Although cats may be pretty good at grooming themselves, sometimes they really need a bath regardless of how much they hate. And most cats hate baths with a burning passion. Sometimes their coats get really dirty and they need some help to make them clean again. Bathing your favorite kitty cat can be a really stressful experience for both you and them, so you would do well to take great cares to eliminate the dangers present in dealing with the task:
- You would do well to work on trimming your kitty’s claws. You will thank yourself later when you give them their bath, as they will likely go wild when you try it. You should give them a few hours or maybe a day or two before its bath time so they can calm down. Giving your kitty some treats will reward them for being (relatively) patient after the trimming.
- Brushing the cat is the next step on the ladder to bathing success. This will help remove any knots from their fur, especially in long furred felines like the Persian cats. If your cat likes getting some brushing done, then you can use that to make them feel more at home when they’re wet in the tub. Sometimes brushing allows you to distract them from the fact, but each kitty is different which means yours may be a clawed hellion, while others may be quite docile. DO NOT try bathing your cat alone. Seriously, you need two pairs of hands to do this unless you want your cat to squirm out of your grasp and run around, wet as a mouse and twice as miserable, yowling and shaking water off all over the place. The last thing you want to deal with is mopping and dealing with floor cleaning, carpet cleaning and upholstery cleaning after a wet and dirty cat has been everywhere. If you’ve been there, then you know how muddy paw prints can get everywhere.
- Get a good cat shampoo if you want to get things done right. You will need to check out the instructions to see whether it works for your cat’s fur type or not, diluting it with water if you need to. You should never use dog shampoo, instead using water if this is an emergency. There is a reason for that as the derma of cats is different from that of dogs and using straight soap may strip the hair of its necessary coating of natural oils. Use a washcloth or even better, your hands to work the shampoo onto your cat’s body, keeping it away from the head in all cases.
- You will need to make your kitty want to bathe if possible. Make sure you play with them until they are tired and most mellow before you decide to shock them with a bath. That way they will not have the energy to fight it. It sounds cruel, but if your cat has been through really dirty places it would be best to wash them before they develop a skin condition or worse. Put a few toys in the empty tub and play with them so they won’t feel stressed out when they’re inside it, associating it with being wet and miserable. You should do your best to imprint that baths are non-threatening and are actually pleasant. Doing so with words won’t cut it obviously, since cats don’t really speak human, so you will need to do so in roundabout ways that will inspire courage instead of dread of water. Article provided by: Chelsea cheap domestic cleaners.