Page 233 - The Complete Cat Breed Book (DK)

GR OOMING AND HY GIENE 231

Cleaning ears, eyes, and nose
The inside of your cat’s ears should be clean and free of odor.
Remove excess earwax with cotton balls or tissues. If you see
dark, gritty specks in the ears, which indicate ear mites, or an
ear discharge, take your cat to the vet. Damp cotton balls can
also be used to clean around the eyes and nose. Mucus may
collect in the corners of the eyes of long-muzzled cats, such
as Siamese. Flat-faced cats, such as Persians, often suffer
from tear overflow, which leaves mahogany stains on the fur
around the eyes. Consult your vet if you find any discharge
from the eyes or nose, or prolonged redness of the eyes.

TEETH CLEANING
■ Hold the head firmly, pry
open the jaws, and clean each
tooth for a few seconds.
■ Use a child’s toothbrush or a
specially made cat’s toothbrush,
some of which fit onto a finger.
■ Special cat toothpastes are
available. Your cat will especially
enjoy the meat-flavored ones.
■ If your cat won’t allow you to
brush his teeth, ask your vet for REMOVING EAR WAX
oral antiseptics, which you apply Use a cotton ball or a tissue, dampened with either water or
directly to the cat’s gums. an ear-cleaning solution from your vet. Never use cotton
swabs, because you might push wax further into the ear canal.

GROOMING | NAIL CLIPPING

How to clip your cat’s nails
Cats naturally keep their nails worn down by exercise,
scratching, climbing, and biting. Indoor and especially older
cats often don’t get much claw-wearing exercise and are at
risk of growing long claws that curl into the pads of the paws,
causing discomfort. To prevent this, regularly check your cat’s
claws and cut them with clippers about every two weeks. Keep
a firm hold on your cat and make sure you remove just the
very end of the claw. Any further down and you might cut into
the pink region, or “quick,” and cause pain and bleeding. If you
find it too difficult, ask your vet to cut your cat’s nails instead.

EXTENDING
THE CLAW
When clipping your
cat’s claws, very
gently press down
on the bone just
behind each claw START THEM YOUNG
with your fingers to Accustom your cat to having his nails clipped from an early
make the claw age. If your cat is not in the mood and struggles, don’t
extend fully. force things. Let him go, and try again the next day.