Grooming is essential part of home pet care in long-haired pets to prevent fur matting, and can be a great way to bond with furry pets of all varieties. Grooming also provides a good opportunity to check the overall health of your pet.

Home Pet Care

Grooming is a necessary part of caring for any pet, but it can also indicate a range of health problems that your pet will not be able to warn you about. Look out for lumps and bumps and signs of fur loss, fleas or other parasites.

As well as grooming, some pets also need to be bathed and to have their nails trimmed. Check with your vet about the care regime your pet will need, and get your vet or pet groomer to show you how to trim your pet’s nails. Trimming nails can be a tricky task and may result in pain and injury for the animal if not done properly.

1) Start them young

To prevent unnecessary distress, it is best to get your pet used to being groomed at a young age. Do it for short periods at first, stop if your pet shows signs of stress and comfort your pet by stroking it and using a soothing tone of voice.

2) Brushes and combs

A wide variety of different brushes and combs are available for grooming your pet, and what you should use depends on your pet’s fur type so consult a vet or animal groomer. See below for the basics.

• Brushes – come with different kinds of bristle, each suited to a different kind and length of fur
• Combs and rakes – good at removing tangles, loose fur and debris, rakes are more heavy-duty combs for pets with thick double coats
• Rubber grooming gloves and brushes – for shorter-haired dogs, can be used to massage the dog’s coat instead of brushing
• Trimmers clippers and scissors – for trimming fur or cutting out mats and knots

3) Grooming your pet

Depending on your pet’s species, breed and fur type, it will need different levels of attention. Read on for grooming tips for common pets.

Dogs

• Grooming – all dogs, especially longer-haired varieties, will need regular grooming
• Directions – use brushes suitable to the hair type of your breed
• Bathing – all dogs will need bathing, with more attention for longer-haired breeds
• Nails – may need trimming

Cats

• Grooming – most cats are content to look after their own fur, but even shorter haired varieties will enjoy the attention of grooming
• Bathing – not necessary unless you want to show your cat
• Nails – claws may need trimming if they fail to retract (i.e. if they are still visible when the cat is resting)

Small pets

• Grooming – needed for long-haired varieties, get them used to being handled first
• Directions – use a soft toothbrush to groom smaller pets such as hamsters. With rabbits brush the coat gently with a stiff-bristled brush in the same direction as the fur grows
• Bathing – long-haired guinea pigs will need the occasional bath
• Nails – rabbits and guinea pigs’ nails may need trimming