Although the average cat spends a significant amount of time on self-grooming activities, your feline friend still needs a bit of help from you to look and feel its best. Although many people take their cats to a pet grooming service on regular basis, especially those with long-haired cats, it's also a good idea to provide regular brushing sessions at home. Fortunately, this isn't a problem for most people because cats generally love to be brushed, particularly those that have gotten used to it as a kitten. And contrary to popular belief, even short-haired cats benefit from regular brushing. 

Following are five reasons why you should brush your cat at home between visits to your local pet grooming service. 

Brushing Promotes Relaxation

Brushing should provide a relaxing experience for both the cat and its owner. Choose a quiet place and a time of day with minimal distractions, and keep brushing sessions short at first to get your cat acclimated to being brushed. You'll know when this happens when you hear a happy purring sound. 

Brushing Stimulates Blood Circulation

Regular brushing also helps promote good blood circulation. This is particularly important in senior cats because cardiovascular and circulatory system disorders become increasingly common as cats get older.    

Brushing Minimizes Shedding

Most people consider shedding to be one of their least favorite aspects of sharing their hearts and homes with a feline friend, and if you're like most, you'd probably love to find an easy way to minimize the amount of cat hair on your furniture and clothing. Regular brushing provides an easy way by removing loose hairs before they fall out. 

Brushing Minimizes Hairballs  

When cats groom themselves, loose hairs often wind up on their tongues and make their way to their stomachs from there. When enough of these hairs accumulate in the animal's stomach, they can form hairballs, which later are likely to be regurgitated on various household surfaces. 

Brushing Minimizes Matting

Although matting typically isn't an issue with short-haired cats, long-haired cats that aren't brushed regularly will nearly always develop matted fur. Many people believe that this is merely a cosmetic issue, but matted fur can also negatively impact the cat's health. Matted fur that's become tightly twisted can cause pain, limit the animal's ability to move, and affect the functionality of the circulatory system. Matted fur also provides hiding places for parasite pets.

Ask your local groomer for more tips for caring for your cat's coat between professional grooming sessions. For more information about pet grooming services, contact a company like Kibble Pet Grooming.

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