Scottish fold and straight-eared cats can have two types of coat: short (low-eared Scottish Fold, straight-eared Scottish Straight) and semi-long (low-eared Highland Fold, straight-eared Highland Straight). Recently, the international WCF system has classified the Highlands as a longhaired variety, although in fact they are semi-longhaired. The type of coat Scottish cats will have depends on the variety. Accordingly, caring for it is slightly different. But in general, it is not complicated, and these tailed animals bring much less inconvenience than representatives of a number of other breeds.
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An experienced cat lover buys clothes that match the color of his cat.
How often should you brush your cat?
If your cat is a long-haired breed, you should brush it once a day or at least twice a week. Short-haired cats need this procedure no more than once a week.
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Basic tools for grooming your pet
A responsible owner will be faced with the question of what is the best way to comb the hair of cats. In some cases, you can use a regular cylindrical or massage comb. There are several types of brushes for combing: furminator, comb, mitten, slicker. They differ from each other in purpose and design. Owners of furry pets are recommended to have all these tools at home. Any necessary products and tools for combing cat fur can be found in pet stores.
Tools required for the procedure
You should not scratch cats with combs with metal teeth, as they can damage the delicate skin. It is advisable that the brush be made of a material that does not cause flashes of static electricity.
Furminator
The main tool for combing pets is a furminator (the name comes from the English word “fur” - “fur”). It is a small rake with a long and frequent row of short teeth. In stores you can find furminators with a narrow or wide comb. The first of them are perfect for combing kittens, and the second - for large cats with long hair. Furminator is completely safe for your pet.
This tool was invented by professional groomers, but anyone can use it. With the help of a furminator, you can carefully care for the fur of your favorite furry and not worry about the appearance of tangles. The Furminator gently removes dead undercoat without damaging the outer hair and skin. The cat's coat becomes silky and soft because during combing the fatty component of the skin is evenly distributed through the hairs. During shedding, it is best to use a furminator rather than other brushes. A high-quality tool costs about 1000–2000 rubles.*
Mitten
Many pets do not like to brush their hair and categorically refuse to do so. A brush-mitten will come to the rescue: you need to put it on your hand and stroke the cat. And the wary animal will not notice anything at all, he will even be pleased. On the inside of the mitten there are sparse teeth that remove hair. The mitten can only be used to brush out shedding cats; the rest of the time it is not so effective.
Puhoderka
Many owners of long-haired cats use a slicker. This tool is similar to a massage comb with a head in the shape of a square or rectangle. The head of the slicker is dotted with thin and frequent long teeth, bent in one direction. The tips of the teeth must be rounded, otherwise they will injure your pet. With this tool you can remove excess undercoat hairs and fluff up the hair on the tail.
Only cats with long, thick hair are combed with a slicker, and not every day. The sharp teeth radically clean the undercoat and can cut or irritate the skin. It is enough to brush your cat with a slicker brush once a week. During shedding, you can use a slicker 2-3 times a week, but not more often.
Scallop
Fine-toothed or fine-toothed combs are great for daily combing. You need to choose such a comb taking into account the length of the cat's fur. The longer the coat, the rarer the teeth should be. Only short-haired cats can be combed with a fine-toothed comb. The wide-toothed comb is universal: it is suitable for both short and long cat hair. This tool is convenient for combing your pet after bathing and untangling matted fur.
You should definitely have a small comb with fine, fine teeth at home. It will help comb the hair behind the ears and in other hard-to-reach places. It also perfectly removes dried dirt from fur and helps look for fleas.
Cats with long, soft hair need a comb with rotating teeth. It gently straightens tangled hairs without tearing or injuring them. If your cat has long, coarse hair and a thick undercoat, you will need a comb with teeth of different lengths. Short teeth carefully comb the guard hairs, and long teeth remove dead particles of undercoat.
Metal combs with smooth tips are ideal. Plastic combs often become electrified, and this is unpleasant for the cat. Wooden combs gently smooth hairs, but do not last long, so they should be replaced annually.
Which Furminator to choose for a Briton
The Furminator is an indispensable thing during the molting of a British cat. Curved teeth “pick up” and remove dead undercoat without harming living hairs. Experts say that when used correctly, a furminator can remove about 90% of dead hair and prevent the appearance of tangles and contamination of your pet’s coat.
A Furminator for British cats should be purchased taking into account the size of the animal and the length of its coat. An incorrectly selected device can harm the thick, dense undercoat; the animal will lose its decorative appearance and experience discomfort during the procedure. When purchasing, be sure to make sure that the chosen furminator is intended specifically for Scottish and British cats.
