At some point, cat owners need to wash their four-legged friend. And here a reasonable question arises about how to bathe a cat and “stay alive”. It is known that whiskered and striped purps do not like water procedures, and some of them simply do not take them to the spirit. During washing, even the most affectionate pet sometimes turns into an angry predator that can severely scratch you. By nature, cats are very cautious and will never enter the water unless absolutely necessary. How to bathe a cat if he got dirty? How to reduce unpleasant impressions of the process so that the cat does not worry? These and other questions are answered by this article.
Is there any need to do this?
Some owners argue as follows: since the cats themselves are very clean, it is not necessary to expose them to tremendous stress, which is bathing at home. This opinion is erroneous. You can find out how to bathe a cat correctly only by approaching this issue with all responsibility. I must say that cats need to be washed for the reason that gradually dust accumulates on their fur, dirt that cannot be cleaned with a rough tongue. Cats are real neat, and therefore they will lick themselves indefinitely, trying at all costs to get rid of any pollution. Such excessive toilet can lead to a large accumulation of cat hair in the stomach and cause a number of diseases.
A cat needs to be washed no more than once - twice a half a year. Of course, a lot will depend on her coat. If a cat wears a luxurious fur coat, then he will have to bathe more often. Grooming is especially necessary for exhibition animals before important events. In other cases, wash your purr as necessary.
When to accustom a cat to water procedures?
How to bathe a cat? It is extremely important to “introduce” a cat to a bathtub at a young age. There is an opinion that if the kitten is not accustomed to regular washing on time, then you will not be able to do this later. Representatives of the cat breed are very sensitive to their habits, so you need to make sure that they are formed in advance. A little kitten will seek protection from you, and washing, most likely, will perceive it as something inevitable. An adult animal will necessarily release its claws in case of such an unforeseen circumstance and may inadvertently cause deep damage to the owner.
How to behave while swimming?
Try to calm your pet before washing. Speak to him affectionate words (cats catch and perceive the intonation of a person very well, feel his mood), stroke him, repeat that this is a necessary procedure, because he got dirty. It would be a mistake to think that cats are not capable of deep feelings for their master. Almost always, these cute pussies are tuned to the person as much as they are able to have a beneficial effect on him.
During the process itself, hold the animal firmly, but not strongly, with one hand, and with the other carry out the washing procedure directly. How to bathe a cat without consequences? First of all, you must be confident in yourself. Reassure the pet if the situation requires it, and if possible, try to make all the necessary manipulations as soon as possible. Not a single cat will endure such a "mockery" for a long time. It is better to meet the time of 5-10 minutes, you do not need to count on more.
Bath accessories
Before washing, do not forget to cook everything you need so that your cat does not get scared. Remember: he will not stand in the water for a long time, so it is extremely important that you have everything at hand. How to bathe a cat and what should be cooked? Shampoo (it should already be standing on the table next to the bathtub), a soft brush for combing the hair, a special towel for wiping, possibly a small basin or bath.
Many cat owners prefer to wash their pets in small containers, believing that this way they will experience less stress. In fact, a lot depends on your mood. Buying a baby bath is not necessary. How to bathe a cat, if he stubbornly does not want to get into the container prepared for him? Be gentle, be patient and affectionate.
Water temperature
When preparing a bath for your pet, you need to consider several factors. Firstly, the water should not be too hot, otherwise you risk burning your pet of varying degrees of intensity. Do not dip the cat in cold water - it can catch a cold and get sick.
How to bathe a cat without any special consequences for her? Put your pet in water carefully, trying not to scare him. Make sure that water does not get into your ears. It is not necessary to wash the head, it is enough to wet the rest of the wool and rinse it gently with a special shampoo.
If the cat scratches and bites
In the case when the animal is aggressive, there is no need to worry during washing, stroke it and say a few kind words. In general, it is advisable to start the procedure with this. Understand that the animal needs your support. It is known that cats do not like to wash themselves, to put it mildly, so they sometimes need to be "persuaded" for a long time. If you kept the cat in the bath for too long, and he began to bite your hand, most likely you are to blame yourself. Not a single cat breed representative will calmly be in the water for half an hour - forty minutes, so keep in mind that time is limited.
If the pet behaves too aggressively (it scratches badly, deliberately bites your fingers, hisses menacingly), then the limit of patience with it has been exhausted for today. What to do in this case? Such a situation is extremely rare, the more dangerous it is. If this happened, and you can’t calm the angry animal with anything, then just let it go. Pull out of the bathroom, give time to calm down. Most often, such precedents occur due to the fault of the owners, which cause the animal to stay in the bathroom for a long time. The same case will occur if you pick up a homeless cat on the street and try to wash it. After an unsuccessful attempt, take the time to analyze the current situation and realize your mistake. Now you will be more responsible in approaching the question of how to bathe a cat.
Take care of your eyes
This refers to their own. An angry animal can inadvertently hurt you. Do not bring your face closer to the cat, because at any moment she can make an uncontrolled movement that can cause serious wounds. Apparently, the very difficult question is how to bathe a cat.
If he is panicky afraid of water, try first pouring water into a container, and only then place the animal there. A cat can be frightened by the sound of pouring water, so do not turn it on extra. If you have a long-haired pet, then comb it thoroughly before bathing.
How to bathe a cat you’ve never washed
Of course, the circumstances in life can be different: you found a stray animal on the street or you just never washed your cat for one reason or another. The first thing you should prepare for: a cat can stubborn for a long time and refuse to wet its lovely paws. It’s better not to turn the washing procedure into violence against the animal, but to try to lure him into the bathroom: make sure he goes there voluntarily. If necessary, you will have to embark on various tricks and tricks. For example, you can turn on the water in the bathroom and try to attract his attention. Despite his dislike of the water element, a lot of cats for a long time and with great interest watch the trickles flowing down.
How to bathe a cat? Proper swimming, of course, begins with a thorough preparation. If the capricious purr still managed to interest, get ready to act gradually. Do not try to immediately grab the animal in your arms and dip into the water, this will only cause a bright attack of resistance. To prevent such a protest from occurring when the cat enters the bathroom, let him just for a while just watch how the water flows freely and easily. You can even draw his attention to the fact that there is a calm, friendly atmosphere around, and no one is going to offend a cat. How to do it? Just talk to the animal in an affectionate voice, stroke. At some point, you will feel that the pet has entrusted you with its own washing, and then try to do everything necessary carefully but quickly. While swimming, continue to stroke and soothe your pet.
Alternative option
If at the moment it is not possible to bathe the cat, there is another way to make it clean - dry wash. In pet stores and animal departments today you can find special dry shampoos. The essence of such a “wash” is that the owner does not need to expose his pet to an unpleasant procedure. All that is required is to apply a small amount of the product to the fur and comb out the pet thoroughly. This option is suitable only for those with short-haired cats.
Thus, a caring owner should approach the bathing of a cat with all responsibility. It must be understood that the state of the animal largely depends on your behavior, and there’s absolutely no reason to make him nervous and anxious again.