Hi, I’m Amanda! Read my introduction to learn more about me and Blue, my fluffy fire point Himalayan-Persian cat.
Being the long-haired, white Himalayan Persian that she is, Blue was blessed with a ton of fur. I mean a full lustrous coat of silky smooth fibers, that only thickened as she got older. I feel most cat owners can relate when I say we have a constant stream of cat hair in the air, tufts settled on our stairs and black clothes posing as marled grey because her locks seem to not only stick but become embedded in them.
I wish I was exaggerating when I said that we have to lint roll our clothes straight out of the dryer. Never a shortage of those handy tools in our household. Vacuuming our home has become a second nature to stay on top of the literal tumbleweeds of fur that seem to take less than a day or two to form.
We don’t fault Blue for it though—we love her for her frosty cherub appearance. We joke that she’s a mini ivory lion with a bit of her ancestry peaking through the spots where her coat tapers into ginger. However, her behavior would say otherwise because she’s a terrible bug hunter and is unable to handle more than five minutes outdoors. I suppose she’s more of a lion-princess hybrid, rather than Queen of the Jungle.
Changes in Grooming Patterns
Early kitten days with Blue meant she was able to reach all areas of her coat which made grooming an absolute breeze. Full bathing moments were a regular occurrence so we never felt the need to brush her all that often. It wasn’t until recently that we’ve been finding mats on her hard-to-reach spots – above her tail, in her mane, around her bum. At about the same time, we started to notice that she was expelling more and more hairballs. All signs were pointing to us needing extra help grooming her high-maintenance coat.
Blue’s matted hair
How We Stepped In
Since her coat required various types of maintenance, we use a few different products and processes.
For the mats I can access while lying on my lap, I use my fingers to gently loosen them. Either the tangles easily come apart or I’m able to remove the mat entirely without causing her any discomfort.
I opt for this method first because as soon as I bring out the brush, she’s up, down, left, right. She guides my hand to brush her face and under her chin. Lays on her back so I don’t have a good angle to get above her tail and then bites me when I skim her belly. Classic Blue. Although she never runs away, these encounters are never as successful as one would hope. My goal is to keep our brushing sessions as positive as possible so I can avoid her fearing or running away from the brush when I pull it out. If I can get through the majority of her knots beforehand, the combing experience is much more enjoyable for both of us.
Keeping her bottom clean is also incredibly important to us. We want her to be comfortable and prevent her from potentially spreading germs throughout our house. We use a comb-razor combo and pet wipes handy for emergencies. For stuck-on or serious messes, we keep a cat-safe shampoo stocked in our bathroom.
Blue is such a trooper and accepts our help in all of the many forms that we offer to her. We still battle her fur daily but incorporating a few additional grooming practices in our routine has helped combat some of the shedding. Plus, she looks great! At the end of the day, a happy coat makes a happy cat, at least that’s the case in our house.
