Accustom your short haired cat to combing every three or four days as soon as you acquire her. Use a comb with small, close teeth. Start combing at the back of her neck and work your way down to her tail, following the fall of her hair. Be especially careful around her hindquarters and other such sensitive areas. Then repeat the combing using a hard rubber brush.
If you have a senior or geriatric cat, you may have to groom him every day. As cats age, they lose flexibility in their muscle and joints and may not be able to bend, stretch and reach to wash themselves like they used to. This is why they often look unkempt or scraggly. Older cats also may lose interest in their appearance and will not wash as often as they once did.
Good ear care is important to your cat's health, especially as she ages. Check her ears at least once a week, and clean them as needed to prevent ear mites, allergies, and bacterial, fungal and yeast infections from taking hold. To check the inner part of your cat's ear, hold the tip between your thumb and forefinger and roll it gently toward the back of her head. The skin should be pink or flesh colored and should look healthy and clean, with no red or sore looking patches.
Grooming sessions are the perfect time to check your cat for potential health problems. After all, the sooner you catch a problem, the better chance that your veterinarian has to fix it. When humidity is low, especially in winter with the heat on in the house, you can get quite a charge out of your cat, a charge of static electricity. To reduce the chock, try rubbing a small amount of no rinse conditioner for cats into her fur.
