Even a cat that compulsively cleans itself can benefit from a little grooming from her owner. Cats rarely need a bath, but frequent brushing removes a lot of loose hair which would otherwise end up either shed around your home or swallowed by cat, creating constipating hairballs. Grooming your cat on a regular basis also helps you monitor her health and make her easier to handle.

Long-haired cats should be brushed and combed daily; short-haired cats only need grooming about once per week. While brushing your cat's coat, keep an eye out for lumps and skin irritations. Brush along your cats back, from head to tail with firm pressure. Repeat this several times, and then switch to one side. You should brush each area 4 or 5 times Always remember to brush in direction of hair growth.

If you find places where hair is missing, watch your cat for next week to determine if she is over-grooming these spots, or if hair loss could be a skin condition that requires a vet's attention. Be sure to watch for fleas and remove them immediately using a flea comb. If you notice rice-like particles around her anus (or in her bed), she probably has worms and needs medication from a veterinarian.

Imagine that you are scolding your cat for scratching at your new furniture, and Kitty is sitting staring at you. Suddenly you realize how silly you look and how futile your scolding is. So how do you train your cat to respect your home?

All cats can be trained and should have some training from their owners. You will need to train your cat to use her litter box, sharpen her claws on scratching post instead of your couch, and to stop negative behavior when you say "no." Cats can also learn to do "tricks," and mental stimulation of learning is good for them.

Cats learn same way dogs and people learn; they repeat behaviors that have a pleasurable result. The best way to train your cat is to reward her when she does something right. The reward might be a small piece of a special food, or lots of praise from you in a happy, high-pitched voice.

Training to change negative behaviors requires you to catch your cat "in act." For example, if your cat uses your stereo speakers as a scratching post, wait until she is about to put claw to fabric, then firmly say "NO." The moment she freezes and turns towards you, switch to happy voice and praise her. Move towards her to distract her away from inappropriate object. If she makes any movement towards you praise her even more. Timing and repetition are keys to success here. You must catch her as she moves to act inappropriately, and praise her exact moment she stops.

Things to remember if your cat scratches your furniture