Bathing a cat can be tricky, especially since most cats don't like getting wet. However, in most cases cats need to be bathed to improve the overall health of their coats and keep them clean while living in our homes. If possible, it's a good idea to bathe your cat from a young age so that the cat gets used to the activity. However, if you are bathing an adult cat for the first time, you will need to simplify the process to ensure you are not scratched and bitten, as well as to ensure the experience is as gentle as possible for your Sweet.
Step
Part 1 of 4: Bathing Your Cat
Step 1. Cut the nails/paws
Your cat may not be aggressive at all; however, if the animal is stressed during the bathing process, even the gentlest of cats may scratch their owner accidentally while trying to get out of the bath or try to escape during the drying process.
Your cat should be in as good a mood as possible prior to bathing to ensure less stress during the bathing process, so you don't want the bath to be associated with other activities that the cat doesn't like. If your cat doesn't like getting her nails trimmed, do it a few days before the bath. This step separates the two events for the cat
Step 2. Prepare the bath
Prepare towels, pet shampoo, treat containers, petroleum jelly or cotton balls for the ears, comb or brush and anything else needed for bathing. Place these items in an easy-to-reach location so you can handle the cat in the tub or sink and still be able to reach them.
- If you're bathing him to remove fleas, a comb can help remove unconscious fleas from his cat's fur without intense searching. Be sure to use a shampoo specifically for lice treatment.
- Setting up a small cup can go a long way in getting the cat's coat wet initially and rinsing it out, especially for long-haired cats.
- Many pet supply stores sell products formulated to relax cats through a variety of pleasant scents. Consider scenting the bathing room with a product like this to soothe your cutie even more.
Step 3. Fill water into a large tub/bucket
Fill the tub or sink with warm (not hot) water. Make sure the water level is not higher than the cat's stomach.
Remember that cats are animals with very strong instincts. You need enough water to bathe him but not so much that the cat is afraid of drowning and panics
Step 4. Take your cat into the bathroom
It may be easier to persuade him with a toy or food, as it will look less suspicious. You can also pick up the cat right away and take him into the room where he's going to be bathed. Close the door if you can.
- A bathroom with a tub is an ideal place to bathe an adult cat because it is small with little hiding space and usually has a door that can be closed to prevent the cat from escaping if she is stressed.
- If back problems are preventing you from slouching in the tub, consider bathing your cat in the kitchen sink. Asking someone else to help keep the cat still during the bath can also help.
Step 5. Prepare the cat for a bath
Your cat may be stressed or paranoid about water, being in an enclosed space, or other unfamiliar sensations. Calm the cat by petting it and talking to it in a soothing tone. Calm the cat as much as possible. Sit in the room with the water, let Sweetie sniff the water and/or get used to the location.
- This is also a good time to insert a cotton ball, or if your cat is struggling, apply a layer of petroleum jelly around the area around the cat's ear canal. Just a little is enough, where the hair is thin, just outside the ear canal.
- If you know or suspect that your cat is fighting back, consider putting on a cat harness for bathing. While this may add discomfort and stress to her, it's better to attach a harness that can be handled than to let the panicked cat escape and create thoughts of a hunter-prey relationship when you return her to the bathroom.
Step 6. Put the cat in the water
Hold Sweet at the nape of his neck, against the loose skin between his head and back. Gently pick up the cat, grabbing the hind paws with your other hand to remind Sweet that everything is safe and stable. Slowly lower the cat into the sink or tub, removing your hands from the lower body but still holding the nape of the cat.
- Grasping the cat's nape (known as "scuffing") is useful and is a form of control if the cat is rebellious. This is the mother cat's way of holding her kittens when the mother wants to hold or carry the kittens, and cats of all ages respond instinctively by curling up and/or going limp. Scurf only when needed, using another, more gentle form of restraint if the cat doesn't struggle.
- For some cats, the animal will be calmer and feel safer if the owner sits with him in the tub during the bathing process. This step should only be done if you know the cat will not use violence to get away from you.
Step 7. Wet the fur
But hold his body with one hand to restrain the cat, use a small cup to pour water on the cat's fur so that it soaks all over his body except the head.
- If you have a bathtub with a removable shower head or a sink with a spray nozzle, you can use it to wet the cat's fur.
- Do not let any water get into the cat's ears because it can cause ear infections.
- To wet the cat's head, tilt its head. Place a cup, shower head or sprayer between the cat's ears. Pour or spray the water in such a way that the water only runs behind the cat's head.
- You should not wet the entire head, just the top of the head and the back of the neck. If you want to clean his face around the mouth and eye area, use a wet washcloth.
