So, are you ready to give your feline friend a bath? That’s wonderful, because the sooner you start to bathe your cat, the sooner he will learn to tolerate it. Although, they’re equipped to clean themselves by their own, but sometimes, they really need a bath. You can bathe him whenever you want, whether their coat feels oily or if they get into something very dirty or sticky. Bathing your friend without taking any stress might be difficult for you but it’s not impossible. Here i am giving you few points which you should consider in mind before bathing your cat :-
1. TRIM YOUR CAT’S NAILS :-
Trimming your cat’s nails before bathing is very important as even the calmest cat might get a little wild once he is in water and he will try to fight back. as his only weapon is his nails, but you can minimize this risk by trimming off his nails. However, trimming his nails can probably annoy him so you can do this task a few hours before the bathe so that he can get the time to calm. You can also give him treats after trimming his nails as it will definitely calm down.
2. BRUSH YOUR CAT :-
You should brush your cat before giving him bathe. DON’T SKIP THIS STEP as it is very important. It will help in removing any tangles or knots in the fur. If you are thinking of brushing the kitty after bathe, then believe me, it will be very difficult for you, and obviously it will be very painful for him. I hope, now you have understood why brushing cat before the bathe is important. If you want to kill two birds with one stone, then you can also brush your cat when you are trimming his nails as a way to get him distracted.
3. GET THE RIGHT SHAMPOO :-
You can buy the cat shampoo from any local pet store or you can also get it from the vet. You should check the ingredients before buying it and see if it is right for your kitty and then before bathing your cat, dilute the shampoo in the water if it is necessary. Try not to use regular shampoo as it will not only dry out the skin of your cat but can be harmful for your cat. Also, do not use dog shampoo either. Even if you don’t get any cat shampoo then it is better if you use only water than any other product which can harm your cute feline friend.
4. PREPARE THE BATHROOM AND BATHE :-
Before you start bathing your cat, you will need to close the door in order to prevent him from escaping. You can put down a towel or a rubber mat in the tub so that your cat does not slip and feels more comfortable in the tub. You should have ready everything in advance in the bathe as you will not have any time to run out for anything. Now it comes to prepare the bathe, fill the bathe tub with four to five inches of warm water. Try to have two buckets of water so you won’t need to run out for more water as it can frighten your cat.
5. BATHING YOUR CAT :-
Try to talk to your cat in a quiet and calm voice, if you are too excited or nervous then he will know. Sometimes, cats might try to get out of the water so try to keep a good grip on the shoulders or neck. After washing his fur gently with a washcloth, use a little bit of cat shampoo with water and use it to wash his body, neck, legs, tail and belly. You can start this from his head and work towards the tail, in the direction of his fur’s growth. Make sure to not get the shampoo in his nose, ears or eyes. Thoroughly rinse him with the water in the tub and washcloth. It is important to rinse out all the soap from his fur, if your kitty has a longer and thick fur then this process might take longer. after this, wash his face with water, this will do the trick and there is no need to take the risk of hurting or upsetting the kitty.Then wash his face gently, using wash cloth.
6. DRYING YOUR CAT :-
You can let the water out from the kitty by pressing gently as much as you can. Then rub dry towel gently, if the towel becomes too wet to be effective then use other dry towel. Do not stop until the the cat is drenched. Short haired cats can dry themselves on their own but in the case of long haired cats, you will need more towels and comb. If you want to use a hair dryer and your cat is scared of it then you can use it by setting on ”warm” and then dry your cat from a distance.
I hope this article will help you out, so good luck!