PURRaffection

Archive for the ‘Cat Bathes’ Category

For the most part, cats don’t require any extra help getting and remaining clean. They are diligent with regards to their hygiene and most cats dedicate much of their day primping and preening so as to stay clean. It could be that this is instinctive to their nature to do so and the fact that mothers show their kittens really early the art of bathing seems to bolster their natural intuition. Whatever their grounds for doing so, it bodes well for cat owners because they will rarely have to bathe their cats. There are times however when your intervention is necessary, specially in cases where your cat is suffering from skin allergies or flees. When your cat is sick or getting down in age you may also have to step in then to provide him with a bath.

It is at times difficult to get cats into the bath water as they might be resistant. So preparation is needed before making an attempt to do so.

Have your materials ready and within easy reach

Make certain you have everything you need to give your cat a bath before starting. It will be nearly impossible and sometimes disastrous to stop what you are undertaking with a struggling cat to seek out a towel or shampoo. Line up several towels, mild, non-irritating shampoo such as baby shampoo or pet shampoo, and a cup for rinsing. You may also need a pet comb or brush and scissors for getting rid of any matted hair. Please keep all these within reach of the place you’ll actually be giving your cat his bath.

Preparing the bath

Lukewarm water is best suited for the majority of cats. They are going to react strongly to very hot or very cold water so beware. Fill the tub, sink or whatever container you plan to make use of with just enough water to rinse your cat. Don’t fill with too much water as this will alarm your cat. If available you can place a non-skid mat at the bottom of the tub to avoid slipping.

Introducing your cat to the water

If you’re bathing your cat for the first time this might be a challenge. Many cats will fight at any attempts to immerse them in water. The key here is to do this slowly and gently and submerge the hind legs first and then the remainder of the body after the cat calms down. Wrapping a towel around your cat while immersing in the water might help to prevent scratches. Another possibility is to get into the bath with your cat so he feels secure in your presence.

A few Safety measures

While bathing your cat use a small amount of shampoo so not as much rinse action is required. Also be careful of getting lather into the cat’s eyes. Don’t bathe your cat more than once per month. If you must bathe your cat, this ought to be restricted to two to three times a year.

Bathing too often will strip natural oils from your cat’s skin. Natural oils are required to give your cat a healthy coat.

Whenever possible replace harsh shampoos with natural herbal shampoos, this is often more calming for your cat.

Diane likes writing on various topics including reviews of products like Green DIY Energy, Wii Unlock Plus and Men Made Easy.

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Unless you started bathing your cat when he/she was just a kitten, bathing a cat is definitely not the easiest thing to do. Felines detest water and regardless of how much love they usually show you, when they know they are going to get wet, the instinctive protection and claws appear.

Before you start a few things you need are a couple of towels, some natural cat shampoo (bought or home made), a bowl or pitcher, a sponge and the mind set that you are probably in for a scrap. First run a couple of inches of water in the tub and place one of the towels in the bottom where you plan to bath your cat. Then, go and get her, pick her up as if you were just going to pet her or take her for a treat, and head for the bathroom.

Cats are very intelligent, so when you enter the bathroom they will most likely start struggling because they have already figured out you are up to no good. So, before you put your cat in the tub and begin, be sure to close the bathroom door. If you have had a cat for long you know; if they escape and don’t want to be caught, they won’t be caught. Not only are they fast, they know the places, like under the bed, where it is difficult to get them. If you have already succeeded in getting her wet down and applied shampoo, if she should escape you are going to have a mess on your hands if she has the whole house to run through.

Now that, you have your supplies ready, the door is closed and you are ready to start. The first thing that will probably happen as you try to put the cat in water is she will suddenly become firmly attached to your arm with those very sharp claws. Just bite your lower lip and ease her down in the water while talking in a soft, gentle voice. Hopefully she will calm down after a couple of minutes. Continue talking quietly in a loving, reassuring way and begin to wet her down. After she is wet, take a safe, natural cat shampoo and slowly massage it into her fur. She may even like this part. After you have finished bathing her, gently wash off the shampoo. Be sure and get it all off so there will be nothing left that could possibly irritate her skin. Lastly, dry her down with the towel and put her in her favorite resting place.

Luckily for the owner, cats spend half the day bathing themselves with their tongue, so you only need to wash your cat very few times a year, for instance in flea season. All the same, try and remember when this task does come to hand, to use natural bath washes when shampooing your feline. Click here for great home made shampoo recipes you might want give a try. Some of them are even dry shampoos that don’t require water. Your cat would probably love you to give that one a try first.