To maintain the dense, thick coat of the British cat, it is recommended to use the Furminator no more than once every 7-10 days. The exception is during periods of shedding, in which case the accessory can be used once every 3 days.
Cat brushing tools
An important question is how to choose a brush. Animal hair has a different structure from human hair, so you cannot use regular combs. There are a lot of brushes in the pet store; they differ not only in appearance, but also in purpose.
Slicker comb: the most popular
A slicker brush, or slicker, is a brush with metal teeth. They can be straight or slightly curved and have different lengths. Hence the choice:
- for thick, long hair you need to choose a slicker with long, frequent teeth;
- For a short-haired cat, a brush with sparser and shorter teeth is suitable.
You can use a slicker only after the wool has been combed with a wide-toothed comb; do not use it if there are tangles.
During shedding, it is not recommended to use the slicker daily: twice a week is enough.
Mitten: the easiest to use
If your pet actively resists and does not want to be combed with combs and brushes, you can use a special rubber mitten. On its surface there are teeth of different lengths and frequencies.
After placing the cat on your lap, you can gently stroke it with your gloved hand. This is a good massage for the skin, which improves blood circulation and strengthens hair follicles. The pet's fur becomes shiny. The mitten is especially convenient for short-haired cats.
Furminators
When shedding, it is convenient to use a furminator - a rectangular comb with teeth that has a rubberized handle. This device, which resembles a small rake, is convenient for massage and untangling small tangles.
The comb can be of different sizes, depending on the age and size of the cat. For kittens, a furminator 3 cm wide is sufficient; adult animals need to choose wider ones – from 4 cm.
Brushes
Natural bristle brushes are suitable for brushing your cat. Their advantage is that the hairs are not electrified; cats really don’t like it when this happens, and in the future they may refuse to comb them.
A convenient device is a double-sided brush. It has bristles on one side and rounded metal teeth on the other. She can not only comb the cat, but also give a gentle massage.
Crest
Owners often choose a comb to comb their pets. This fine-toothed comb is convenient to use when shedding or when you need to rid your pet of fleas. The frequent teeth pick up living and dead parasites when it is not possible to wash them out of long hair with water.
How to comb a cat's fur at home
A caring owner knows how to brush a cat well. It is advisable to accustom your kitten to hygiene procedures from a very early age. Then he will not be afraid of brushing and, perhaps, will even be able to enjoy it. It’s also not too late to teach adult fluffies to be brushed, but they will need more time to get used to it. If the furry beauty enjoys being combed, this procedure will not cause any inconvenience to anyone.
The Scottish breed is the most shedding
If any irritation appears on the skin, it is better to postpone combing until it heals. You need to start treating dermatitis, allergies, and fungal diseases as quickly as possible. Under no circumstances should you touch the wound with a comb.
The hand should move smoothly and gently. Do not press the comb too hard or make sudden movements, as this can damage the hairs and scare the cat.
How to comb a cat, step by step instructions:
- You need to stroke the cat with a mitten or run a wide-toothed comb through the fur.
- You need to start combing with a mitten, then use a furminator and a slicker, then different combs. It is advisable to complete the procedure with a massage comb and a brush with natural bristles.
- First, comb along the hair growth, and then against it. This effectively cleans the coat.
- Within a few minutes you need to comb the back, sides and tummy.
- It is worth paying a lot of attention to hard-to-reach areas. Take turns combing the “pants” near each paw, then the back of the head and withers.
- The smallest combs will be needed for combing the neck and the area around the ears.
- Small tangles need to be combed separately. They are moistened with spray and then smoothed using a comb. Large mats should be cut off by professional groomers with a special tool. It's better not to do this on your own.
- After combing, you should moisten your hand with water and stroke the cat with it.
The entire procedure will take no more than 5–10 minutes, but it will bring a lot of benefits to the furry pet and its owners.
Important! If the kitten does not like to be brushed and begins to resist, you need to distract him with his favorite toy or treat. This also helps adult animals. Each cat has its own personality, so you need to be patient with them.
Even if the owner does not yet know how to brush a cat, he will quickly learn it. This requires a little patience. It is not at all necessary to contact a groomer; it is enough to know how to brush a cat at home and how it is done.
Special shampoos for long or short hair will help your furry pet be beautiful and make it easier to care for. It is very important to periodically treat your cat with green grass or sprouted oats. You can buy it at a pet store or grow it at home in a special box. Grass and oats are a natural gastric cleanser. In addition, cats love grass very much for its pleasant taste and aroma.
