How to groom your kitten

Your kitten wants three things from you: a lot of attention, regular and well-balanced meals (Whiskas® Kitten Pouches are perfect), and a little help with grooming.

Grooming your kitten encourages growth and shiny, healthy fur, keeping her looking sleek and healthy (the way she likes it!). If the two of you get into a grooming regime early on it'll become a normal part of life, and she’ll soon love lying there and being pampered. It’s also a great way to build a wonderful relationship.

Your kitten may be nervous when you brush her for the first time, so let her play with the comb and brush until she gets used to them and becomes less anxious. Spend some time stroking her all over, particularly her stomach and hard-to-reach places, so she gets used to being handled. All it takes is a little patience. Once she’s realised that being brushed is just like being stroked, she’ll soon be purring happily away.

Once she's accepted the comb (we’d always suggest using a wide-spaced comb) use it to groom all the dead hair out of her coat.

Be particularly gentle when you’re combing her head, then groom down her body, tail and legs.

Finally, go back over her coat with the soft brush to remove all the loose hairs.

While you're grooming your kitten, take the opportunity to check the condition of her coat and skin.

Look for any lumps, rashes, wounds or other signs that she may be unwell.

Check for evidence of fleas or other parasites.

Any tangled hair will need to be removed before you can groom her properly, but with a regular regime, tangles won't happen often and can be teased out.

If your kitten is in a real mess, wipe her down with a clean, damp cloth, making sure you dip it in warm water first.

Please don't use soap, though, as it'll irritate her skin.

Clear eyes and ears

Once you’ve finished brushing her, check her eyes and ears. If her eyes are weepy, gently clean them with a moist, warm cotton ball, using a different swab for each eye. Ask a vet if you think her eyes are looking red or if there’s a lot of goo coming out.

If your kitten’s ears aren't clear, wipe them with a dry cotton ball. Don’t delve beyond the area of the ear that you can see, or poke anything solid inside. If there’s a lot of dark wax in there seek your vet’s advice, as she might have ear mites.

Healthy teeth

Your kitten’s teeth should be clean and deposit-free and her gums should be a healthy pink colour. Check her mouth regularly so she gets used to it. Getting her used to the attention will make it a lot easier when you need to clean her teeth or get her to take medicine.

It’s also worth introducing Whiskas® Kitten Dry food into her diet as it contains added calcium to promote healthy teeth.

Neat nails

Kittens love scratching and it’s important to keep her claws in good condition. A scratching post will act as a file for her, but you’ll need to clip them to keep them trim when she gets a little older. Start handling her feet at an early age, so she becomes used to it, and she’ll be more co-operative when she’s an adult. Your vet can show you how to do it.