Although your cat doesn’t realize it right now, after some tender loving care and a little shampoo, he will appreciate it.
Cats hate water, that much is easy to see as he lashes out at you with his claws when he gets anywhere near it. Why would someone want to bathe their cat, then?
Although cats are great at cleaning themselves, sometimes they become too dirty and need help getting themselves clean. They can also become flea infested and need treated shampoo to help control the problem. Do not bathe your cat more than once a month as you will damage his skin and hair. It can be done!
The Supplies
You will need two cloth towels, a pet safe shampoo and conditioner, a sponge and a sprayer to attach to your skin nozzle. If you don’t have a sprayer, use a pitcher of water and keep it near the sink. You should try to have a non skid mat as well to help your cat feel better about standing in the water.
A scared cat is hard to control. So, if you plan to wash him in the tub, make sure to shut the door to keep him from getting out into the rest of the house.
What To Do
Put the mat at the bottom of the sink or tub. Add about two or three inches of warm water to the bottom and carefully place the cat in. Talk to him quietly and reassure him that he’s okay. More than likely, he’ll settle down within a few minutes. Now that he’s calm, you can wet him down. Try using the sprayer, but if this scares him, gently pour water over him using the pitcher. A word of warning, do not pour water on his head. You’ll clean his face later.
Now he’s wet. You can squeeze a palm sized amount of shampoo and massage the shampoo into his coat. Use slow, calm motions and he’ll relax and maybe even will enjoy it. Once he is lathered, you’ll need to rinse him off. Make sure to get all of the shampoo out of his coat as anything left on him will irritate his skin.
Next, do the same with the cat’s conditioner. This step is optional if the cat has short hair. If the cat isn’t too upset, you should try to use it on all cats.
Once his body is clean, it is time to do his face. Dampen the sponge and use it to carefully wipe down his face. Pay attention to the area around his eyes too.
After The Bath
Now that the bath is over, wrap your cat up in the towels and blot off as much of the water as possible from his body. Use a dry towel as a second blotting tool. The rest he’ll do himself. For those who have long haired cats, try using a blow dryer at the very lowest setting and keep it continuously moving so that you don’t burn your cat.
Your cat may not thank you for his bath, but you will both enjoy his company more, next time you snuggle down in front of the fire.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Shampoo#Animal http://www.aspca.org/pet-care/cat-care/cat-care-bathing-your-cat.aspx http://www.rspca.org.uk/allaboutanimals/pets/cats/health Vacuum Cleaner for Cat Hair
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