Access to a bathtub or a large plastic tub and hot water

A non-toxic lather-and-rinse pet shampoo--this can be found at any good pet store

A large-size toenail clippers, or you can buy special pet claw cutters

A towel you don't mind using on your cat (to dry it off)

A pet brush

5-90 minutes, depending on the fur (long or short) and the amount of grooming you'll be performing

Hairball: Excess hair that is licked off the cat, and then clumps together in the digestive track, forming a hairball. These are often vomited onto your carpet in front of prominent guests.

Scratching posts: For healthy claws and intact furniture, a scratching post is essential. If you've been to pet stores and balk at the costs of many synthetic posts, a great natural alternative is a chunk of cut tree trunk, or any log that's taller and larger than your cat. Many cats prefer this to store-bought scratching posts: it comes from outside, it's natural, and it'll be more durable than a lot of flimsy and hollow posts you'll find in stores.

Dental care: Cats can suffer tooth and gum disease if their teeth aren't cared for. You should regularly check your cat's teeth by gently lifting up a lip and noting the color of the teeth. If they are yellow or visibly built up with tartar, it's time for a teeth cleaning. Don't attempt to clean your cat's teeth yourself. Let a veterinarian do it, since they have the proper tools and cleaning agents.

Diet and nutrition. Consult a cat care manual or your vet as to which cat food is best for your cat's diet, according to your cat's weight, age, and lifestyle. The proper food can help maintain a shiny coat and healthy teeth, as well as cut down on digestive problems.

