Feeding: Make sure you start you kitten off on to the right foot. Currently my cats are on a rotational diet of Grain Free, High Quality Grains, Grain Free Canned, and a Raw Diet. Make sure to keep an eye on your cat/kittens weight. Overweight animals have shorter life spans. Always have fresh clean water available. If you are going to switch food make sure to do it properly. Mix the new food each day in the bowl slowly increasing it with the old over a week’s time and they should be fully switched. Stick with higher quality foods. Food/nutrition is the basis for a happy healthy long life. Grooming: Persian coats are luxurious and flowing, but that just does not happen over night. Persians should be combed daily with a metal med/wide toothed comb to avoid tangles or mats. Make sure to focus on the belly, in-between the legs, behind the legs, behind the ears, and under the chin. These tend to be the greasy areas which tend to mat. Clipping nails should be a weekly routine to avoid scratches. A scratching post is a must. This promotes normal territorial behaviors as well as saving your furniture. Make sure to clean eyes with a warm damp soft towel to avoid staining (water only). Never touch the eye ball itself. Bathing: Once grooming is done and all the mats and tangles are free, bathing is possible. Never bath a matted coat. The knots will only get tighter. Make sure the water temp is warm not too hot or cold. Get the whole coat wet and I recommend Dawn original dish soap make sure to lather up the entire body avoiding the face. Never scrub the coat in circles that can create knots in the coat just back and fourth motions. Rinse well! Rule of thumb when you think the soap is out, rinse 2 more times. Now use Johnson’s Baby Shampoo for the head and face ,rinse well. If needed can use regular shampoo and conditioner for the body. Rinse, Rinse, Rinse. Then towel dry, and finally blow dry to perfection. Once completely dry, groom the coat once more and when done, stimulate hair growth by brushing against the grain of the coat and finish. I would say that on average a Persian should be bathed every 1-2 months. |