Cats with medium and long coats must be groomed daily to keep knots and mats from forming. In addition to causing discomfort, knots and mats can lead to general uncleanness and parasites.
Just a few minutes of brushing every day will save you from hours of work trying to brushing out a poorly maintained, tangled coat, or worse yet, having your cat shaved if the coat is too matted to brush.
Owners of Persians must devote extra time and attention to grooming. (slightly less work is required for a Chinchilla Persian). Persian's must be combed out every day with a large-toothed metal comb to remove dead hairs and prevent knots and mats from forming in the luxurious coat.
Begin working the coat between the back legs, behind the front legs, and behind the ears.
Then comb the neck and back, paying particular attention to the small mats that form at the end of the fine hairs.
Work from the tips of the fur down toward the skin, gently removing dead hairs and any knots. Never pull the hair. Instead, gently, slowly, and patiently comb out the knots.
After finishing an area, examine the skin by gently parting the fur. If you see small, black, shiny specks (flea dirt), your cat needs to be treated for fleas. It may be appropriate to occasionally use a powder prescribed by a veterinarian to treat your cat for parasites.
A cat's tongue cannot reach the ruff and the area between the ears, so these areas are more prone to knotting and matting. Therefore, extra attention should be given to these areas when grooming.
Many detangler sprays have been developed to remove knots from a coat that has not been kept up properly, but it is best to simply avoid the problem in the first place.
Finally, brush the tail. Make sure that you separate the hairs on the tail and comb them outward, not simply along the length of the tail.
Always end the grooming session on a positive note with a treat or by playing with your cat to ensure that grooming is a fun activity for both you and your cat.
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