How to bathe a cat in the bathroom without too much stress?

Is it worth it to wash a cat if the pet itself perfectly cares for its hair? Many owners do not want to injure the psyche of pets. The sad consequences of bathing include heart-rending screams, scratched hands, and splashing water on the floor and walls. Learn to wash the cat correctly, then your pet will stop resisting during water procedures.

When to wash a cat?

Sometimes bathing a pet is a necessity. It must be washed in the following cases:

• before the exhibition;
• to remove fleas;
• if the animal is very dirty.

Usually, a domestic cat does a good job of removing dirt by cleaning it with a rough tongue. Pets take care of themselves every day for several hours. However, over time, a lot of dust adheres to the grease under the wool, which dries up and is difficult to remove with a simple lick. Then the cat needs help.

How often can a cat be washed?

There is no universal answer to this question. The regularity of washing depends on many factors:

• How much time the cat spends on the street. If a pet leaves the house every day, it should be washed once a month. Domestic cats are bathed no more than 6 times a year. Frequent water procedures damage the protective lubricant on the skin of the pet, which leads to dryness, irritation, rapid contamination of the coat.
• Breed. An animal with thick “plush” hair (for example, a British cat) is washed once every 2 months. Long-haired pets are bathed with the same regularity or slightly more often, depending on the degree of pollution. Water procedures are rarely offered to cats of short-haired breeds - once every 3-4 months.
• How a pet relates to swimming. If the cat hates to wash, do not torment him with frequent water procedures. Two baths a year will be enough. In between, use dry shampoos that allow you to clean the coat without contacting the animal with water.
• Health status. If the pet is sick, it is better to postpone the planned water procedures to another time.
• Age. 4-8 months old kittens are washed more often than adult cats, because babies are not yet used to caring for their own hair and often end up in different alterations: either they knock over the pot of land and sometimes go to the tray unsuccessfully.

How to choose a shampoo?

Human and cat skin have different acid-base balance. Therefore, ordinary shampoos, soap, shower gels are not recommended for bathing a pet. Buy a special product at a pet store or veterinary pharmacy.

On the shelves there are flea shampoos, products for cats of a certain breed, kittens. You can choose a product according to the type and color of coat: long, short or “plush”, dark or light. The composition of shampoos for cats includes moisturizing ingredients (including essential oils, aloe vera extract), which carefully care for the fur coat of pets.

Judging by the reviews of the owners of cats, the following tools have proven themselves well:

• Perfect Coat 8 in 1 It has a pleasant smell of tropical fruits. Contains omega-3 fatty acids. It quickly foams and rinses off the wool, facilitates combing, and eliminates tangles. A good tool for long-haired cats and pets during molting. A 295 ml bottle costs about 350 rubles.
• Tropiclean. This shampoo delicately cares for wool, because it consists of 70% natural ingredients: cocoa butter, chamomile extract, aloe, mango, vitamin E and others.It does not contain alkali, therefore it is suitable for cats with sensitive skin. A bottle of 236 ml will cost you about 415 rubles.
• "Gentle". A budget shampoo from a domestic manufacturer that will give the coat a healthy look: it will restore the hair structure, strengthen the roots, and restore shine. Contains caring components: allantoin, aloe extract, provitamin B5. The price of one bottle of 160 ml - from 150 rubles.
• Bio-Groom Silky Cat. The washing base of the shampoo is unripe coconut oil. Moisturizes the skin without washing away the natural lubricant, prevents brittleness of the coat, restores shine, enhances coloring. Suitable for adult cats and kittens.

Preparing for a water treatment

During the bath, the cat is likely to resist, trying to escape. Therefore, nothing should distract you from the matter. Prepare everything you need in advance.

1. Close all doors and windows in the house. Due to the draft, the cat risks overcooling and getting sick.
2. Prepare a large terry towel that you will wrap your pet in after washing.
3. Open the bottle with shampoo. You can dissolve a little in a bowl of warm water.
4. Make sure the bathroom is warm. Air temperature should be at least 24 degrees.
5. Put a rubber mat on the bottom of the bathtub, sink, or deep basin. The presence of support under the paws soothes the cat.
6. Remove small objects (bottles, cans, tubes) that the pet may touch when trying to escape.
7. Pour water with a temperature of 36-38 degrees into the bathing tank. The level should be such that the cat's paws are completely submerged.
8. Take your pet on the handle, praise and calmly take it to the bathroom. We recommend that you also find an assistant. Washing a cat together is easier: one person holds a frightened pet, and the other massages the hair with shampoo and pours water. But even if you wash the animal alone - it does not matter, handle it.