Step 8. Rub the shampoo on the cat's fur
Use the hand that's not holding Sweetie to apply a small amount of shampoo to her fur. Place the shampoo bottle in an easy-to-reach place, and continue rubbing the shampoo all over the cat's coat. Add more shampoo if necessary.
- If you must clean the cat's face, add a few drops of shampoo to wet the washcloth and gently clean the face, using stroking motions in the direction of hair growth.
- If you're bathing him to get rid of fleas, you'll need to rub the shampoo into his body hair first, making sure it reaches his stomach, then rub the shampoo over the cat's tail, paws and head. When it senses a threat such as water, the fleas will instinctively move to the cat's paws. When you rub shampoo on the body first, you make sure that if the flea tries to get back into the cat's fur, the parasite will get shampooed and pass out.
Step 9. Rinse the fur
Dry the tub with the cat still in it. Using a shower head, spray or cup, rinse the fur using the same technique described for wetting the cat's coat. Make sure that there is no soap residue on the cat's fur, as this will actually stick to dirt easily once the cat is dry.
If rinsing with a cup, simply open the tap slightly so that it releases a very small stream (this is so as not to panic the cat with the rush of water)
Step 10. Remove any fleas
If getting rid of fleas is the goal of the bath, after rinsing the cat's fur, start combing the cat's fur from the neck to the base of the tail, then comb the sides of the body from the shoulders to the hind legs. This will create grooves in the cat's fur and make it easier for you to find fleas. If you use a flea comb, it will also help remove lice and eggs that are stuck to the hair.
- The comb may release some lice, but you can also use your fingers to remove any fleas you find.
- If your cat's coat is light, you can easily see the fleas on the wet fur. You can also feel for the presence of lice in the fur, as the larger ones feel like lumps the size of a fruit seed.
- Clean the cat's coat methodically, trying to remove as many fleas as possible. Also, don't forget to check the cat's belly, as this is a favorite hiding place for fleas.
Part 2 of 4: Drying Your Cat
Step 1. Squeeze the water out of the cat's fur
Once you've finished bathing and rinsing, you'll begin the drying process by gently squeezing as much water out of the cat's fur as possible, focusing on the tail, legs and feet.
- Make a U shape with the hand that is not holding the cat. Place the U-shaped hand on the cat's shoulder.
- Apply gentle pressure as you pull from the shoulders to the waist. You'll notice that this movement pushes the water down and away from the top of the cat's back.
- Grasp the tail gently and with light pressure, pull your hand from the base to the tip. You will see water flowing from the cat's body into the tub. Do this for the legs and feet as well, squeezing the feet gently to release the water from the thicker fur around the toes.
- Repeat this process a few times, don't forget to gently squeeze the fur around the stomach.
Step 2. Use a towel
Once you've removed as much water from the fur as possible, use the hand that's not holding the cat to spread out a towel on the dry floor.
- Pick up the cat, remembering to support the hind legs with your hands and not scurffing, lift the cat from the tub or sink and gently lower it onto a towel.
- Use the hand that is not holding the cat to gently fold the towel over and around its body until it is half covered. Use the same hand to gently rub the towel over the cat's body in a back and forth motion. You need to rub as much of the body as possible. If the cat doesn't seem intent on running, you can use both hands.
- Use a second towel if needed, continuing to scrub the fur until it's half dry and soft. After that use a comb to flatten the hair, making sure to comb the hair in the direction it usually grows. At this point, the cat can be rewarded with food, comforted with caresses and verbally, soothed and released to groom himself.
Step 3. Using a hair dryer
It is recommended that you do a short drying step with a towel before using the hairdryer. Also, you should only use a hairdryer if you're sure the cat won't panic because of the noise it makes.
- Remove the cat from the towel, but allow the animal to sit on it. Don't forget to hold it if the cat seems likely to run away.
- With the hand not holding the cat, grasp the hairdryer's handle and set it on the lowest heat and speed setting. Turn it on, don't forget to let the cat get used to the sound before using it. If the cat panics and cannot be soothed, turn off the hairdryer and continue with the towel drying step.
- If the cat receives the sound of the hairdryer, point the tip so that the cat can feel the wind coming from the machine. If the cat is still calm, hold the hair dryer close and begin blow drying the fur using a back and forth rocking motion with the dryer to ensure that the heat and air released are not concentrated too much.
- If the cat seems calm, you can increase the speed of the dryer and also place the cat so that it is between your thighs and facing your feet, using one hand to dry the cat with a hairdryer and the other hand brushing the hair with your fingers while dry it. If the cat tolerates it without rebelling, this will greatly speed up the drying process.
