If you are a cat owner, you are probably fully aware of the fact that most cats absolutely hate water. Nonetheless, there may be times when bathing your cat is necessary. Not only do baths keep your cat clean, they may also be needed to remove fleas from your furry friend. While bathing a cat isn t always easy, it is possible with most cats if you follow these tips.
Tip #1: Start Young
If you got your cat while it was still a kitten, you should start giving it baths on a regular basis. Ideally, you should bathe your kitten about once per week. By starting when your cat is young, it will be more accustomed to the water. In addition, a younger cat is much easier to handle than an adult. So, by starting young, you can make bath time much simpler after your cat grows and becomes stronger.
Tip #2: Remain Calm
Cats can usually sense when their owners are nervous or anxious. So, remain calm when picking up your cat and throughout the bathing process. The more calm you are, the less anxiety your cat will experience. You can also get your cat relaxed and prep it for its bath by coming through its fur before heading to the bathroom.
Tip #3: Get Items Prepared Ahead of Time
Even if you started getting baths to your cat when it was still a kitten, it still probably will not enjoy taking a bath. Therefore, you should try to get the bath over as quickly as possible. One way to do this is to make certain you have your kitty shampoo, towels, and any other items you will need gathered beforehand. You should also make certain the temperature in the bathroom is at a comfortable level so your feline friend doesn t get too cold.
Tip #4: Prepare the Cat and The Water
You can keep your kitty more comfortable by applying eye ointment before putting it in the water. This will help keep soap out of its eyes. If your cat is particularly problematic during bath time, you might also want to consider trimming its claws first. This way, you won t have to worry as much about getting scratched in the process.
You can also expedite the bathing process by adding a non toxic wetting agent such as Shaklee s Basic H to the water beforehand. With this agent, the water will soak into the coat more quickly, which means you can work up a lather sooner and complete the bathing process as quickly as possible.
Tip #5: Try Again Later if Necessary
With your cat and the bathroom properly prepared, you can now submerge your cat, get its fur wet, and lather the shampoo. You may need to hold your cat down firmly in order to prevent it from jumping away if this is its first bath. If your cat seems to be extremely upset by the process, however, it is best to stop the bath and try again later. By slowly introducing the bathing process and by speaking in a gentle way throughout the entire process, however, you should ultimately be able to get your cat to accept bath time without much trouble.
