How To Calm A Cat For Grooming At Home

We know how important it is to groom your pet, but we also know that not all cat owners know how to calm a cat for grooming, which can be difficult. We’ve compiled our top tips for calming down your cat so that grooming can be as painless and effortless as possible. We hope that they will help you out!

Tips For Calming A Cat For Grooming

1. Take things slowly

Take things slowly

Taking things slowly is one of the most important things you can do to calm your feline friend when it’s time to be groomed. This is especially important if this is your first experience with grooming a pet. We try to calm our cats by letting them be prepared for what is about to come.

Taking things slowly will allow your cat to anticipate the techniques you are going to use, to understand that they are not being threatened or punished. It will also give you time to provide positive reinforcement if your pet begins to feel anxious. Work on taking things slowly. This allows us to adjust our technique according to the cat’s responses, making for a more efficient grooming process.

2. Gradually establish a routine

Gradually establish a routine

Routines are important. By establishing grooming as a routine, you let your cat know that this is not a punishment or an irregular, unpleasant event, but that it is something they should expect and not be afraid of.

You will want to pick a particular day of the week and a specific hour for regular grooming. Your cat will then, hopefully, begin to anticipate when it is time for grooming. This can go a long way in making your feline friend less anxious about being groomed.

3. Watch out for signs that your cat is uncomfortable

Watch out for signs that your cat is uncomfortable

Try as we may, sometimes our cats simply are not in the mood for grooming. For this reason, it is important to watch out for any signs that your cat is uncomfortable. These include your cat flicking their ears or rotating them, swishing their tail, freezing in place or stiffening of the muscles, licking their lips, and any sudden, unexpected movements. If your feline friend exhibits these or any other negative behaviors, take a break.

Learning to keep our cats relaxed is a gradual process. We are not just trying to get through grooming as quickly as possible; we are trying to change behaviors. It is important to be respectful of our cats when grooming. Otherwise, they will come to resent the process and it will only be more difficult in the future.

4. Consider using a natural pheromone spray

Consider using a natural pheromone spray

Cat pheromone sprays are spray products designed to help calm down an anxious or misbehaving cat. While the responsiveness of your cat to these sprays will depend on your cat’s personality--some cats respond well to the sprays while others simply ignore them. They are an option worth exploring if you’re struggling with cat grooming.

Finding a scent that you and your cat both like will work to make grooming even easier for your pet. While you may not need it, one of these sprays can be used to make grooming a more peaceful experience.

5. Consult with your vet before trying any at-home sedatives

Consult with your vet before trying any at-home sedatives

If you’re still struggling to keep your cat calm during grooming time, you may be tempted to get some sort of sedative pill or even an injection. It is extremely important, however, that you consult with a professional veterinarian before exploring this option.

All cats are different, and you should not use sedatives without first consulting with someone who has expert knowledge of your cat’s health and the effects of sedatives. Thus, we do not recommend that you use sedation unless otherwise suggested by a veterinary professional.

6. Brush your cat often

Brush your cat often

While this might seem counterintuitive, brushing your cat often is actually an excellent way to make them feel more relaxed when it comes time for more intensive grooming. Brushing your cat on a regular basis helps to get them used to sitting still while being groomed. It also keeps their fur clean and smooth, so that when it’s a day that you’ve set aside for a more intensive grooming session, you will have less work to do.

Brushing your cat is also an excellent way to bond, and you may find that brushing is something your feline friend may even begin to like! Make sure you buy a brush that is appropriate to be used on your cat’s fur.

7. Reward your cat

Reward your cat

Positive reinforcement is a powerful mechanism for helping your feline friend become comfortable with grooming. By rewarding their good, relaxed behavior, you help your cat to build up positive associations with grooming. For this reason, you should consider how you can reward your cat after grooming with something they like.

For instance, you might set aside extra time afterward to play with them, or you might give them a special treat or extra food. The precise reward will depend on your cat’s personality, positive reinforcement works well with most cats when we use it.

8. Consider using a professional groomer instead

Consider using a professional groomer instead

We know that you love your cat and want grooming to be a relaxing, easy process. But in reality, not all cats are easy to groom, and not all owners have the proper skill set to bring them down for this sensitive process.

We believe that no owner should feel ashamed about relying on professional groomers. One of these experts will have extensive knowledge dealing with cats with various temperaments, and they will use their expert skills to groom your cat. If calming your cat to be groomed just isn’t working, consider turning to a professional.

How To Calm A Cat For Grooming Conclusion

We know that there are advantages to grooming your cat at home. It’s a way to bond with your cat, learn what they specifically need, and save the time and money involved in using a professional groomer. For many cat owners, however, it can often be a confusing learning process.

While there are plenty of tips online for how to keep a dog calm for grooming, there’s far less discussion around cats. Keeping our pets relaxed for grooming is an important task. So we hope that our tips above on how to calm a cat for grooming at home have helped you feel more confident about keeping your cat calm when they’re being groomed!

Hello! I'm Jeanie and as the name implies I’m absolutely crazy about cats. I have two boys of my own, Roger and Doogle who are both extremely affectionate, love their tummy scratches and have too much energy most days in my opinion. I love all things cat related and really enjoy investigating and trying out all the different types of cat toys, trees and gadgets on my two mischief makers.