SHOW
PREPARATION
Information about what shows are available and can be viewed
and downloaded from the Shows Page
HERE
or phone the secretary on (07)
4637-0058
It is quite easy to groom a cat for show and much of it
is in the bath, but it does require practice to get the cat looking wonderful.
Not all cats like being bathed
but there are various ways of getting your pet clean. If puss will
not accept a bath then there are dry cleaning powders that can be used from
your local pet shop. Just follow the directions.
Some breeds look better without the bath and, if it has a short coat, no
parasites and if hand stroked regularly, it will not need one, but most long or
semi-long cats should be bathed
and blow-dried a day or two before coming to the show.
One thing that affects the
coat are fleas that make puss scratch, breaking the hairs, and can give your
cat worms as well as anaemia. If your cat stays inside all the time it may not
have fleas but, if it does, then Frontline or Advantage should be used
regularly. Have a talk at your local vet and they will advise you on what works
best in your area.
A bath attempted only
after a complete comb-through and clipping of the nail tips, will make the coat
clean, healthy and beautiful. It is wise to establish the routine of the bath
when they are young. You will need a few items depending on the length of your
cat's coat. A spray attachment for your tap is very useful; a rubber one that
slides on and off can be purchased quite inexpensively from your local
supermarket or hardware store. A laundry tub is idea for bathing your cat in.
Essential requirements are at least two towels, a comb, or a brush and a good
quality shampoo (either a special cat one or baby shampoo), a hair dryer if
your pet will allow this and a carry cage, which you will also need to take
your cat to the show. Get everything ready in one place before you start.
Start off by clipping the claws. This saves getting
scratched inadvertently, plus saves the furniture. To clip claws hold the cat
close to you with your arm, carefully pick up your cat's paw and gently squeeze
each toe and the claw will extend. You may clip the claw in front of the tiny
red vein or in the case of black nails just before the nail bends without
injuring the cat. Do this when they have been napping and still sleepy.
Turn on the tap until
the water is just warm, put the cat in the tub and put some shampoo through the
coat, do this twice, you may have to experiment with which shampoo to use
as it depends on the coat texture and colour. When you have finished rinsing
the coat out, rinse some more and more again. It's very important that you get
all of the soap out of the coat.
Get as much water out of the cat with your hands as you can, before
taking it out of the tub. Towel dry the coat, changing towels, as they get wet.
Heating towels in the dryer while you are bathing the cat means that you can
use warm towels that calm many cats after being bathed.
If your cat has a very
short coat leave your cat in a warm area to dry by itself but if it has some
length to the coat it will benefit from being blow-dried. If you are
blow-drying the coat you can now put just a very little mousse in the cat's
coat if you wish. It is not essential but gives the coat a nice feel. You can
either use products specially made for cats or a human product. Starting from
the back and working your way forward, blow the coat dry using a wide toothed
comb or your fingers. Its preferable to dry
the back end first, the tummy and then work forward to the head, but it doesn't
really matter which order you do it in. The most important thing is to get them
bone dry. Dry off one section before going on to the next using a wide toothed
comb and gently lifting the coat up and forward as you go. When you have
finished and are sure the cat is dry, keep on drying. If you stop too soon the
coat will still be slightly damp and this is what causes curls and waves so
dry, dry and dry some more. Remember the feet, behind the ears and the tummy,
as well as
under the arms and the back of the legs. It's a good idea to try all this at
least a week before and often takes practice both on your part and puss's
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