How to Sculpt and Groom a Cat

Grooming and sculpting your cat makes it look good, decreases shedding of its fur and limits furniture damage from the cat's claws. Grooming is also a nice way of spending quality bonding time with your cat. If you groom your cat regularly from an early age, it gets used to the process, which makes it easier once your cat is fully grown. Instead of calling in the help of a professional to groom you cat, take on the challenge yourself right at home.

Things You'll Need

  • Cat nail trimmers
  • Styptic pad
  • Comb
  • Slicker brush
  • Cat shampoo
  • Blow dryer or towel
  • Stripping knife
  • Cat ear cleansing pads
  • Cotton balls
  • Cat ear cleansing drops
  • Cat toothbrush
  • Cat toothpaste
Show More

Instructions

    • 1

      Cut your cat's nails approximately once a week. Sit your cat on the floor or on a sturdy table. Take one front paw in your hand and push down in between your cat's toes to expose its nails. Use sharp cat nail trimmers to trim the nail below the pink vein that runs through the nail. Your cat shouldn't experience any pain. Hold a styptic pad on the tip of the nail to stop the bleeding if you accidentally cut through the vein.

    • 2

      Brush and comb your cat's coat to redistribute skin oils and to remove dead hair and mats. Disentangle mats with a comb and use a slicker brush to brush the entire coat in the direction of the hair growth. If you have a short-to-medium-hair cat, brush its fur once a week. Brush your cat daily or every other day if its fur is long.

    • 3

      Wash your cat as needed. Since cats clean themselves, many may not require frequent washing. If you cat appears to be dirty or smelly, place a rubber mat in the sink or bathtub. Put your cat on top of the mat and saturate its fur using a hand sprayer attachment. Massage cat shampoo into your cat's fur and lather. Rinse it off using warm water. Use a blow dryer on a cool setting to dry your cat. If it doesn't tolerate the blow dryer, towel-dry your cat and wait until its coat is fully dry.

    • 4

      Shape your cat's fur. Short and medium haired cats may not need any sculpting, but long-haired cats often do. Observe your cats face and body and trim any hairs sticking out with a stripping knife. A stripping knife trims the hair is a natural fashion so no obvious trims are visible. The knife is held in one hand. Clench the hair between the knife and your thumb and pull it away from your cat to cut the hair. Step back frequently to look at your progress. Aim to get a round-shaped face and a body with no stray hairs sticking out.

    • 5

      Clean your cat's ears. Use commercial cat ear cleansing pads or moisten a cotton ball with cat ear cleansing drops. Fold your cat's ear backward to expose the inside of the ear flap and the entrance to the ear canal. Wipe away visible debris on the inner surface of the ear flap and around the ear canal entrance. Avoid entering the ear canal because this may trigger an infection or trauma.

    • 6

      Brush your cat's teeth at least once a week. Place a pea-size amount of cat toothpaste on a cat toothbrush. Lift up your cat's gums with your non-dominant hand and brush its teeth with a back-and-forth swiping motion. Brushing your cat's teeth may take some getting used to. Gradually get you cat used to the idea by letting it lick some of the toothpaste off your finger. Rub some toothpaste on its gums. Don't expect to brush all its teeth in the beginning. Over time, your cat will get accustomed to it. Brush your cat's teeth from a young age so it gets used to it.