Good Health Grooming - Why a salon visit is good for your pet

For humans, grooming is a daily process. We scrub our hands, wash our faces and take frequent showers to keep ourselves clean. Although many pets, especially cats, are known for their ability to clean themselves, professional grooming for dogs and cats is essential to helping them stay squeaky clean. Grooming is about much more than just making your pet look pretty; it can also help prevent unpleasant issues from arising with their hygiene and health.

This is especially true with long-haired pets. While a dog or cat with long, luxurious fur can be beautiful, it also requires a lot of maintenance. In the December/January 2014 issue of Animal Wellness Magazine, an article on grooming by professional groomer Toni Brightman explained the pain and potential illness associated with pets whose hair gets tangled and matted.

“If you’re a woman, imagine hot rollers wound too tightly to your head,” Brightman wrote, explaining how a matted fur coat feels to your pet. The twists and tangles in their fur are much more than unpleasant to the eye; they could actually be hampering circulation, causing skin sores and infections or hiding other ailments.

Does this mean that if you have a short-haired dog or cat, you are free to let them groom themselves? Actually, there are many additional benefits to a professional groom that will help pets of all sizes and coat types:

Hygiene – keeping an animal’s back-end clean and mat-free is important to allow them to eliminate properly.

Eyes – tearing of the eyes can lead to residue build up on your pet’s face, which can pull at their
fur and become gummy and difficult to clean. Regular grooming can prevent this buildup.

Nails – Nail care is essential for any pet, even cats who may have a scratching post or other means of filing their claws. If nails grow too long, they can actually curl and begin to grow into the pads of your pet’s feet. This is extremely painful and can cause strain on joins.

Feet – Mats of fur can grow hard and become tangled and between your pet’s pads. Imagine pebbles stuck between your toes! A groomer will keep this hair short and clean.

Ears – Ear cleaning in many breeds also requires trimming the hair that can grow inside the ear canal. A regular groom will include maintenance of this fur to prevent overgrowth and infections.

Long hair or short, cat or dog, a clean and well-groomed coat will help you pet stay healthy and happy. At Morris Animal Inn, a day at our Grooming Salon and Spa means relaxation and attention from our experienced staff. Your pet will come home looking and feeling their best! Watch the video below for a taste of what your dog or cat can expect from a grooming appointment at Morris Animal Inn:

What to Look for before Leaving your Pet with a Pet Sitter or Lodging Facility

As you plan for your getaway, deciding where your pet will stay is something that should give you peace of mind. The Humane Society writes an informative article about what to consider before choosing your pet's lodging accommodations. Some of their tips mentioned:

•  To have your pets stay where they receive more attention and supervision than if home alone most of the day.
• To find out if the facility requires pets to be current on their vaccinations - including the vaccine for canine cough - this will protect your furry family member from others.

Other important questions to ask before boarding your pet with a pet sitter or lodging facility:

1. Will pets be monitored by trained staff?
2. Are veterinary services available if needed? What are they?
3. Are they veterinarian recommended?
4. Are cats housed away from the dogs?
5. Does the facility look and smell clean?
6. Are other services offered such as training, bathing and grooming?
7. How many years have they been in business?

These are just a few items to consider before choosing a lodging facility. At Morris Animal Inn, we welcome you to ask these questions and more in order to feel comfortable leaving your pet with us. We want to be your pet's home away from home. Please stop in for a tour to see for yourself.  

Source: Humane Society of the United States (http://www.humanesociety.org/animals/resources/tips/choosing_boarding_kennel.html)

Cats and Water — It’s Not Just for Drinking

Jeanne, our contributing writer, shares her experiences with her feline friend and shows that there are some cat breeds that are known to enjoy a swim, cats that enjoy the thrill of water play, and cats that will tolerate a bath. Despite what you may initially believe, there are cats that actually do enjoy water and we're not referring to just the beverage.

The “Swimming” Cat:

One breed in particular that stands out as a lover of water is the Turkish Van. Discovered on the shores of Lake Van in Turkey, this breed, which is generally a fluffy white cat with mostly white and auburn markings around the face and tail, loves to go for a swim. It has a silky coat that is said to be water resistant. If you own this breed and they do not have access to a body of water, they will most likely be expressing their love of the water sport by playing in a nearby water bowl, with the water faucet, or even with toilet water.

Not every cat is a swimmer; therefore, you should take precaution and be able to act quickly in the case of an emergency or drowning situation. Water can be a danger for cats and you should never leave a full bath unattended, as a cat could dive in and be scalded by hot water or there is also the potential for drowning. Toilet lids should be kept down due to the danger of any chemicals you may use to clean them. Not all water situations are fun for cats.

Water Play:

Cats have been observed dipping or standing with a paw in their water before drinking. I’ve also found toys submerged in water bowls and witnessed cats at play with drenched toy mice. Actually, as I’m typing this, my cat is placing his paw in his water bowl while drinking. Is he testing the temperature of the water or is he just washing his paw? Why do cats do this?  

There are several theories as to why cats will play with water. One is that a cat will not drink from a dirty water bowl or drink water that is dirty. They have a great sense of smell and may be testing the water with their paw for its safety from chemicals and (yes, as mentioned earlier) to test the temperature. Another theory of water play is that the cat maybe trying to actually catch a reflection with their paw. Still another theory is that some cats like running water over still water. Cats are also known to have weird drinking habits and are found drinking water directly from a faucet, a filled mug in the sink, or a puddle on the patio. 