Water treatments
Once every few months the cat needs to be bathed. This breed is calm about water, and kittens, accustomed to washing from childhood, can even ask to go to the bathroom themselves. Do not use human shampoos or gels. There are special veterinary products. They get rid of fleas and other parasites, and most importantly, do not harm the cat’s health.
- Before bathing, take two pieces of cotton wool and plug the animal’s ears with them, otherwise water will get into them.
- Don't use a hose: a hard stream of water may frighten your cat.
- The water for bathing a Scottish Fold should be slightly warmer than room temperature - 30 - 35⁰C. Make sure it doesn't get cold.
- After wetting the fur, carefully soap the back and sides first, then the belly, paws and tail. Lastly, apply shampoo to the face. But be careful: if the shampoo gets into the eyes, it can cause pain and the cat will begin to struggle. And when washing off the soap suds, try to cover the cat’s eyes and nose.
- After bathing, dry your pet with a towel or wrap him in a soft cloth. While the fur is wet, the animal can easily catch a cold. Therefore, make sure that there is no draft in the room, and that a very wet “towel” is changed to a dry one in a timely manner.
What to pay attention to
It is worth carefully monitoring not only the diet, but also the number of servings, since feeding Scottish Straight cats requires a clear dosage. This is due to the fact that this breed is prone to obesity and a Scottish cat cannot always control its appetite, when it is not really full, and when it has overeaten. However, if a Scottish cat leaves food on the plate, you should not immediately contact a veterinarian, because you can adjust the portion size based on the mood and activity of the Scottish cat.
The Scottish Straight kitten should be fed in such a way that 40% of all food is protein.
Up to a year, it is recommended to structure the diet in such a way that it is divided into three to four meals, and for adult cats, 2 feedings during the day will be optimal. A prerequisite must be the availability of clean, boiled water.
Brush selection
A brush for combing cat hair should be selected depending on the length and type of fur. A different set of brushes will be needed for long-haired and short-haired pets, as well as for their Scottish counterparts. Outbred cats can also be short-haired or long-haired. Their coat also needs good care.
Long-haired pets
Luxurious hair needs to be well looked after. A caring owner should pay especially much attention to combing long-haired and semi-long-haired cats. These breeds include Persians, Maine Coons, Kuril Bobtails, Turkish Angora, Neva Masquerade, Burmese, Siberian, Norwegian Forest and many other cats. For them you will need at least three combs with teeth of different lengths:
- with short and frequent;
- with averages;
- with long and sparse ones.
You need to carefully care for your furry pet's luxurious coat, so you also need to purchase an anti-tangle spray, conditioner, a brush with natural bristles, and talcum powder.
Vaccinations
Like other purebred cats, Scottish Folds require mandatory vaccination.
- The first vaccination is given to a Scottish kitten no earlier than 3 months. It will provide the baby with protection from a whole range of diseases: caliciviosis, rhinotracheitis, panleukopenia and rabies.
- After 3–5 weeks, repeated vaccination is carried out, after which the animal develops stable immunity to these diseases.
- Other vaccinations - against ringworm, leukemia, chlamydia and other infections - should only be done if your pet is often outdoors.
There are several rules that must be followed to protect the health of the animal.:
- Vaccination can only be given to a healthy animal that does not experience any physical discomfort. So, even teething is a good reason to cancel a trip to the hospital.
- It is necessary to strictly adhere to the timing of revaccination. Vaccination can only be rescheduled if your pet is not feeling well.
- 10 - 14 days before vaccination, the cat needs to be given anti-worm medication: any parasites weaken the animal, and therefore make the administration of the vaccine hazardous to health.
- Never bring a pregnant cat with you for vaccinations. During this period, her body is especially vulnerable, and the vaccine will do more harm than good.
Remember that vaccinations must be done annually, trying not to miss the date prescribed for the previous vaccination.
What else to see:
Ear and dental care
The British Straight-eared kitten also requires careful ear hygiene and regular dental care. Such procedures involve cleaning the ears using a special cotton swab, which is moistened in a liquid purchased at a veterinary clinic.
Considering the peculiarity of the structure of the ears, a scrupulous attitude to their hygiene is required, which consists of carefully turning out the ear cartilage and cleaning the ear canal
Examination and cleaning of teeth should also become a mandatory procedure, since identifying or forming plaque on teeth at an early age will allow them to be quickly eliminated almost painlessly. Your cat's teeth should be white and her gums an even pink color. Inflammation or swelling of any type is not allowed.
By following these basic rules on how to care for a Scottish cat, you can provide your pet with a well-groomed appearance and good health.
