10 Essential Cat Grooming Supplies For A Happy Cat (Updated in 2024)
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Your cat may be a better self-groomer than you, spending around half their time awake grooming their coats. However, as dedicated to their beauty regime as they are, there will be spots they miss or struggle to reach. Brushing through their coats once or twice a week will help them get rid of loose hairs, prevent matting, help you spot injuries or parasites, and grow your bond with your cat.
Some cats may require more frequent brushing if they have long, thick coats, are sick, overweight, or too old to groom themselves effectively. Grooming also includes brushing your cat’s teeth, trimming their nails, cleaning their ears, and giving them an occasional bath. Regardless of your cat’s coat length or challenges, you’ll need a few essential cat grooming supplies to keep them looking and feeling good—and we’ve got them listed below.
The 10 Essential Cat Grooming Supplies
1. Cat Shampoo
- Our pick: Hepper Oatmeal & Aloe Pet Shampoo
One of the first steps to grooming is a bath. It removes loose hairs, reduces dandruff, and washes parasites out of the coat, along with any debris, dirt, or foul smells. However, because cats are great self-groomers, it is not necessary to bathe a cat often, and you should keep it to a minimum of every six weeks. However, hairless and outdoor cats may require more frequent baths.
Bathing cats too often can dry out their skin, especially if you use shampoos with soap. We suggest washing your cat with the Hepper Oatmeal Pet Shampoo because it is made with natural ingredients, soothes dry and itchy skin, and neutralizes odors.
2. Grooming Wipes
- Our pick: Hepper Wash Wipes
If your cat refuses to go near water without a fight but needs a clean, grooming wipes are a great alternative. They are quick and easy to use without having to prepare a bath, and they’re a lot less stressful for cats afraid of water. Outdoor cats that play in the grass, dirt, and trees tend to pick up a lot of debris in their coats. Before they get cozy on your bed, you can use a grooming wipe to clean them up.
Hepper Wash Wipes allow you to wipe away dirt and grime from your cat’s coat, face, paws, tail, and ears as often as needed. With natural ingredients and our hypoallergenic formula, these wipes will moisturize your cat’s skin and won’t cause it to become flaky or itchy.
3. Ear Cleaner Wipes
- Our pick: Pet MD Advanced Dog & Cat Ear Cleaner Wipes
The ears are one of those places that a cat struggles to clean on their own due to them being out of reach. Dirty ears can lead to ear infections which will cause discomfort in your cat and leave you with a vet bill. This can be avoided by cleaning your cat’s ears at least once a week. If your cat stays indoors, you may not have to clean them as regularly, but you should still check on them often to catch a problem before they start.
Many cats don’t enjoy the feeling of liquid going into their ears, so we prefer ear cleaner wipes, such as the Pet MD Advanced Dog & Cat Ear Cleaner Wipes. These wipes have been approved by vets and are free from alcohol. They can be used daily to remove wax, dirt, yeast, and bacteria from your cat’s ears. They leave your cat’s ears smelling great with their cucumber melon scent. You don’t need to worry about drying your cat’s ears after the cleaning, as they’ll dry on their own.
4. Eye Cleaning Wipes
- Our pick: Optixcare Dog & Cat Eye Cleaning Wipes
Eye boogers and tear stains are something that many cat owners have to deal with. Some cats’ eyes are teary due to their flat faces, while other cats might be struggling with an eye infection. If your cat is in discomfort or their eye discharge is sticky or has changed in color, you should take them to be seen by a vet. If your cat is healthy and you want to keep its pretty face clean, you can use eye-cleaning wipes.
Optixcare Dog & Cat Eye Cleaning Wipes are effective at removing eye goo and tear stains daily. They’re free from harmful chemicals and gentle on your cat’s face, but the wipes should never touch their eyeballs.
5. Nail Clippers
- Our pick: Hepper Cat Nail Clipper Set
Cats trim their nails by scratching on trees, using scratching posts, or chewing their nails. However, their nails are always growing, and some extra care is often needed to prevent them from getting too long. Long nails can cause problems for your cat as they can get stuck in fabric or grow into your cat’s footpads, which is painful. As part of your cat’s grooming routine, include nail clipping every second week.
