Grooming Techniques

Learn the grooming techniques that will allow you to present
your show cat beautifully, including secret tips from the pros!

Titles marked with a red asterisk * are for ShowCatsOnline.com members only.

• * Add Heat To Your Show Cat's Conditioning Bath
  The conditioning bath prepares and maintains your show cat's the coat between show baths. Adding heat to a conditioning bath helps intensify the effects of the conditioning.
  
  November 2015


• * Anal Sac Problems In Your Cat
  Learning how to express your cat`s anal sacs is easy and may help avoid a future medical problem.
  
  January 2018


• * Bathing Your Cat in the Show Hotel
  The best-groomed Persians have often just been bathed and blown dry the morning of the show - even if the exhibitor is staying in a hotel. Have you every wondered how people bath their kitties when they are away from home? Wonder no longer!
  
  February 2001


• * Black Cat's Coat
  Understanding everything about a black coat is the first step to breeding and grooming your black show cat . . .
  
  October 2013


• * Black Stuff At The Corners Of The Mouth
  If you have a light colored cat, you may have noticed black stuff in the corner of its mouth. Learn what it is and how to get rid of it...
  
  May 2012


• * Bleaching Stains: Part Two Removing Stains by Using a Bleaching Paste
  This is the second installment in our article about bleaching out the stains from the coat of a white show cat. Photos of an actual cat illustrate how to apply the simple paste.
  
  November 2021


• * Bleaching Stains: Removing stains by using a Paste
  This is the first in a two-part article describing how to prepare and apply a simple paste to remove yellow stains from the white coat of your show cat.
  
  November 2021


• * Blow Drying Your Longhaired Show Cat
  While exhibitors place great emphasis on the actual show bath, the way you dry your cat is just as important, especially when it is a longhair.
  
  November 2021


• * Chin Acne and Stud Tail
  Learn the best treatments to eliminate these irritating skin conditions
  
  September 2020


• * Chin Dirt
  Black specks on a cat`s chin are not actually `dirt`.
  
  February 2007


• * Choosing A Handheld Shower Sprayer For Bathing Your Cat
  Whether you are bathing your cat at home or in your hotel room before the show, you need a good handheld shower spray to get the job done right. Learn how to choose the right sprayer for your cat's needs . . .
  
  September 2015


• * Clipping Your Cat`s Nails
  Regular clipping of your cat`s nails is an important part of its grooming routine.
  
  August 2019


• * Coffee Filter Bib
  A bib can be an essential tool for keeping your immaculately groomed cat in purr-fect condition. An easy and inexpensive bib can be made from a simple coffee filter. Learn how . . .
  
  February 2017


• * Conditioning Bath
  Knowing when, why and how to give the perfect conditioning bath will prepare your cat`s coat for the show bath that will produce the perfect results.
  
  September 2015


• * Controlling Static
  If you have had a problem with static in your cat`s coat, it`s time for you to anticipate the problem and begin to take steps to avoid it. Learn about some of the options and products available for you to correct the problem of flyaway coat.
  
  December 2016


• * De-Matting Your Cat
  With some care and a few tricks, you can de-mat your cat without sacrificing its coat.
  
  September 2019


• * Deep Conditioning Coat Treatment For Your Cat
  Giving your show cat's coat a deep conditioning treatment is THE way to produce a silky soft coat on a longhaired cat — or a super shiny coat on a shorthair kitty. Once you've tried this grooming technique, you will never do without it again.
  
  August 2017


• * Dry Coat
  Mid-winter is often a time when your cat`s coat starts to appear dry and develops dandruff. Here are some grooming tips to get it back into condition!
  
  February 2017


• * Eight Major Factors That Affect Coat
  Nothing is quite as glorious as a Persian with coat dripping to the floor or an Exotic with a coat that your hand just sinks into. Learn about the 8 major things that affect how much coat your cat will have - and what you can do to help.
  
  March 2002


• * Fine-Tuning The Show Bath
  Learn the various ways of "tweaking" your cat's show bath to produce the finest results possible....
  
  November 2009


• * Float The Coat
  You may have done a wonderful job shampooing your cat . . . but a poor job of rinsing the coat can make all your efforts pointless if there is any soap left behind. Learn how to "Float the Coat" to make sure no residue is left behind when bathing your kitty.
  
