Giving Your Cat a Bath

Bathing your cat(s) is certainly not as common as bathing a dog. Cats are very clean animals and constantly groom themselves. However, some people prefer to bath their cats, and besides that in some cases, such as flea infestation, a bath is appropriate. Longhaired cats need a bath periodically or their hair will tangle and matting.

With a very few exceptions cats do not like water, the truly dislike being given a bath, and some might fight you with all they have. If you do this the first time, better ask a friend or family member for help.

First rule – as with dogs – don’t let water get into their ears, and certainly no soapy water into the cat’s eyes. Best is to use Petkin Swabs For Cats to clean eyes, and ears, or use them for eyes only and an Ear Cleansing Solution for the cat’s ears. Wipe the head of the animal with a warm, moist cloth.

If your cat has long hair, brush the hair before bathing it. In case of mats or tangles separate them with your fingers or use a Shedding Blade by Bamboo. Don’t pull on matted hair, you will hurt your animal. If you have mats that cannot be de-tangled anymore, better shave them off. The hair will re-grow.

There are a variety of high quality cat shampoos on the market. Especially for longhaired cats use one with conditioner that helps keeping the tangles away. Pro Pet Gentle Cat Shampoo & Conditioner is one that’s good and not too pricey.

If you think or know that your cat has fleas, use a flea shampoo. Flea shampoos for puppies and adult cats have different formulas, make sure not to use the adult shampoo on puppies. A great product is Adams Flea Off Shampoo.

Best is to put a rubber mat at the bottom of the sink so your cat won’t slip. Make certain that the water is not too hot and not too cold, it should be around 70 degrees, lukewarm. If possible, avoid nozzles since most cats respond rather hysterical to the noise they create. If you have no other option, make sure that the nozzle points away from your cat and don’t let the cat face it. Soak the cat’s body first, from the neck down. This is especially important if your cat has fleas. If you do not soak the neck first the fleas will crawl onto the cats head and face. Read instructions on flea shampoo, normally this shampoo needs to sit about 3 – 5 minutes in the fur. Don’t use too much shampoo. Best is to put something between your hands and rub it into the cat’s fur. Don’t just pour shampoo all over the cat, you will have a hard time rinsing it out.

Work up a good lather and then rinse carefully. Make sure to rinse between the cat’s toes and to rinse the fur on the belly and tail. Blot the animal first with a paper towel, cat hair absorbs a lot of water and then use several towels to dry your animal. Best is to wrap the cat in a towel and repeat the process until you got rid of most of the wetness. If your house is warm you then can let the cat go. If your cat is longhaired or the temperatures are not appropriate you should dry the fur with a hair dryer on low settings. Don’t blow heat into the cat’s face. If the animal is not cooperating at all, put it in a wire cage and gently blow into the cage with the dryer. Again – avoid the face.

After you are done, brush the cat’s hair in the opposite direction, towards its head. That will fluff the coat and remove dead hair.

If you have extreme problems to bath your cats (I know what I am talking about, one of mine turns into a hissing, scratching, biting monster if I try to bath him), use the Dry Clean Waterless Cat Bath by Veterinarian’s Best. This is a self-foaming formula that you simply apply to your cat’s coat, massage in, let dry and brush out to clean and remove tangles while leaving your cat smelling fresh.

More about the products we mention and their review can be found on our sistersite >> PetStuffReviews. Please click the appropriate category for cats or dogs – grooming.