Having a friendly cat or dog in your home can be a wonderful experience for the whole family. Studies have found that having such a companion helps to ward off mental issues such as depression and that pets can help people to cope with traumatic experiences. Of course, many people don’t really think about the responsibilities of owning a pet before they decide to get one. At the same time, many pet owners actually aren’t aware of all the things they should be doing to take care of their pets and a lot of things are neglected by a surprising number of pet owners. What are the pet grooming tasks that you can and should be taking care of regularly?
Bathing
Whether you own a cat or a dog, you should be bathing your pet fairly regularly. Most cats tend to stay indoors and have good pet grooming habits, but the occasional bath with help to protect them against mites and fleas. It’s also going to ensure that disease isn’t spread to your family if anything is living in their coat. In addition, there are going to be seasons where you cat sheds a lot more than normal, and a quick bath will help to remove a lot of that loose hair and dander. If your cat does spend a good deal of time outside, they will need baths a lot more regularly than a purely indoor cat. It’s obviously a lot more likely that they’re going to be picking up bugs if they are outside, and they can accumulate dirt in their coats over time.
Just by their nature, dogs tend to spend a good dealer time outside of the home. Of course, your dog will need to spend at least a little bit of time outside every single day to relieve him or herself, but they usually require walks and some playtime as well. It’s likely that they’re going to be rolling around in the grass and dirt, which means that they’re going to be picking things up that you don’t want to have spread around your home. An occasional bath will kill any fleas that might be living in their coat, and it will also prevent your dog from giving off bad odors.
Nail Trimming
Many pet owners seem to believe that it’s not necessary to trim their animal’s nails, but that could be a mistake for a few reasons. When it comes to cats, the most relevant reason to cut their claws might just be that it can prevent you from getting scratched. After a trim, your cat’s claws are going to be much more dull, which will make it much less likely that you’ll get deep scratches on your hands and arms. Younger cats tend not to be aware of just how to use their claws, so if you have a younger cat, this could save you a lot of pain. Clipping their claws can also prevent your furniture from being destroyed by the cat’s incessant need to scratch.
When it comes to dogs, nail trimming is just as important as it is to trim your own nails. Have you ever accidentally broken your nail when trying to open something? You are probably aware of just how painful this can be, and you should remember that your dog is not immune to this. Dog’s nails break too, and this can be extremely painful for them. Be sure to cut your dog’s nails whenever you can hear them hitting the floor while they’re walking. To know more about pet grooming visit Ortega Animal Care Center. You can also find them on Facebook.
