Tips For Bathing Your Cat

 Tips For Bathing Your Cat

Cats normally do not need help getting and staying clean. They are fastidious about their cleanliness and spend much of their day primping and preening. Cats learn from a very young age to stay clean, as the mother always teaches their young the art of bathing. Cat owners rarely need to give their cats a bath, however, there are some situations where you may find it is time to bath kitty. You never know when your cat will get so dirty that they need a little extra help. If your cat is afflicted with skin allergies or has a flea infestation, you might need to bathe your cat. Sick and older cats may have a difficult time keeping clean, too. You will find that your cat probably resists getting a bath, but you can do it if you are prepared.

image: the spruce pets

Get Your Supplies

The best place to bath your cat is in a small, enclosed room. If you have a sink in your laundry room, that would work perfectly. A deep bathroom sink would also do the trick. The idea is to get your cat in a small area to help him or her feel safer during the process. Another idea is to use a baby tub and place it inside your own bathtub. This might cause an aching back on your part, but may be just the thing for your cat. 

In addition, you will want to make sure that you have everything you need on hand before you begin. It will be almost impossible to stop what you are doing with a struggling cat to run and get a towel or shampoo. You will need several old towels, mild, non-irritating shampoo such as baby shampoo or pet shampoo, and a cup for rinsing. You might even consider using a turkey-basting tool to reach under the chin, around the neck and between the legs. In addition, if your cat’s fur is matted, you might want to consider cutting these mats away before beginning.

Get the Bath Ready

When you have gotten all of your supplies where you need them, you will want to prepare the bath. Your cat will not like very hot or very cold water, so lukewarm water works best. Think of the temperature you would use to bath an infant. That is what you need when you wash your cat. Next, fill up the tub or sink. You do not need a lot of water when you bath your cat--just enough to rinse the cat off. It is also a good idea to place a non-skid mat or folded bath towel in the bottom of the sink or tub before you begin filling it with water. This prevents the cat from slipping around on the bottom of the sink or tub.

Ease your Cat into the Water

It is now time for the hard part. You have to get your cat and ease him or her into the water. This may sound easier than it is. Some cats may struggle with you more than others may. Only you know your cat’s personality. The best way to go about doing this is to lower your cat into the water. Do this by placing one hand under the cat’s belly and one hand firmly, but gently on the cat’s back. Lower the cat from its hind legs into the water. If your cat is still struggling, you might want to wrap a towel around your cat to prevent scratches. You might be surprised by your cat’s reaction. Some cats will sit there quietly and let you work. Others will be scared and will try to run from you. You will get wet, but you may think about holding the cat’s body close to your own while bathing so he or she feels more secure. Never raise your voice or move too fast, as this can send your cat into a frenzy.

Begin the Bath

After your cat is somewhat situated in the water, you can begin to bathe. Work quickly, but gently. The best method for bathing your cat is to start with the head and work your way down. Be careful not to get water or shampoo in your cat’s ears or eyes. You will only need a very small amount of shampoo. If you get too much, you will have to rinse longer. If you are treating fleas, then you will want to follow the directions on the flea shampoo at this point. You can use vegetable oil if you need to remove sticky substances from your cat’s fur. Use this sparingly because this will leave an oil residue on your cat’s fur, although it is harmless. 

Understanding Why Cats Fight

If you have a household with multiple cats, you know that cat fights do happen. Even if you cats generally get along, at times, they can still fight. While humans may not completely understand why their kitties are fighting, cats have their reasons for fighting.  Some of these reasons are similar to the reasons that humans have disputes. Cats express their discontent with other cats by picking fights. The reasons why cats fight can help you determine how to prevent your cats from fighting in the future.

Fighting for their territory: Many cats fight because of their territory. One of the reasons that cats fight is because they feel like an unwanted cat has invaded their territory, even if it is a cat that has lived with them for a long time.  Cats are much more territorial than dogs and the gender of the cat has very little to do with it.  Contrary to what many people believe, female cats are sometimes just as territorial as their male counterparts are.  If you have two cats in your home, you might notice that one cat hisses and swats at the other whenever he feels his territory has been invaded.  This can also happen if you bring a new cat into the home. They are simply defending their territory. 

