It is challenging to bathe a cat, mostly an adult cat because most cats are aggressive when they realize you want to bathe them. But the health of your cat’s coat is vital for your cat’s health and your House member’s well-being. To help reduce the stress of bathing your cat, you can consider grooming your cat regularly.
It is possible to make your cat get used to you bathing her if you start bathing her younger. The good thing is cats, through licking, take care of their coat, while the problem is that licking does not make cats smell good, remove dandruff and mats.
Table of Contents
Do you need to bathe your cat?
For your cat skin and coat health, regular grooming is vital. But be aware that most cats are always aggressive when they know it’s time for their bath.
How often should you bathe a cat?
Most cats are perfect in grooming their coats, mostly the ones with shorter coats. They spend more than 40% of their time grooming themselves. Notwithstanding, bathing your cat is also good to make her smell right. But you must know that using dry or harsh bathing materials and immoderate bathing of your cat can lead to dull, dry, and itchy coats.
Bathing your cat will not only make her clean but will also reduce shedding.
There are various factors that you need to put into consideration to help determine how often your cat needs to be washed. They are;
Your cat’s grooming behavior
Not all cats know how to groom themselves well, mostly the younger ones. Therefore, to prevent their coats and skin from being infected or viscid, you will have to bathe her regularly. If your cat is big, she will find it challenging to lick all parts of her coat; you will have to bathe her regularly to make her skin and coat outstanding and beautiful.
The type of your cat’s coat and its length
If your cat’s coat is longer, you have to consider maintaining her coat regularly.
An indoor or outdoor cat
if your cat is an outdoor cat, you need to wash her regularly as opposed to an indoor cat, knowing that outdoor cats are more liable to dirt than indoor cats.
Your cat’s health condition
if your cat is suffering from flea, tick, or skin irritation, you will need to pay more attention to your cat’s skin and coat. One of the best ways to start is by using cats shampoo to bathe your cat regularly.
The activeness of your cat
if the activity level of your cat is on the high side, then your cat needs a regular bath.
How do you bathe a cat?
To prevent your cat from hurting you with her claws, always remember to trim her claws. To remove excess knots, brush her hair before bathing. It is safer to use cat shampoo and dilute the shampoo with water; most cats get nervous when they are close to running water; you should place your cat in a sink with warm water. To prevent your cat from running, secure the bathroom either by closing the door or lid.
What do you need to bathe a cat?
Your cat already has what they need to take care of their coats, which are their tongue and teeth. It would be best to have your tools for bathing your cat, especially when she is very smelly and dirty.
Below are some tips that will help you minimize the stress of bathing your cat by using the tools.
- Timing: knowing that most cats don’t like water, perfect timing for bathing your cat is the first thing to prevent your cat from running away.
- You will need a rubber bath mat: you will need to place your cat in a sink with a bath mat to prevent your cat from slip, thereby hurting her. Fill the sink with warm water of about 3 to 4 inches.
- Cat Shampoo: human shampoo may not be safe for your cat’s coat; it contains some ingredient that can cause skin dry for your cat. To bathe your cat, softly apply a cat shampoo on your cat, from their neck to tail. Make sure you avoid their face to prevent the shampoo from entering their eyes because your cat is likely to struggle with you as she will be uncomfortable with the water.
- Cat Towel: A soft towel is recommended for wiping your cat’s face and drying of the water on her coat after you must have used clean water to wash off the shampoo.
- Brush; for cats with long hair, you will have to brush her coat after drying her coats gently; to straighten her hair and prevent it from tangling.
Final thoughts
It is recommended for a healthy cat’s skin and coat to bathe your cat once a month with the right materials so you don’t end up hurting your cat’s fur.