Is their coat difficult to look after? As I've only ever had short hairs.

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They have to be groomed everyday or at least every other day! I had a persian years ago and he used to be bathed also! If the get the runs thats not very nice either

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http://www.facebook.com/?sk=lf#!/groups/353407657301/

I always hear of people keeping them indoors as they don't want stuff stuck in it

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Hi
I groom Cats for a living, Long haired Cats are quite easy to maintain providing they are trained from an early age.

They do require a daily brush but providing they are socialised from an early age with a brush, wash etc it is not really a problem.

The problem areas are their bottoms and leg pits or under arms, very prone to matts and tatts, however there are fantastic shampoos and conditioners available now that decrease these they have specially formulated de-tangle formulars, some have oils that help the fur slide and glide and reduces the risk of knots that lead to matts and tatts, others reduce static which also leads to hair sticking together and creating Matts and Tatts.

The trouble some owners experience is that because of busy timetables it is all too easy to forget about brushing daily, and this does lead to matts and tatts, it also leads to the Cat getting out of the habit and used to being groomed, combine this with Matts and Tatts causing pain and it can become a problem for the owner to remove Matts and Tatts.

In extreme cases some Cats end up so badly Matted and tatted that they require shaving , styles like the Lion Cut are quite common in badly Matted Persians, and in most cases the Cat needs to be sedated as it is in so much discomfort due to the excessive Matts that it will not let you close to try and work them out.

But it is not all doom and gloom, because properly groomed and socialised, they are easily maintained, and there long free flowing coats really do look amazing when properly groomed. Not only do they look amazing but the feel of their coat is amazing too soft and silky.

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http://www.funkyfurballs.co.uk

I have to admit I'm *terrible* with Gypsy - she gets her knickers groomed 1-2 times a week and all over only when needed

however she *hates* being groomed

she *enjoys* a bath though (weird cat) so does get a bath and thorough groom whenever we have a show or if I need to thoroughly groom her

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Was just wondering what you thought about this - I have read that it is best to only use a metal comb when grooming a Persian - and not to use a brush. I really don't understand why

I have 2 Persian kittens and, so far, have only used a comb. It seems to take rather a long time to groom them when using the comb. When I am short of time, I can't help feeling that using a brush would get the job done a lot quicker. What do you think about this and what sort of brush would be best?

Also, do you use an anti-static spray when grooming long hairs?

Hi Scarlett20,

Comb vs Brush has been a debate that looms constantly within the grooming world, The answer is not a straight forward right or wrong, in truth they are both used to create different effects.

I will try to explain without being to long winded.

Firstly a comb is used for detangling and dematting intially because the teeth of the comb are in a perfect line and parallel, they are equally spaced for the job in hand, simply run through they allow for the hair to pass in a straight line until they hit a tangle or matt, so for a groomer it allows you to work a particular section and pick out individual Matts that require working out. Yes they work a smaller area than a brush but it is less stress and pain for a badly matted Cat as it allows a more precision pull through the coat. The comb is not really used to fully groom the Cat, to fully groom the Cat a combination of brushes is used to create the style.

Brushes cover a wide range of types, in shape, style and size, the main being used by groomers are
Oval Bristle Haired Brushes
Oval Pin Brushes
Slicker brushes

Oval Pin brushes are not really good for Cats with Tatts and Matts as the teeth are arranged in a way that the hair passing through does so by kind of an S shape weaving around the teeth rather than passing through in a straight line like the comb, it works a rather larger contact area again not ideal when working with Matts and Tatts. It primary function is a finishing tool, it is designed to give the Coat lift.
It works simalar to when you create curls in a ribbon when wrapping presents you run a ribbon along the scissors and it causes it to curl, by passing the hair through the brush in an S shape it creates a very gentle wave effect that is really only noticeable under a microscope, but it causes the hair to stand more upright, so allows you to make the Cat look more Full.

Bristle Hair brush has two uses after using a pin brush it allows you to separate the hair more finely to create not only a full look but a full and incrediably fluffy look by creating static in the coat.
The second use is used in conjunction with an anti-static spray and a slicker brush to flatten the hair and give a coat a long natural look, you use this to follow the contours of the Cats body, the hair then lays flat the natural direction of the coat and used correctly can make the Cat look slim and sleek.

The slicker brush is used to create ultra fine detailing without creating body, the teeth are arranged in straight lines and angled back over, this design is created to provide two functions firstly separate the hair into individual fine strands and secondly to trap any moulting hair that is loose within the coat.
(There are slickers that have teeth arranged in a format like a pin brush these are designed to give lift like the Pin brush but also catch loose moulting hair)

So dependant on what you would like the overall look to be depends on what combination you use the brushes in, but primarily it all begins with a comb to dematt, then the finishing brush or brushes are selected

Hope this answers your questions and makes sense

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http://www.funkyfurballs.co.uk

Hi there,

This has been incredibly helpful for me too! Would you mind if I PM'ed you for a more in-depth discussion about brushes? I could do with a good, solid chat about detailed finishing brushes for shows.

To answer the original question, they're not hard to look after at all as long as you stay on top of the grooming. My lot get done about 3 times a week, but I keep a brush beside me on a table so that I can give them a going over when they want lap time. They absolutely love it! But then, all of my kittens are started at a very early age. They have their first groom at four weeks old, and their first bath around the same time. This means that kittens going to their new homes don't fight the brush and actually enjoy the grooming experience as a time to bond with their new owners. If you're getting a long-hair, you should make sure the breeder has done this, otherwise grooming could be a nightmare.

Someone said the bum could be a problem, and this is true if you have a messy cat. Millie has a habit of scraping the sides of the tray when she's done a poo, and if she has the runs, this extends to scraping the roof to try and cover it which means she ends up sitting down in the poo. It takes a bit of work to get it out of her fur, but then, if you weren't showing, you could have their back ends clipped down a little which would mean that nothing could get caught there.

Carly