Social ranking: Either male cats frequently threaten and fight with each other for social ranking or despite what you may think; even neutered males may do this. If you have multiple cats, especially more than one male cat, one cat is usually considered the “alpha male” and will be at the top of the cat hierarchy. Two cats might posture their bodies, then begin howling and screaming at one another.  If one of the cats walks away or backs down, then the catfight is usually avoided.   However, if neither one wants to throw in the towel and surrender, then one cat will attack the other by jumping forward and attempting to bite the neck.  The other cat will fall on his back and tries to bite or scratch the attacker with its hind legs.  The two cats might go through this several times before walking away.  There are usually no injuries sustained in these kinds of fights. You may even notice that kittens or young cats play with one another this way. Most of the time, you will not need to interfere.

Aggression: Cats also fight as a result of some kind of redirected aggression and this is quite common, especially with indoor cats.  Your cat might be looking outside the window at another cat or dog crossing the yard.  Your cat begins to feel territorial and aggressive at this cat, but since this other cat cannot be reached, he may instead attack the other family cat. Another example is if you are giving your cats treats. One cat may reach the treat first and begin eating. The other one wants a bite, but the cat that is eating may become aggressive over the treat and begin to swipe or yowl and the other cat. 

If you find your cats fighting occasionally, you should know that this is common and quite typical of cats. Most of the time, you will be able to tell whether or not your cats are fighting for “blood” or just playing around. The time to stop a fight is when it gets nasty otherwise; allow your cats to work it out themselves. If you feel the need to stop a catfight, then you should do it carefully. Even the most loving cat can bite or scratch you in aggressive passion. To stop a fight, you should make some kind of loud noise, such as a handclap.  Since cats are startled by loud noises, they will both stop to see what is making the noise.  You can also spray water on them to interfere with the aggressive behavior..

When you find your cats fighting, it is best not to punish the cats for their fight. Cats do not understand punishment and fighting is a natural instinct in cats. The best thing to do is only interfere when necessary. If you find your cats are fighting more than they should, it is time that you find out why. Do they fight over a litter box, a food bowl or a prime window location? 

Make sure each kitty has his or her own “things” and a place to retreat when they feel overwhelmed by other pets in the house. This will go a long way in preventing real catfights.

A Little Privacy Will Be Better: Like us, cats also need a private space, where they feel safe and secure to answer nature’s call. Of course, you can also share the benefits of this litter box furniture

Grooming Your Cat

No cat wants to be dirty, and it’s up to you to ensure that your cat stays clean.  Grooming is very important, as it helps your cat remain clean and healthy.  Grooming starts with brushing, as brushing helps to keep the cats hair from becoming hairballs.  Brushing will remove loose hair, and help prevent the risk of hairballs.  A lot of cats have trouble dislodging hairballs.  If the cat isn’t able to get a hairball out, it could result in a blockage of the intestines.  Blockages are very serious, and can quickly become life threatening for your pet.

Cats that have long hair need to be brushed and combed on a daily basis, while cats with short hair need to be groomed on a weekly basis.  When you brush your cat, you should always watch for lumps in the coat and skin irritations.  You should start brushing along the cat’s back, going from his head to his tail.  Do this a few times on one side, and then switch to the other.  Each area should be brushed a few times in the direction of the way your cat’s hair is growing.

When you brush your cat, you should always avoid brushing his face and paws.  If a cat doesn’t like to be brushed, you can still groom him using another tool.  The grooming glove is an excellent alternative to the brush, as most cats don’t mind it at all.  Starting out young is the key to grooming, as it will get your cat used to brushing and grooming.  Some cats that have started grooming when they were kittens grow to love it, many of which often look forward to their grooming time.

When brushing your cat, make sure that you check his ears, eyes, teeth, and claws.  His eyes should be bright and clear with nothing residing in the corners.  His ears should be clean, pink in color, and no sign of ear mites.  Ear mites result from dirt built up in a cat’s ears, and can result in the ears shriveling up and your cat losing his hearing.  Ear mites are very annoying for the cat, and hard for you as an owner to get rid of.  The best way to get rid of them – is to ensure that your cat’s ears stay clean and healthy.

Each time you groom your cat, you should always aim to go a bit further with your examinations.  When your cat remains still, you should always praise him and give him a treat.  If your cat doesn’t cooperate and starts to struggle, you shouldn’t fight with him, but instead let him go and try the next day.  Once your cat gets used to grooming he will look forward to it each and every day.