It is estimated that a good 30 percent of a cat’s day is spent ‘grooming’ themselves (and the rest sleeping!!). A cat has tiny little spikes known as ‘papillae’ on their tongues, which enables them to remove some dead hair from their body through licking. This ‘grooming’ is a generally healthy behaviour which soothes the cat, distributes natural oils and removes some dead fur, but will never be a sufficient stand in for a proper brush!

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The majority of cats have two coats; a soft undercoat for warmth and a slightly coarser top coat which includes guard hairs and works as a protection barrier. When the undercoat sheds, it can get caught up and tangle in with the top coat if not properly brushed out and may eventually lead to matting. Some cats are more prone to matting than others, but even short haired cats can matt!

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Matted fur is very uncomfortable and can even impact the mobility of a cat if the matt is tugging painfully in certain areas. If left for too long, they will cause irritation, sores and possible infection in severe cases. Matts will nearly always need to be shaved out (please NEVER try using scissors!) but the relief for kitty is instant, and the new fur growth can be maintained with brushing to stop new matts! 

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A build up of dead fur left in the coat can also lead to HAIRBALLS! Not only are they particularly gross to clean up, they can cause more serious problems for your kitty if they become a too regular occurrence. A good groom means no more fur slugs!

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