Scrub-a-dub-dub!

Cats are usually known to provide themselves with their own bath, but there are occasions that might call for you, your veterinarian, or a professional groomer to provide a bath. These occasions may be if your cat gets extremely dirty; for example with mud, if your cat obtains fleas, or if your cat is a show cat. In these cases, this is where water will come into the picture. Most cats are resistant to water as it gives them an icky feeling to their coat.  If you start bathing your cat at an early age, they can become use to the pampering of a warm bath.  

Morris Animal Inn offers grooming services for your cat and if your cat has a love of water, Morris Animal Inn can also offer our feline guests aquarium views of their fish friends performing one of their favorite water sports –swimming! Contact us to book your cat’s next grooming appointment or lodging reservation and request an accommodation with a water view!

We are pleased to have Jeanne, as a contributing writer for If They Could Talk. Jeanne is a member of our Guest Services team and is a passionate cat owner. We look forward to sharing her contribution on interesting and educational pet topics.

References:
Cats 101. (n.d.). Retrieved from Animal Planet : http://animal.discovery.com/tv-shows/cats-101/videos/turkish-van.htm
Cutts, P. (1992). The Complete Cat Book. New York: Smithmark Publishers Inc.
Haddon, C. (2010). Cats Behaving Badly. New York: Thomas Dunne Books. An imprint of St. Martin's Press.
James R. Richards, D. (1999). ASPCA Complete Guide to Cats. San Francisco: Chronicle Books LLC.
License, C. C.-S. (2012, September 20). Retrieved October 7, 2012, from Wikipedia The Free Encyclopedia: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Turkish_Van
Wilkins, K. A. (2007). Animal Planet. Cats. New Jersey: T.E.H. Publications, Inc.

Cat Nail Trimming - A Mani and Pedi for Your Kitty

When you plan your own spa day, make sure that you are planning a regular manicure and pedicure for your cat. An essential part of keeping you and your feline healthy and happy is by making sure you are providing proper nail care. 

NATURAL NAIL CARE:

Cats will groom their claws on their own by taking off the outer sheaths, which is the covering around the nail.  They do this in several situations by scratching their nails on an indoor scratching post, on a tree (if they are an outdoor cat), or by chewing at their nails to expose the new claw.  Cat owners will want to trim their cat’s nails on a regular basis to protect not only their furniture but their own skin.

PREPARATION FOR THE TRIM:

It is important to know the details of how to properly and carefully trim your cats nails before attempting the process.  Your veterinarian should be consulted for direction before attempting this on your own for the first time. 

You will want to avoid cutting the quick of the nail.  The quick is the pink area in the middle of the nail that contains the nerves and blood vessels.  Cutting the quick will cause bleeding and pain if snipped.  Bleeding can be stopped by using styptic powder on the nail which contains the bleeding. You will only want to cut the tip of the nail, which is the sharp white point of the nail. Be conservative in cutting in order to keep away from the quick.  Please be mindful that if your cat has dark claws, you will want a professional to complete the nail trim, as you will most likely not be able to see the quick area.

Use only nail clippers specifically designed for cats.  You will not want to use your own nail clippers as they might split the cats nail.  In pet stores, you will see that there are nail trimmers available that are actually designed to locate the quick of the nail. Now how cool is that?  

TRIMMING PROCEDURE:

Do not upset your feline family member!  Approach your cat during a calm or sleepy state to make the experience as pleasant as possible.  You may also want to get your cat used to you touching his or her paws at times other than trimming, in order to keep from having a negative reaction.  

·         With your fingers, carefully squeeze and apply pressure to the pad of each toe.  This action will expose the nail.

·         Clip just the tip of each nail, which is the sharp white point.  Please be cautious of where the quick is.  Remember that you do not want to cut the quick that contains the nerves and the blood vessels.

·         Keep the Kwik Stop powder handy, in case you do accidently snip the quick!

For a kitten, it is recommended to trim the claws once a week.  This will help you in becoming familiar with the procedure.  For an adult cat, a trim every two to four weeks should be sufficient.

If your cat is not cooperative for the nail trimming process, you should book an appointment with a veterinarian or groomer.   Feel free to contact Morris Animal Inn to book a nail trim during your cat’s next visit with us.

Some words of advice for your kitty: Look sharp but don’t be sharp!

Have you tried cutting your cats nail and were you successful?

We are pleased to have Jeanne, as a contributing writer for If They Could Talk. Jeanne is a member of our Guest Services team and is a passionate cat owner. We look forward to sharing her contribution on interesting and educational pet topics.

REFERENCES:

www.aspca.org: http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-care-nail-trimming-101.aspx

Cutts, P. (1992). The Complete Cat Book. New York, New York, USA: Smithmark Publishers Inc.

Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc. (2008). Hill's Science Diet: The Guide for Lifelong Health. Hill's Pet Nutrition, Inc.

Spadafori, G. (2002). Cats for Dummies (Vol. Miniature Edition). New York, New York, USA: Hungry Minds, Inc.

The Iams Company, a division of Meredith Corporation. (1998, 2001). Your New Cat. A Comprehensive Guide to Health, Nutrition and General Care . Meredith Integrated Marketing.