

Also Read: 10 Best Cat Foods For Shedding Reviewed

Where short-haired breeds shed via a mist of fine hairs, our fur releases in small “fluff clumps” that we pull or scratch out and leave behind.

Our silky fur can matt from time to time, so it is important that the matts are dealt with promptly. If left unattended, heat soars can develop against our delicate skin, creating pain. Ouch! The matts may require careful removal with scissors or shaving.

My human Dad breaks up small clumps that form by securely holding the matt with fingers of one hand and separating tufts from the matt in quick, pulling motions using fingers from his other hand. I don’t mind him doing this at all, because he is careful not to cause me any discomfort.

Like other cats we can cough up a hairball occasionally, but regular brushing and combing can help control them. When we cough up hairballs, it means that we are ingesting more hair than our systems can tolerate.

This can happen if kitty seems to be grooming excessively, say from seasonal shedding. Excessive licking of the fur followed by frequent hairballs can be a result of seasonal shedding, or may indicate there are fleas present, skin allergies or some other condition.

Also Read: Best Hypoallergenic Cat Food

You’ll want to consult your veterinarian if hairballs turn up more frequently, to determine the cause and find a solution. He may recommend a dry cereal that includes “hairball control”, liquid drops or topical medicine as a treatment.

Grooming Tools

There are many cat grooming products on the market by brands such as Hartz, Whisker City, Oster, etc.

Mom has gotten positive results grooming me and her Persian kitties that came before me using a combination of grooming tools.

The following is a list of those that are found in my grooming cupboard:

• Hartz grooming comb: Has widely spaced, stainless-steel pins that aid in detangling fur and help groom the undercoat. My Persian cat grooming comb was actually purchased several years ago for the family’s Samoyed dog to use on his heavy fur, but it works great on my coat as well! Hartz currently carries the following similar option: Groomer’s Best Deluxe Comb
• Flea comb: Has narrowly spaced, thin stainless-steel pins that help catch fleas or remove small tiny particles from fur. Mine is an older model comb, but here is a similar one sold today: Groomer’s Best Flea Comb For Cats
• Slicker brush: Has plastic bristles with round tips and helps with overall brushing, especially for the back. It leaves a nice shine on my coat. And a similar current option to my older model is the: Groomer’s Best Slicker Brush for Cats
  
• Barbie doll brush: All hard plastic with plastic teeth. Its tiny size is good for soft, gentle brushing of facial areas including forehead, cheeks, and chin. It also works well for brushing the finer hairs on my sensitive tummy too. Vintage doll brushes like mine can still be found on ebay and other sellers online, or new ones can be found at toy stores.

Thank you for reading! I hope you enjoyed this article and I welcome your comments!

About the author

-Valentine the Persian Cat
From Noir Kitty Mews
noirkittymews.com