- Dry the cat until the coat is mostly dry and fluffy. The legs and tail may still be a little wet, but will dry quickly once the cat is allowed to groom himself.
Part 3 of 4: Calming the Cat after Bath
Step 1. Reward food
Your cat has just gone through a very unnatural experience and may be exhausted, a little surprised and may even think that bathing is a punishment. Remind him that you are his friend and that the activity is not a problem by giving Sweet's favorite food.
It's possible that your cat has swallowed quite a bit of hair after grooming herself after a bath. Consider feeding specially designed to treat hair clumps, also known as "hairball treats/foods". These foods contain more fat or fish oil, which will stick to the fur in the cat's stomach, helping it pass through the digestive system and preventing clumps of fur from forming
Step 2. Pet the cat
While giving him a treat, gently pat and pet the cat, talk to him and tell him how smart the cat is, reassuring him that everything is back to normal and that Sweet doesn't have to worry.
If your cat loves to be brushed, start the grooming process using her favorite brush to get rid of the hair that has fallen out from bathing and stress
Step 3. Continue to pet, treat and calm the cat before releasing it
Don't let the cat go until his body language tells you that your cutie is calm and not scared. Watch for signs such as a raised tail, purring, closing or half-closing of eyes, banging its head against your hand or body, or any other signs you recognize as an indication that the cat is happy.
When the cat shows calm energy, release it. The animal will likely find a comfortable, hidden place to begin the grooming process. Give Sweetie a few hours to tidy up, sleep and feel normal again. Let the cat look for you when it's ready to interact
Part 4 of 4: Training a Cat to Bathe and Dry off
Step 1. Start bathing the cat as a child
If you owned the cat as a child, start bathing it as early as possible. It's easier to hold a small kitten than an adult cat. In addition, kittens are very sensitive when it comes to scruffing, and thus will reinforce the activity for future interactions.
- Wait until your cat is at least six weeks old before starting to bathe her because any younger than that can lead to illness or other health complications.
- For small cats, start bathing them in the bathroom sink. The sink is shallow and fits better in size. The sink also allows you to easily rinse with the tap, getting used to the sound and sensation of running water.
- Consider bathing and drying the kitten once every two weeks for three months. This step is to avoid complications from excessive bathing (such as dry skin) while getting used to the bathing process as part of grooming.
Step 2. Avoid stress or shock
Never use a shower or hairdryer as punishment for a cat and avoid any events or forms of interaction that could give the cat a bad experience with the bathroom or sink, depending on where the cat was bathed.
This includes not using the bathroom to punish the cat for misbehaving
Step 3. Create a familiar sensation
Part of explaining the process of bathing for a cat and making it less stressful is letting the cat get used to the sounds, smells and sensations of the process.
- When you shower or dry your hair, give the cat access to where these activities are taking place. Cats are very curious about new experiences and may take themselves into these rooms and find out what's going on.
- Ignore the cat while going about your routine. Cats are independent creatures by nature and letting them choose to go through these experiences at their own pace can help and familiarize them with sounds and sensations, free from human influence.
Step 4. Let the cat make positive associations
Before taking a shower or blow-drying your hair, consider leaving his favorite food or toy indoors that includes a shower or blow-dry scene. This move can entice the cat to come into the room and create a positive reaction to the activity.
- Avoid giving food or toys directly because when combined with the sounds and smells of running water and drying hair, this can be overwhelming and can be inadvertently perceived as a threat to a stressed cat.
- Calm the cat. When your Sweet is comfortable with the various sounds, the animal may indicate that he is approachable by showing more relaxed body language, lying in or near the sound where the sound occurs, or spending time in the bathroom while you shower or blow dry your hair. Some cats can become comfortable enough to actually bathe with their owner. When the cat exhibits this behavior, it means that the animal is used to bathing and drying its hair so praise it.
- Start the drying process by rubbing your cat with a towel as part of the play. Some cats like to be covered or make a "cave" out of cloth as a game, and will really like these towels. Others may need a little coaxing, but try to familiarize yourself with the drying process by placing the toy under a towel or placing your hand under the towel and moving it around, mimicking small animals that the cat might like to hunt. Persuade Sweet to get under the towel while playing, getting used to the smells, sensations and experiences of interacting with the towel.
Step 5. Get help from friends or family members
Get family members involved in getting used to bathing and drying hair with the cat. If you're bathing your cat for the first time, consider asking a family member or friend the cat knows to help you with the process and make sure it goes smoothly.
