Show kitties is highly trained, they has to be, mol, their grooming has to be, beyond purffection, they are handled extensively over 2 days, exposed to hours of traveling, alot of noise and commotion in the show hall, and in and out of cages, and they are put on the table, with no collor, no leash, no form of controll, and they just sit there, roll around, play, and climb the pole.
They weren't born that way, mol, they had to be taught and trained.
Training, is teaching one thing at a time, and not advancing to the next step, until they have learned what you are teaching them now. Its alot of repetition, alot of time, and alot alot alot of patience, and it doesn't happen overnight.
The key to teaching them anything, is positive reward and praise.
Granted, they are taught as 8 week old kittens, but its not too late to teach them to be groomed, 8 week old kittens are not born, knowing how to be groomed, and they don't like it at first either, as its a strange sensation to them.
Kittens are set on the grooming table, given a couple of licks of baby food, or a couple of treats, that is starting out positive. We start with a human baby brush, its small, and the bristles are very soft, I got mine in the dollor store. We let the kitten smell the baby brush, so he knows it will not harm him, then we do just a few swipes, give kitten a couple licks of baby food, or a couple of treats, then set kitten down.
Its been a positive experience for the kitten, it starts positive and ends positive, and the sessions start out very short. Over time, you very gradually, increase the amount of swipes you brushed, until the kitten accepts being brushed, all over. Around 12 weeks, the SH advance to a brush, that is still soft, but a little stiffer, per say, than the baby brush. The LH advance to a comb.
Follow the same principal each and every time, reward first, start with a few combs, keep sessions short, reward after, and gradually, increase the amount of combs. With the comb, you have to be very careful, that your not yanking out fur, you want to do it gently. Which I am wondering if thats what the furminator or groom zoom things do, and thats why they object to it. Yanking out the fur too hard, hurts them.
For SH kitties, you want to use a brush, on the softer side, but not too stiff, this gets out the dead hair, just don't brush too hard. For LH kitties, you use a comb. I get the ones that are different widths, as each kitty's fur is different.
You want to make sure your not doing it too rough, just as you don't like your hair brushed or combed too rough, as it hurts. You also want to make sure there is no skin issues, that may also irritate kitty.
You apply this theory to anything you are trying to teach them, make it a positive experience. Give treaty first, keep the sessions short at first, and treaty when done.
Maybe we should have a "Training" section? Lola? I can pretty much tell you how to teach your kitty anything. I used to specialize in training the baby horses, and problem horses, issues that man created. I took a horse, that used to throw himself on the ground, when you mounted, to a horse that went back on the Quarter Horse circuit, and won. I started him all over, from the very beginning, like he was a weanling, that knew nothing. I apply the same principals to teaching my cats. They are very very well behaved.
Just remember, its alot of time, alot of repetition, and alot alot alot of patience.