  April 2021


• * Goop Soup
  Goop is a popular hand cleaner that can also be used as a mega-easy-cat-degreaser when used in combination with shampoo. Learn how to make a superb one-step cat coat degreasing product we like to call GOOP SOUP.
  
  March 2016


• * Grooming A Black Cat
  There is something incredibly striking about a cat whose color is a deep, limitless, and undeniable black.
  
  March 2003


• * Grooming Emergencies
  When a grooming disaster occurs in the show hall, the smart exhibitor knows how to make unexpected repairs. This article will teach you everything you need to know to solve any grooming emergency.
  
  February 2016


• * Grooming The Red Cat
  This article discusses valuable grooming tips especially for the hottest of the feline colors — the RED CATS. This includes all the red colors from pure, clear, solid red, through red tabby to flame points.
  
  March 2016


• * Hot Oil Treatment
  If your cat`s hair is dry, flyaway or brittle, a hot oil treatment may be just what is needed to put life and shine back in to the coat.
  
  April 2021


• * Hot Towel Treatment
  Does your cat have dry or flyaway coat? Lacking shine? Perhaps now is the time for a hot towel treatment!
  
  December 2008


• * How Do I Degrease My Cat?
  My cat is greasy! It`s one of the commonest complaints from groomers. Have you ever overheard a person say `so-and-so`s cat looks greasy`? Did you agree with their assessment? Did you know what to suggest to `fix` the problem? Now you will!
  
  March 2019


• In Search Of The Natural Groomer
  Tips for finding the right professional groomer for your cat....
  
  June 2009


• * Make Bathing Your Cat Easier
  Learn the tips that make bathing your cat a more pleasant experience for both of you.
  
  October 2019


• * Oily Coats
  An oily coat is an unattractive coat. Learn the tips and techniques to help your cats coat look its best.
  
  July 2004


• * Out Damn Spot!
  Removing stains on white and bicolor cats is a constant challenge for exhibitors. There are a great number of 'tricks' and 'private formulas' that the best groomers use to prevent or eliminate stains, especially under the eyes... and this article shares them with you!
  
  June 2001


• Packing With EW Grooming Powder to Reduce and Prevent Eye Staining
  Learn the best techniques for `packing` your cat`s eyes to prevent or reduce eye stains.
  
  June 2002


• * Powder Packing A Dilute
  Learn a technique to help a dilute coat look it`s best.
  
  November 2018


• * Purple Cat!
  Have you ever used a new shampoo and discovered it turned your white cat an unflattering shade of purple?
  
  November 2016


• * Putting Your Cat In Oil
  To "put a cat in oil" refers to a coat treatment with a concentrated cream conditioner which spans several days, sometimes up to a week. Learn this technique to re-moisturize your show cat's coat.
  
  December 2021


• * Shaving Your Cat`s Nose
  Exhibitors of well-presented Silvers and Goldens and tabbies take care that the mascara on their cat`s nose leather is not obscured by hair along the edge of the nose leather. This can especially be a problem on longhaired breeds such as Persians and Maine Coons. The best way of emphasizing good nose mascara is by shaving the hairline around it.
  
  March 2020


• * Show Bath by Fabuls
  Vikki Valentine describes the bathing routine she follows to present her stunning FABULS bi-color Persians. This article includes step by step photos of the grooming routine and can be used as a template for the show bath of most long haired breeds.
  
  January 2002


• * Show Grooming A Black Cat
  This article discuss everything you need to know about a black cat's coat. Learn the best "tricks" to presenting your black cat to purrfection . . .
  
  October 2017


• * Tipping A Dilute
  Enhancing the ethereal beauty of the dilute colors of cats can often requires a special grooming technique called `tipping`.
  
  April 2003


• * Vinegar Rinse
  A vinegar rinse can be a useful addition to your cat's regular bath routine. Learn more about this simple grooming additive.
  
  November 2016


• * When A Black Coat Turns Brown
  It can be a bit of a shock to see your inky black cat turning brown. Even a small brown or rusty tinge on a black cat is a color fault in the show ring. Learn the causes of a brownish black coat and what you can do to improve the color....
  
  July 2017


• * Whiter Than White
  Look in the kitchen, bathroom and laundry room for products to make your white cats whiter!
  
  November 2017