Persian cats need special care, compared to most other cat breeds. One of the main points, other than the hair, is eye care.
Persian cats tend to stain more. Especially when your cat has a light fur, this can be very visible. Although the tears seem te be transparent when you look at your cat, they dry up as a sort of rusty or brownish stain.
There are several methods and many products to clean the eyes and prevent from forming new ones. I’m not saying my way is the only way, it’s just how my breeder taught me to do it, and it works. So I’m sharing it with you.
First of all
When you want to clean the eyes of your cat, it’s an intimate process. You’re getting in his face, so be gentle and watch the body language. It should always be an enjoyable moment between you and your cat. If he doesn’t like it the first few times, let him get used to it. Work in small steps. It will get better in time. The best way is to start directly as a kitten. That way they grow up with the idea that this is a normal procedure and they will take it as your normal daily routine.
How to hold the head
Holding him is quite a challenge. Make sure you don’t choke your cat, because while you’re trying to hold it’s head it can be tempting to squeeze a little with your other hand. Look at the video below. I only hold him with three fingers, and only at the top of his head. Never in the neck, so I can never accidentally choke him.
Clean the eyes
First you want to clean the eyes. This can be done with a bit of cotton, a clean tissue, kitchen paper or a sterile gauze. There are special pads on the market, which are specially designed for this job. Which ever you prefer, as long as it’s very clean.
Depending on which country you live in, you can use clean tapwater, or water from a bottle. Where we live, the tapwater is very clean and safe to use. Make sure you check this before you use it. You can also use a solution that helps to get the staines out of the fur. I use both of the methods, depending on how difficult the stain is at that moment. I must admit the solution works really well, especially combined with the pads. I use this brand www.eyeenvy.com, not sponsored, just a happy customer. 😉
Apply cream
So the stain is mostly gone, you now want to keep it that way! Well, there are products for that too. I apply a little bit of cream under the eyes (never in the eyes!) to prevent new tears from getting in the fur. It’s also a pretty white color, so if you apply it correctly it lightens the under eye area. Although you should only apply very little, it’s not a concealer like with humans.
Set cream with powder
After the cream is on, you want to set it with a powder. This ensures the cream to stay on it’s place. It also mattens the look a little, because the cream can be a bit fatty, and shiny. And we want the look to be natural. To be honest, when I’m done with my cat, I want no one to see what I did. It should look like there’s no cream or powder used.
When your done, reward him with a treat and give him lots of kisses!
If you have any questions or ideas, please leave a comment.
Want to see how I do it? Watch the videos below.
Dutchkittycat 