How to Bathe a Cat
When you bring your pet cat home for the first time, you might not expect to end up in this situation: Your arms and hands have scratches and bite marks on them. Your once cute pet now hides in the corner of your bathroom hissing. It refuses to cooperate because of its fear of water and loathing of strange situations. However, you still need to bathe your mud-covered cat. Fortunately, there are a few ways that can alleviate your cat’s negative response towards a bath, making the process less stressful for you and your pet.
First, before giving the bath, you need to do some preparation. Since human shampoo is harmful to cats' skin, you need to purchase one that is only made for cats. It’s best to choose a shampoo that is low in chemicals and perfumes. After you have the right shampoo, you should brush your cat to untangle the knots in your cat’s fur. They will be much harder to remove during the bath when your cat is wet. Also, some cats enjoy being brushed, so this step may help calm your pet. To make your cat less nervous about the upcoming bath, you can tire it out by playing with it. It will be less likely to bite or scratch when tired. Letting your kitty play with toys inside the tub, and at the same time, adding warm water little by little will help it get used to the tub and water. (See picture 1)
Picture 1
Secondly, there are a few ways to keep your cat calm and to bathe it properly. Throughout the bathing process, you should talk to your cat in a calm and quiet voice. If you seem nervous or excited, your pet is likely to react with nervousness, too. To avoid getting shampoo in your cat’s eyes and ears, bathe your cat from the neck down. (See picture 2) Pay attention to how much force you are applying, and wash your kitty as if you are giving it massage for a comforting effect. Then, make sure you rinse your cat until all the bubbles and soap are gone. Although you should not use shampoo or pour water on your pet’s head because this action will hurt and upset your cat, you can still use a damp washcloth to gently clean your cat’s head.
Picture 2
Finally, dry and reward your cat. Use a towel to dry your cat from head to toe (see picture 3), and then place your cat in a warm room to continue drying it with a hairdryer until the fur is completely dry. You should set the heat of your hairdryer to warm. Make sure the wind coming out of your hairdryer is not too hot, otherwise your cat can get hurt or traumatized. If your kitty is long-haired, it is recommended to brush its fur afterward to remove tangles. Furthermore, remember to reward your cat. Making it associate bath time with pleasant feelings ensures its acceptance of future baths. Feed your cat with its favorite food, snack, or catnip. By completing these steps, your cat will be dry and clean, and more importantly, it will grow fond of bath time because of treats.
Picture 3
To sum up, a proper bath can help your cat overcome its fear of bath time by comforting your pet and using the techniques mentioned above. With these simple steps, your cat will get used to or even enjoy taking baths in no time. Horrible bath times that end up with scratches and bite marks will be no more.
References
1. Veterinarian-Approved Advice on How to Bathe a Cat. (2019). Retrieved from https://www.wikihow.com/Bathe-a-Cat
2. How to Bathe a Cat. Retrieved from https://www.purina.com.au/Cats/Care/Bathing