Cats | Pet Lover Blog

It is important to know how to bathe your cat. Cats generally to a fine job cleaning themselves, however, they my need a little help from time to time. In this case, it is important to know how to properly give you cat a bath.

Giving a cat a bath can be a little trick since most cats are not fond of water or getting wet.

There are dry bath products available on the market today to avoid the traditional bath altogether, however these products are better used to keep your cat clean and healthy rather than get them clean after a roll in the mud.

The dry bath products are generally a leave in treatments great for eliminating odor. A dry bath is a great idea for keeping you cat clean. It will usually not effect their current flea treatment because no water should be needed to wash it away. Always read the labels before using these products. They are safe to use on cats, but may contain different ingredients that you or your cat could be allergic to.

Dry bath products are great, but what do you do when your cat homes home late at night, covered in mud, paint, or something incredible messy and possible toxic? Lets face it, cats get into trouble sometimes.

You probably won’t want to let them come in the house and lay on your floor or furniture, and, unless you know what your cat is covered in, probably should not let them sit in the mess all night, or try and clean it themselves. You should never let your cat ingest a foreign substance if possible.

When this happens, hopefully on a rare occasion, you will want to know how to give your cat a bath.

If you’re very lucky, this may not be much trouble. Your cat might like the water. But if you have a normal cat like the rest of us, things could get pretty interesting.

When you’ve decided to give your cat a bath, you should get them a special kitty shampoo. The regular shampoo you use everyday may have harsh perfumes or chemicals that could be harmful to your cat. If this is not available, try and do the best you can with just water in an emergency. It may not be as easy, but this should get most of the muck out of your cat’s fur.

By this time you should be well aware of your cats temperament. You will know if your cat will fight you and how hard he or she will fight to get away from bath time. So take every precaution necessary to protect yourself and your cat. After all, most cats are equipped with an effective defense. Claws!

If you have a leather jumpsuit or bird handling gloves, then you’re set. Of course, most of us don’t have these types of armor and they are not necessary to get the job done. Rubber gloves are suggested, but long sleeves are a must! Personally, I’ve found that a thick, durable fabric like denim or even a thick cotton work just fine. Just make sure, what ever you wear, that it can’t be penetrated too easily by your cat’s claws.

The size of your cat, and intensity of his or her frenzy, should determine your bath space needed. You may be able to get away with using your sink for small cats and kittens. If not, use your bathtub and keep all doors closed. If you have a glass shower door, it’s not a bad idea to climb into the tub with your cat and keep that door closed too.

Stop! Before you throw you cat into tub of water, remember they will, most likely, be frightened.

When you attempt to give your cat a bath, chances are, your cat will know that something’s up even before you begin. Your cat may be frightened by the sound of running water, or the splashing sounds in the tub or sink. It’s usually not the best idea to run the water over your cat like a shower. This could startle your cat and cause him or her to spring into action and try to run away from it.

The best way I’ve found is to draw a shallow bath and have a cup handy to pour water, slowly onto your cat in order to wet him.

Maintain control! You are the master of your domain and don’t let your cat think otherwise in this situation. While hogtying your cat is not recommended, you will need to restrict his movement somewhat. This might take the effort of two people for unruly cats and may take some force. Whatever you do, please don’t hurt your cat!

Once you have control of your beast, and the water is ready, complete the procedure as quickly as possible.

Wet your cats coat thoroughly and lather him up with his own special shampoo. Do the best job you can; don’t forget the feet, tail and stomach. Always use extra special care when washing your cats face! Shampoo may not be needed in this area, and be very careful around his eyes.

Once your cat is soapy, start to rinse. Using the same, gentle pouring motion with your handy cup and the water in the tub rinse your cats fur. You may want to have a reserve of fresh, clean water for rinsing. Try and use your fingers to break up any matting and wok through thick coated areas. Rinse well, drain the tub, and you are almost done.

Now it’s time to dry your cat. Drying your cat shouldn not take as much effort as it seems. You will not be able to get him completely dry, so do your best and your cat, and time, will gladly finish the job.

When you let your cat out of the sink or bathtub, keep him in the area. Your cat will most likely want to shake first, just like dogs, and then gently, but with enthusiasm, rub your cat with a towel to rid him of excess water.

Your cat will begin to lick himself dry. You can them leave your cat in the bathroom until he’s dry, or let him out whenever you feel is best you, your home, your furniture, and your cat.

In order to simplify this process, here is a step by step guide on How to give a cat a bath:

Get cat shampoo

Suit up! Protect your body from potential injury.

Draw a shallow bath (warm, not hot or cold)

Restrain your cat

Wet

Lather

Rinse

and Dry

The last thing you should know before giving a cat a bath is not to be intimidated. It may not be as simple as one, two, thee, but it’s not impossible and you’ll both feel better when it’s over.

