What to Consider When Choosing a Cat Grooming Bag
Cats can be unpredictable, especially when it is time to groom them. One minute everything is fine, the next your kitty is scratching you because it is trying to get away from the grooming session. Compared to dogs, most pet owners and pet groomers would agree that cats are much more difficult to handle when it comes to grooming. Unless your pet is docile enough to coil its tail throughout a grooming routine. If you fear that things may get out of hand, you may have to seek the services of a pet care center or a pet grooming professional.
Choosing a car grooming bag that works for your you and your car consider the following:
- Size of a Grooming Bag
- Cost of a cat grooming bag
- Ease of use
- Material and design
- Warranty period
Alternatively, with the best pet grooming accessories such as a cat grooming bag, you will be able to trim your cat’s paws, clean the ears, brush its teeth and even bathe your kitty at no cost and no risk of scratches.
To use your car groom bag you can follow these steps:
- Step 1: Start with the head
- Step 2: Close the neck
- Step 3: Zip the longer zip
In this post, we’ll be answering the big question of how to choose a cat grooming bag. Every pet keeper needs one, at the end of the day it comes down to spending money on something that will last and is worth the cost.
Cat grooming bags provide you with the much-needed restraint when trimming the claws. Some are made of heavy-duty nylon construction and a mesh for letting in the water when bathing cats. This makes them unique but also captivating.
Contents
Factors to Consider When Buying a Grooming Bag
Cat grooming bags come in different shapes, designs, brands, and colors. Chances are you may fall for marketing gimmicks and end up buying something substandard. This is especially the case if you are a novice pet keeper looking for a cat grooming bag for the first time.
Most experienced pet keepers who want a proper cat grooming bag know that it is not always about cost. Even quality products sometimes fail to meet expectations, in which case, you may want to consider something more affordable. It is also possible to buy something too big or too small for your kitty, especially when you shop online. The following factors should help you shop for the perfect cat grooming bag.
● Size of a Grooming Bag
The size of a cat grooming bag is an important consideration to make when you go shopping. However, you are faced with the dilemma of determining the size of a grooming bag that will fit your cat, all from imagination. Finding the right size for your cat can be a nightmare, especially when shopping online. The best way to find the right fit is to take dimensional measurements of your cat. A right-fitting grooming bag is neither too tight nor too loose.
If possible, you can walk your cat to a grooming store nearby to get a fitting grooming bag. But for online orders, a pet care expert can help with taking the right measurements so that you don’t end up disappointed.
Another sizing factor you may want to consider is that these bags are either flexible or have a zipper. It is something that makes them easily adjustable. While most cats weigh an average of 9 pounds, you should understand that some cats have tiny heads. Most importantly, the bag should have enough breathing space for your cat.
● Cost of a cat grooming bag
The cost of a cat grooming bag may not be such a big deal for most cat owners but you would agree that sometimes cheap is expensive in the long run. Thus, when you are comparing prices across different shopping platforms, you should always have a budget in mind.
A quick search on leading e-commerce stores reveals that the price of cat grooming bags averages $20. However, you can find something that costs as low as $9 or $35 on the higher side. Pricing varies from size to size and from brand to brand. Some popular brands are WINTCHUK, DOWNTOWN, TOP PERFORMANCE, FAITH FORCE, CAT-IN-THE-BAG, and ZOOPOLR.
● Ease of use
Another important factor to consider when buying a cat grooming bag is the ease of use. The truth is, some bags might give you a hard time grooming your cat. That is why you should always consider how easy the bag is to use, in which case a bag with many openings and zippers is the most ideal. Take for example, a bag with five openings plus extra zippers makes grooming easy and convenient.
● Material and design
Perhaps the most important consideration a pet keeper should make when shopping for a cat grooming bag is the material that it is made of. In this case, something that comes to mind is a scratch-resistant bag with a solid construction on the sides. This is a popular choice among cat lovers.
The bag is made of strong and long-lasting nylon or polyester material. When it comes to design, look for a grooming bag that has a large breathing hole for your cat. It is usually a rubber mesh infused to the bag that lets in water when bathing your cat
● Warranty period
With the market flooded with so many brands and products, finding the right one can be daunting. The chances of buying a counterfeit product are very high especially if you are buying one for the first time. We recommend buying cat grooming bags that have a warranty. A warranty period could range from 12 months to several years, and the longer the better. The purpose of a product warranty is to save you from incurring unwarranted expenses in repairs within a specified period.
Tips and Guidelines for Using a Cat Grooming Bag
So far, assuming you have purchased the best cat grooming bag from among competitive choices in the market, the next question is how do I use it? By design, comfort bags for cats are simple and straightforward. But for a pet keeper looking to use them for the first time, the following tips are worth noting:
● Step 1: Start with the head
Open the comfort bag and put it over your cat’s neck. At this stage, your cat may express unwillingness to get into the bag but do not relent, stay calm. You may have to get your pet accustomed to the grooming bag beforehand. A good way to do this is to let it play with the bag before grooming. Ensure the cat is sitting on a sturdy platform and then slip the head through the bag. Also, the longer zip should be unzipped before slipping the head of the cat through, so that you have an easy time putting the rest of the body into the bag.
● Step 2: Close the neck
The next step is tightening the space at your cat’s neck. Depending on the size of your cat and the design of the bag you have bought, ensure that the neck is neither too loose for your pet to wiggle a leg through it, nor too tight that it hurts your cat. You can test how tight the bag is using a finger. If your finger snugs through with ease, move onto the next step. If it is very tight, adjust it till it fits comfortably.
● Step 3: Zip the longer zip
The longer zip on a cat grooming bag usually runs from the back to the belly. There may be variations depending on the design, but backside zippers are the most popular because they are easy to zip up and unzip without the risk of agitating your pet. Most importantly, take care not to zip up fur lest it causes harm to your cat.
Note: If the above methods of fitting a cat into the grooming bag do not work, you can try putting the cat’s body inside the bag. But first, open the zipper then tuck in the limbs gently.
Grooming Your Cat While Inside the Grooming Bag
Cat grooming may not be procedural, but you should always take precautionary measures so that the grooming does not hurt you or your cat. From giving your cat eye drops, cleaning the ears, trimming nails, administering oral medication, to bathing, you should never lose grip of your cat while inside a grooming bag. You should keep checking how tight or loose the bag is while carrying out a cat grooming routine.
Conclusion
Cat grooming bags are a vital necessity for pet owners. The overall intention is to keep your pet tidy. But a big question still remains, do you have the best grooming bag for the job? For an avid cat groomer, the process of choosing one is easy. But for someone who is looking to use these bags for the first time, the factors we have explored in this post should always inform your decisions.
