How to Wash a Cat

Cats don’t need to be washed as often as dogs: they basically take care of their own hygiene and lick themselves regularly. But there are situations where pets can’t remove some dirt on their own. Besides, additional help from owners might be necessary for pets who are overweight or who have a disability.

5-Minute Crafts found out how to make the process of washing a cat, not only effective but also pleasant for the cat.

What you will need

• scissors or clippers for cutting claws

• hair remover

• rubber mat

• towel

• cat shampoo (using regular shampoo for people is a really bad idea)

• a big towel

• hairdryer

• a treat

Preparation

1. Plan to wash your cat when it is in its best mood. You can try to tire your cat out with games just before the procedure.

2. If possible, cut your cat’s claws before washing. If you know that cutting claws stresses your pet out, do it one day in advance. It is important to cut their claws carefully, without cutting the blood vessel with the nerve endings (that you can see through the nail. If you are not sure, you can try to do it carefully, or you can skip this step, but be careful during washing, and don’t let the cat scratch you).

3. To prevent the fur from clogging your pipes and flying around the entire bathroom, groom your cat. This is a very important step if your pet has long fur.

4. Put a rubber mat in the bathtub. You can also use a towel or cloth. This is necessary to prevent the cat from slipping and stressing out.

How to wash a cat

1. Before the start of the procedure, set the right water temperature because this will be hard to do with a worried pet in your hands. The water has to be warm, but not hot.

2. Put the cat in the bathtub. Get their fur wet with the showerhead. The water pressure shouldn’t be too strong. Move from the neck to the tail without washing the head. Praise your cat and cheer it up. Say nice words to help it deal with the stress.

3. After the hair is wet, you can start using the shampoo. Massaging every part of the body except for the head, spread the shampoo around the entire body. Don’t forget the chest and the belly.

4. It’s time to remove the foam. Remove the shampoo with the showerhead and make sure the foamy water doesn’t get into their ears, eyes, or nose. Check to see if you’ve removed all the shampoo because it might irritate the skin if you haven’t.

5. Carefully wipe the face and the head with a wet towel.

6. Remove the excess water with a towel and wrap them in a big dry towel. If the cat doesn’t mind the noise, you can use a hairdryer with a low-temperature setting. Make sure the hair doesn’t get tangled. If necessary, you can use a comb to avoid that.

7. After the procedure, your cat deserves all the praise you can give them. Tell your cat that it did great and give it its favorite treat. The pet needs to know that getting a bath is not scary, but actually really pleasant.

How often you need to wash your cat

House cats should have a bath every 4-6 weeks. Even though they can wash themselves, there still might be some dust and dirt on their fur that gets into the house through the windows or on the clothes and shoes of their owners.

Of course, you need to make sure that your pet has a positive attitude toward bathing. Otherwise, they will be stressed all the time and lose trust in you.