Angela Coyle is an avid cat lover, and owner of Hercules the cat, Murteza Abyssinian, Mango, and many others throughout the years. She is also currently an editor at http://www.cat-care-cat-information.com

Share This

Cats need only be provided with decent shelter, food and water and they will be quite healthy most of the time. Like any other living thing, however, they can get sick and can come down with anything from a minor cold to a major ailment.

As a responsible pet owner, you want to make sure you feed your cat premium cat food so he can be his healthiest and also watch your cat closely for signs of sickness so that you can get him to a vet right away. Hopefully most ailments will be minor, but in some cases getting your cat expedient veterinary help can be the difference between life and death.

Some things to look for include:

Your cats coat - is it full and shiny or dull and patchy? Is he shedding abnormally? If so get your cat scheduled for a vet visit.

Behavior - is your cat acting sluggish and not eating? Any change in behavior warrants a trip to the vet as it is better to be safe then sorry!

Diarrhea or vomiting - If your cat is doing either of these for more than a day, I would get him to the vet as soon as you can.
Coughing - Some cats routinely cough up hairballs, but if your cat is coughing for no reason then you should have this checked out.

Swelling or lumps - when you pet your cat, take the time to feel around for any unusual lumps or swelling.

To insure that your cat doesn’t fall victim to disease, you should make sure he has all of his vaccinations as recommended by your vetrenarian. The most devastating but easiest to prevent disease that affects cats is infectious enteritis, or feline distemper. This is a virus disease that strikes quickly and leaves little time to enact treatment.

Feline Leukemia or FeLV is another deadly disease that can be prevented through early vaccinations. This disease poses no threat to humans but can be spread between cats. These days, it is treatable and some cats can live a long life with Feline Leukemia although you would want to be very careful to keep them away from other cats so as not to spread the disease.

One health problem in cats, particulary those that go outdoors is worms. A cat with worms usually has a lackluster coat and can either have a large appetite or none at all. There are many kinds of worms, and cats are susceptible to all of them. Cats can get worms from lice or fleas or in the organs of the rodents that the cats eat. Typically the cat ingests the eggs which mature and attach to the intestinal walls. Feeding your cat a bit of garlic every once in a while can protect him against worms.

Keeping your cat happy and healthy is really a simple matter of caring for him properly and making sure he gets the appropriate veterinary care. Make sure your cat gets all the recommended vaccinations and you give him the proper treatments to repel fleas and other pesky pests. These simple steps will keep your cat happy and healthy for a lifetime!

Lee Dobbins writes for ePet Pet Center where you can find lots of articles on cats, dogs, fish, birds and ferrets.

Share This

The most important thing to remember in analyzing the behavior of your cat
is that your pet is not a human. Cats are not rational beings and their
actions are not based on emotion. Changes in his behavior are not stemmed
from any repressed anger with you; your cat is not trying to get revenge on
you for being away from home too much or bringing a new baby into the house.

Negative changes in cat behavior are typically cause by stress or anxiety
for the cat. It is easy to see why pet owners tend to conclude that the
cat’s feelings toward them are causing the behavioral differences; it is
human nature to correlate two unrelated events. In reality, there is a
missing link: your behavior may cause the cat physical anxiety, thus the
cat’s behavior alteration is based on physiological changes in his body.

One common complaint among cat owners is that their cat has suddenly chosen
a new favorite place to deposit wastes instead of his litter box. This
could be a result of a few factors.

First, it may be a medical problem.
Cats are prone to urinary track infections that make it extremely painful to
urinate. Cats then associate the pain of urination with the litter box, so
they do not like to visit their designated urination station. If your cat
has stopped using the litter box, your first step should be to take him to
the vet and have a thorough check-up run on him. Cats also have natural
preferences for certain textures and smells, so if you have recently changed
the type of cat litter you use, the cat may be showing that he does not care
for the new feeling or smell of his litter. In avoiding the litter box, the
cat may have become attached to new textures and locations around your
household, perhaps the soft living room rug or bedroom closet.

The best
strategy is not to punish the cat; he will not understand. Rather, have a
medical check up, switch litters, and continuously reintroduce the cat to
his litter box. Reward him for using it, just like he was a kitten again.

To relieve any anxiety your cat may be feeling, carefully analyze any
changes that have occurred in his life as of late. If a new baby or
roommate comes into the house, your cat may feel threatened, so be sure to
give him extra attention. If you suddenly have to spend more time away from
home than normal, consider getting a second cat so that your cat does not
spend his days alone. Although the cat is not having emotional reactions,
his body feels different due to changes around him.

Be in tune with what may be causing your cat to feel anxious, analyze the situation, and do the
loyal owner duty of relieving his stress.

Keith Kingston is a professional web publisher who offers advice on cat health, cat supplies, and cat names

Share This