2torial #0885: Learn2 Groom a Cat There's more than one way to groom a cat! Is Kitty looking a little mangy? Has it shredded your couch with its long and sharp claws? Tried brushing it before, only to receive unsightly scratch wounds on your arms? Here's your salvation--a 2torial that explains the best methods for cleaning Kitty yourself, instead of spending money for a pet groomer. What is grooming? There are three main areas: claw clipping, bathing, and brushing. If you're concerned about the relationship between your cat and your furniture, just clip their claws. (Four out of five cats strongly recommend claw-clipping over declawing.) Bathing is a good idea for outdoor cats who may roll in pesticides, fight with other cats, or become infested with fleas and ticks. Brushing ensures a healthy coat and a strong emotional bond with the owner. Cats should be brushed frequently: daily brushing is commendable, but not realistic in every owner's schedule. A minimum of twice a week is sufficient for most cats--unless yours is an outdoor long-hair that likes roll around in the dirt and collect burrs. To prevent your couch becoming a regular scratching post, their claws can be clipped about once per month or so. A bath can happen once every six to eight weeks; in summertime, when lawn and garden pesticide use is higher, it may be wise to bathe an outdoor cat more frequently, say, once a month. It's a good idea do a just a little grooming at a time. Most owners have observed that cats hate water; a bath will make them very upset. If a bath is given roughly and at the wrong time, it can be a traumatic experience for everyone involved. If you're giving your cat a dry grooming (not bathing it), begin your venture while your cat is asleep, which should not be hard considering cats sleep 16-18 hours a day. While your cat is groggy, it'll be more agreeable to grooming than if it's alert and playful. Have all materials ready; for example, have the clippers open and ready to clip--you don't want fumble with any items. If your cat senses you're frantic or hurried, it'll get upset too.   Part 1: Clip the claws Declawing a cat is roughly equivalent to cutting off a human's fingers; it leaves cats defenseless against anything they perceive as an enemy. Grooming habits can also fall off--cats use their claws to scratch away dead skin or old fur. Help your cat to relax. Begin by petting your cat and speaking kind words in a low, gentle voice. Handle your cat's paws carefully. Cats can be very sensitive about what and where their paws are touching, so gently stroke a paw before working on the claw. Push the claws out. Once your cat is relaxed, gently pick up a front paw. To push a claw out of its sheath, gently press down on the pad of the paw with your thumb, and press with your index finger on the top of the paw below the claw. There's sensitive skin around the claw that cats are protective of, so take care not handle the area roughly. Avoid the colored part of the claw. Cat's claws are clear, so it's easy to see how far down to cut. It's very important, however, not to cut the dark- or pink-colored part of the claw, where the nerves and blood supply reside. You'll know if you've made a mistake--your cat will meow in pain, possibly bite or scratch you, and generally end the clipping session right then and there. If you do cut too far down, hold a damp paper towel to the stub to stop the bleeding. Of course, your cat will probably run away to lick its wounds in private, which is fine too. Cat saliva cleanses and disinfects. Clip away. It's best to go in order from one end of the paw to the other. In case you're interrupted, you won't have to search for the last claw you last clipped (which could unsettle the cat even more). Hold the claw still and clip the tips of the claw. If you can do this without clanging the clippers around, (which will draw attention to them, and cause the cat to focus on the shiny object), you and your cat will have an easier time of it, and will finish the task more quickly. Cleaning up: Clear away all claw clippings from its fur. This'll prevent your cat from licking up the sharp clippings. Optional paws. Back claws tend to be much thicker and harder to cut, sometimes shattering the claw when clipped. Since cats use their front claws to do most of their scratching damage, and since the back claws aren't sharpened regularly, you can often skip these altogether. So don't clip them unless you're convinced it's necessary and the cat is in an extraordinarily relaxed mood. Part 2: Bathe cat If you're doing a dry grooming (just a clip and a brush, please), skip this part and go to Part 3. In general, watch where you stick your hands. Avoid any facial cleaning. Cats usually won't accept any fiddling with that area. If your cat doesn't mind a face cleaning, you can proceed with caution--just consider how you'd want your own face cleaned. If you're trying to remove fleas, you can use a flea powder, but it's safer for your cat to use a flea shampoo formula along with a bath. See Part 3 for an even better flea-removal technique. Add water Prepare to get wet. It's going to be a messy experience, so prepare to get almost as wet as your cat. Wear old clothes or a bathing suit, and don't be afraid to climb into the tub with your cat. Avoid hovering over your cat however, because this'll make it more agitated. Stay calm. Whether in a plastic tub, sink, or bathtub, your cat won't be delighted with this. Be prepared for wide eyes and loud tortured-sounding meows. At all times, keep your movements slow, and your voice soft and gentle; your cat won't sense pandemonium and react badly. Wet your cat down. First, wet its coat down with lukewarm water. Don't pour a bucket over your cat or soak it through--that would be very unpleasant for your cat. Wet the coat gradually, using in a stroking motion; you'll give the impression you're also petting it. If you're also giving your cat a flea bath, follow the directions on the bottle of shampoo carefully. (Many flea shampoos require a period of waiting for the shampoo to soak in. If this is the case, it's likely your cat won't sit quietly and wait for the flea medication to soak in. Continue to lather and pet your cat, thereby keeping its mind off what is happening.) Lather and rinse Lather the fur. To begin, pour a capful of pet shampoo on its back. As you rub it in and create a lather, keep your movements linear instead of rubbing in all directions; your cat won't be familiar with that sort of petting pattern. Keep away from the face and ears at all times, but be sure to lather up its tail and legs. Rinse completely. After it's lathered up, you may have to wait a few minutes for the shampoo to set in, if the directions say so. Otherwise, rinse the fur in the same manner as the initial wetting with a little bit more water. Make absolutely sure you've rinsed out all of the shampoo. Even if the shampoo is organic or non-toxic, both the smell and the taste may make your cat sick. Do the drain maintenence. If you're using a bathtub or sink, don't forget to clean the cat hair out from the drain, especially if your cat is long-haired. Deposit it in the trash. Dry the cat This is the best part of the process, where you can cuddle your pet as well as dry it off. Have a towel handy: Have a huge towel waiting for it after you're done with the water segment, and wrap it around your cat. Sit on the floor with it and gently rub its fur. Dry your cat thoroughly. If you don't spend sufficient time drying your cat, it'll have to lick itself dry; this can cause problems with hairballs. Don't be concerned when your cat licks itself for a while even after you release it; it's merely regaining its composure. Part 3: Brush the fur "A healthy cat is a happy cat," and brushing your cat will contribute to the overall process of keeping your cat healthy. Brushing removes fur which might otherwise become a hairball. Brushing improves blood circulation near the skin of a cat, which contributes to a healthy and shiny coat, and will make your cat the envy of all other neighborhood cats.   Avoid wet cat fur. If you have just given your cat a bath, be sure it's completely dry before brushing it. Otherwise, the fur will be difficult to work with. Direction of the fur: Brush your cat in the direction the fur grows. Be sure not to brush too hard, making it cringe and struggle to get away. Brush as much of your cat as it will allow. In general, you should avoid the head. Some cats, however, are partial to cheek-brushing; others are not. Some cats won't allow brushing on their underbelly; others will. Be gentle and discover what your cat likes best. Quality time: Brushing can be a very loving experience between owner and pet. Take the opportunity to turn it into a ritual where time can be set aside for just you two to bond. Books are available on cat massage so you can learn which techniques it likes best. Flea removal: A wonderful alternative to flea powder--and a far safer one--is to use a fine-toothed flea comb, which can be purchased at most pet stores or through your vet. By running this small comb through the fur, you can remove most of the fleas, and even the flea eggs, from your cat. Make sure they're dead after they're off your cat, or else they can jump on again. If you're not sure if they're dead or alive, you can drop them in water with a few drops of ordinary dishwashing liquid mixed in. -end- Learn More!