How To Give Your Cat A Bath And Survive
Unless you have a highly unusual cat, bathing it will not be easy. You might need to because of fleas or some other unsavory misadventure, but proceed with care and respect. Most cats hate water and being wet. Most cats will be frightened by their ordeal, confused and will probably act out accordingly. Be kind, calm, patient and gentle, even if your cat is going ballistic. Also be organized, keep things moving.
Before you begin bathing your cat, you will need to gather a few supplies. At the minimum, you will need two absorbent terry cloth towels, a pet safe shampoo, a pet safe conditioner, a sponge, and a sprayer attachment for your sink or tub. If you don't have a sprayer attachment, you should have a pitcher or large cup that you can use to scoop clean water over your cat's body. Ideally, you should also have a non-skid mat to help your cat feel more secure.
If you decide to bathe your cat in the tub, you may have a harder time holding on to him if he becomes frightened. However, it is usually easier to keep him contained if he escapes in a bathroom than in the kitchen.
Place your non-skid mat in the bottom of the sink or tub. Add two to three inches of warm water and gently place your cat in the tub. Talk to him quietly and reassure him. He will most likely settle down within a few seconds. Once he is calm, begin to wet him down. If the sprayer attachment scares him too badly, you may have to pour water over him using your pitcher or cup, instead. Do not pour water on his head. You will clean his face later.
Once your cat is wet enough, get a bit of shampoo on your hand and work it into his coat, massaging him in calm, deliberate strokes. Some cats actually like this part and most calm down during the shampoo. The rinse is more difficult because it has to be thorough. You have to get all the shampoo out of his coat or it will cause irritation.
Now, work a palm sized dollop of conditioner into your cat's coat and then rinse it out. This step is actually optional if the cat has short hair. However, conditioner will not hurt a short haired cat, so, if he is not too upset, you may still want to use it.
Once your cat's body is clean, dampen your sponge and use it to carefully wipe down his face. Pay close attention to the area under his eyes.
Wrap your cat in a big towel and pat and rub him dry. Use the second towel after the first one is wet. Get as much water out of his coat as you can. Tell you cat how proud you are of him and how grand he smells and how beautiful he's going to look, now that he's clean. Promise you won't do it again until you really have to. Reward him with a treat or a toy.
Before you begin bathing your cat, you will need to gather a few supplies. At the minimum, you will need two absorbent terry cloth towels, a pet safe shampoo, a pet safe conditioner, a sponge, and a sprayer attachment for your sink or tub. If you don't have a sprayer attachment, you should have a pitcher or large cup that you can use to scoop clean water over your cat's body. Ideally, you should also have a non-skid mat to help your cat feel more secure.
If you decide to bathe your cat in the tub, you may have a harder time holding on to him if he becomes frightened. However, it is usually easier to keep him contained if he escapes in a bathroom than in the kitchen.
Place your non-skid mat in the bottom of the sink or tub. Add two to three inches of warm water and gently place your cat in the tub. Talk to him quietly and reassure him. He will most likely settle down within a few seconds. Once he is calm, begin to wet him down. If the sprayer attachment scares him too badly, you may have to pour water over him using your pitcher or cup, instead. Do not pour water on his head. You will clean his face later.
Once your cat is wet enough, get a bit of shampoo on your hand and work it into his coat, massaging him in calm, deliberate strokes. Some cats actually like this part and most calm down during the shampoo. The rinse is more difficult because it has to be thorough. You have to get all the shampoo out of his coat or it will cause irritation.
Now, work a palm sized dollop of conditioner into your cat's coat and then rinse it out. This step is actually optional if the cat has short hair. However, conditioner will not hurt a short haired cat, so, if he is not too upset, you may still want to use it.
Once your cat's body is clean, dampen your sponge and use it to carefully wipe down his face. Pay close attention to the area under his eyes.
Wrap your cat in a big towel and pat and rub him dry. Use the second towel after the first one is wet. Get as much water out of his coat as you can. Tell you cat how proud you are of him and how grand he smells and how beautiful he's going to look, now that he's clean. Promise you won't do it again until you really have to. Reward him with a treat or a toy.
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