How to wash your cat at home?

How to wash a cat?

Washing your cat may be necessary although the cat is a very clean animal at the base. Give your cat a bath is a solution, but you have to follow a few instructions and use the appropriate accessories and materials.
Here are 10 tips, advice and practical products for washing your cat properly at home. Happy washing!

Tips for bathing your cat:

1. When is it necessary to wash your cat?

As you probably know cats are very clean, very hygienic animals. It is not uncommon to see a cat grooming several times a day by running its rough tongue over its coat to make itself look nice and clean.

So depending on the cleanliness of your pet or if he comes home very dirty, then a cleaning will be necessary.

But normally a single bath every 4 weeks (a monthly bath) is sufficient for a cat.

2. Brush your cat’s hair before washing it

Before even thinking about washing your cat in the bathtub, you have to take the time to brush the cat’s hair. Daily brushing of the coat of your animal, cat or dog, is an excellent initiative.

You must use a brush specially designed for cats with short hair or long hair depending. You must untangle your cat’s coat before bathing your animal, otherwise after washing it, it will be even more difficult to untangle all of its hair.

Another article about cats that you will enjoy reading: How to avoid hairballs in a cat?

3. Get your cat used to taking a bath

Although it is not always necessary to give your cat a bath, if you absolutely have to, then get your pet used to it as soon as possible.

Indeed, a cat accustomed to taking a bath at a young age will appreciate this moment much more than an adult cat who is not used to it.

Some veterinarians even go so far as to say that bathing is best avoided. But as we said, a cat to whom you show the benefits of water and bathing at a young age will have no difficulty taking a bath.

4. What material to wash your cat

Before placing your cat in a bathtub, you must prepare all the necessary equipment to wash your animal. Here are some things to have on hand:

• gloves
• 2 large bath towels
• a special shampoo for cats
• a cat brush

If you can, enlist the help of another person in case the cat’s bath doesn’t go as planned. It is not uncommon to see the cat trying to escape and struggling in a bath.

Also put on thick clothes to avoid being scratched by your pet while you wash it.

5. Heat the bathroom beforehand

Like humans, cats don’t like being cold any more than we do once they get out of the bath and that’s normal.

So get into the habit of turning on the heating in the bathroom, closing the windows and closing the door to avoid cold drafts during the bath.

As the cat really does not appreciate being wet so if it were to be cold in addition it will be a disaster in the bathroom.

6. The right temperature to wash your cat

The temperature of the bath water is also very important, which is why it is important to test the temperature before placing the animal in the water.

To wash a cat in a bath only a few centimeters of lukewarm water are enough.

It is also best to run the water over the cat with a container. You can also use the telephone shower to wet and rinse your cat’s coat, paying attention to the flow of water.

7. A shampoo for cats

Once your cat is very wet, you can wash it with an appropriate shampoo. It is absolutely necessary to buy and use a specific shampoo for cats.

Never use a commercial hair shampoo or worse, dish soap because you risk harming your pet by attacking and irritating its coat and skin.

Also be careful not to get water and shampoo in your cat’s eyes and ears… He might not like it too much, let’s say!

Buy shampoo for cats and kittens

Several brands of shampoos exist but if you had to make a choice here is a very popular one used to wash cats and kittens.

How about a dry shampoo?

To avoid getting your cat wet, using a dry shampoo can be a good alternative. Of course, it won’t be as effective as a real bath with shampoo, but it’s a good solution if your cat really doesn’t like being washed.

8. Rinse well and dry your cat’s hair

Once you have finished applying the shampoo, you must rinse well to remove the shampoo and soap present on your cat’s hair. You can use a container or better the telephone shower.

Be careful not to put the jet of water too strong and too hot or too cold so as not to startle your cat.

Once the bath is finished, it is important to dry your cat’s hair and warm it up as soon as possible. This is why it is important to turn on the heating in the bathroom.

If your cat is in a calm mood, you can use a hair dryer at room temperature or lukewarm to dry the coat more quickly.

9. Place a towel in the bottom of the tub

A small trick to allow the cat to be more comfortable in the bath or the kitchen sink is to place a towel in the bottom of the tub.

The cat won’t slip around while you’re washing it, and it’s also likely to be less stressed while washing.

10. Cuddle your cat

Once your cat is well washed and well dried, take him in your arms to keep him warm and cuddle him. You can also give him a small cat treat to congratulate him for doing this well.

The most important thing is to reassure and bond your animal so that it keeps a positive experience of the bath.

If your pet, cat or dog, has fleas come and read our tips and tricks here: How to kill cat fleas.