Our Hepper Nail Clipper Set can be used on any size cat and has non-slip grips to give you complete control when working with your cat’s little nails. It has stainless steel blades to make clipping effective, pain-free, and quick. Plus a carry pouch is included with this set so you can always find them when you need them! Be sure to trim your cat’s nails in a quiet environment to make the task as stress-free as possible.
6. Deshedding Cat Brush
- Our pick: Hepper Deshedding Cat Brush
Brushing your cat’s coat is one of the easier parts of grooming your cat. It builds trust between you and your pet and is a great bonding exercise. Most cats enjoy being brushed, which is beneficial because brushing your cat will reduce the amount of hair left around your house.
The Hepper Deshedding Cat Brush works through matted coats with its 60-degree metal bristles, but it’s gentle on your cat’s skin because the bristles have rubber stops. It removes loose hairs from your cat’s coat and is easy to clean with its one-click hair removal system. It’s waterproof and comes in stylish colors.
7. Grooming Gloves
- Our pick: Mr. Peanut’s Hand Gloves
Although not too common, some cats are scared of brushes and try to get away from a necessary weekly brushing. To save yourself time and reduce stress in your cat, you could use grooming gloves instead. These gloves act as a brush and move through your cat’s coat, removing all the loose hair while your cat thinks you’re playing, massaging, and rubbing them.
Mr. Peanut’s Hand Gloves have close to 180 bristles that are made of silicone for a soft, gentle brushing. The gloves are durable and have an adjustable Velcro strap to position them comfortably onto your hand.
8. Flea Comb
- Our pick: Hartz Groomer’s Best Flea Comb
A flea comb is different from cat brushes because its purpose isn’t to remove loose hairs but rather fleas, their dirt, and the eggs they’ve laid in your cat’s coat. Fleas bite into your cat’s skin and suck their blood, which causes your cat to itch. Using flea and tick shampoos or other treatment options that kill the parasites are also useful in relieving your cat from this problem.
The Hartz Groomer’s Best Flea Comb has finely spaced metal teeth that can be used to detangle your cat’s hair around its face and paws, as well as scrape out fleas, eggs, and flea dirt. This comb has an ergonomic handle to help you intricately comb with comfort and precision.
9. Cat Toothbrush
- Our pick: Jasper Finger Dog & Cat Toothbrush
Like humans, cats also experience plaque build-up on their teeth. Eating kibble can reduce plaque, but not all cats eat dry food, and it’s not as effective as frequent tooth brushing. It’s important to practice proper oral care for your cat three times a week, as well as take them for dental cleanings once a year. Start brushing your cat’s teeth from a young age to acclimate them to the task.
The Jasper Finger Dog & Cat Toothbrush is a silicone product that has soft bristles all around it, and it fits on your finger. Although normal toothbrushes are also an option, the finger toothbrush gives you more control and is easy to swipe around your cat’s teeth and gums from any angle.
10. Cat Toothpaste
- Our pick: Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Poultry Flavor Dog & Cat Toothpaste
Although human toothpaste isn’t recommended for cats, many cat-friendly options on the market will keep your cat’s teeth and gums clean and healthy. Using a cat toothbrush and toothpaste will prevent gingivitis and other dental problems.
Virbac C.E.T. Enzymatic Poultry Flavor Dog & Cat Toothpaste is a great option that is safe for your cat and can be swallowed. It contains ingredients that prevent plaque from forming on your cat’s teeth and has a poultry flavor that is appealing to most cats.
Conclusion
If you are a minimalist or trying to save costs, stick to this list of essential cat grooming supplies for a happy cat because we’ve listed everything they need to look good and feel good. Grooming is essential to caring for your cat because it keeps them healthy and parasite-free, saving you from having to pay for vet bills that you could have prevented!
Featured Image Credit: RJ22, Shutterstock
