Combing for handiness and flexibility, some combs come with closely spaced teeth on one end and wider spaced teeth on the other end. Use the fine toothed end on the shorter hair just about the face, head, and chin. Using the wide-space end, start at the bottom of the neck and lightly comb back and sides. Hoist the chin a little to comb the throat and chest. When combing delicate areas, such as the belly, legs and tail, be especially wary not to rake the combs teeth against the cat’s sensitive skin.
Also, as you comb, get rid of any fur that may build up in the comb’s teeth. Hair left in the comb tends to pull more hair out with it. If the pulling sensation becomes too strong, any discomfort felt during the grooming session can cause the cat to associate pain and unpleasantness with the procedure, making it an unwilling candidate the next time. So, by all means, be extra gentle and avoid pulling the hair and skin.
Using a flea comb:
If you noticed flea dirt in your cat’s coat, fine toothed metal comb makes superb instrument that removes flea, handily trapping the dirt and parasite in the narrow spaced teeth comb. To dispatch the fleas, simply dip the comb in a nearby pan of water until the parasites drown.
Stripping the coat:
During peak shedding periods, you may want to strip the coat of a long haired cat occasionally by gently combing sections of fur against the way the hair lays. You can strip a plush, short-haired coat in the manner, too, but it generally isn’t necessary. Called back-combing, this method helps remove the dead and loose hairs trapped closer to the skin as they are shed. To put the hair back in place, gently comb through it a second time, going the way the hair lies. If you intend to show your cat, you’ll want to minimize stripping to keep the coat as full and plush as possible.
Combing the tail:
To add volume and fullness to a long haired cat’s tail, gently back-comb, starting at the tail base close to the body and working toward the tip. Gently fluff the tail, lifting the hair and combing upward toward the body. To avoid stripping the fragile tail hairs, use only a wide toothed comb and remove hair from the comb as you work.