How to wash a cat: procedure

And now the hardest part. How to wash a cat quickly and painlessly?

1. Submerge the animal in water. Hold the entire procedure with your left hand.
2. Pour water over the pet from the bucket or with your hands to moisten the coat. We do not recommend using a shower hose or a water tap - these noisy plumbing items can scare a cat very much.
3. Pour a little shampoo on your palms, foam.
4. Gently apply the product to the pet, avoiding the area around the eyes and nose. Rub the shampoo into the coat and massage the cat's skin with light circular motions. Thoroughly rub the most contaminated areas: paws, upper tail, stomach, gap between the ears.
5. Rinse the shampoo with clean, warm water. Make sure that there are no slippery areas with soap left on the coat, because the cat will lick itself after bathing.
6. Wrap a clean pet in a terry towel and grab onto the handles. Let the natural fabric absorb excess moisture. After 2-3 minutes, release the cat so that he can put himself in order.

We suggest you familiarize yourself with a couple of useful tips on how to wash your cat properly.

• You can’t water the pet’s head - use a wet swab or a soft washcloth.
• Make sure that water does not get into the eyes, nose and ears of the cat (otherwise, an inflammatory process may occur).
• Reassure the animal with praises, affectionate words, do not make sudden and noisy movements, do not rush.
• Do not use a hairdryer to dry your pet's hair.

How to wash a cat without water?

Dry shampoo is a useful invention for pet products. Allows you to remove particles of dirt, dust and grease from the cat’s hair without using water. A lifesaver for owners of capricious pets who categorically refuse to bathe.
Dry shampoos are available in the form of powder or spray. They contain particles (for example, corn starch, white clay) that absorb impurities, and caring components.

How to use dry shampoo to wash a cat?

1. Sprinkle powder or spray a spray against hair growth, rub the product into the coat, massage the cat's skin a little.
2. Leave the shampoo for 5-10 minutes.
3. Comb the tool with a brush with frequent cloves.

Examples of brands of good dry shampoos:

• Beaphar Grooming Powder
• Gee;

Wash a cat to remove fleas

Shampoos - this is the most common means for removing fleas in cats. They allow you to immediately destroy adult insects and have a prolonged action, which is useful for getting rid of larvae and eggs. Cats rarely cause allergic reactions or poisoning, because they are immediately washed off with water.

The composition of flea shampoos includes insecticides - toxic substances for insects. The most common poisons are permethrin, pyrethrin, fipronil, diazinon, aletrin.

When washing a cat with an insecticidal shampoo, observe the following rules:

• first apply the product on the neck, and then gradually move towards the tail;
• do not touch the head of the pet;
• make sure that the cat does not lick itself;
• before final rinsing, the shampoo must be left on the wool for 3-5 minutes, so that adult insects can die;
• rinse thoroughly.

It is advisable not to let the cat lick itself after bathing until the coat is completely dry. This will eliminate the risk of poisoning the pet with insecticides.

Examples of brands of good flea shampoos for cats:

• Hartz;
• Beaphar;
• Rolf Club;
• Bio-Groom
• "Meadow".

Shampoos marked “Bio” are suitable for kittens, pregnant cats, weakened cats. Such products contain a low concentration of toxic substances, and the main components are repellents - insect repellent scents (essential oils, plant extracts).

How to teach a cat to swim?

It is advisable to teach a pet to water at a young age - from 3-4 months. Babies are not bathed, because they still have weak immunity (there is a high risk of catching a cold) and too sensitive skin.

During the first two procedures, wash the kitten with only its paws. This will inspire confidence in the pet, and the next time he agrees to a full bath.

Washing a cat is a difficult event, requiring the owner to take responsibility and careful handling of the pet. Any mistake can lead to fear and unwillingness of the animal to take a bath next time. Before washing the cat, carefully read the rules described above and carefully prepare yourself.