by Angela Rednour

Created on: April 21, 2008   Last Updated: December 03, 2009

How to Safely Wash your Cat.

If you have owned a cat for any length of time, you know that bathing is not a task regularly required by the owner. However, there are times when a cat may need help with their grooming. Reasons for this may include: An overweight cat that cannot reach all the areas of their body. When rolling in the dirt, once again, becomes a popular past time in the spring, or when a cat becomes older and seems to lose interest in keeping itself clean.

There are of course powders and foams you can purchase for cleaning cats, but they don't necessarily get out all the grease and loose hair and dirt your cat may have accumulated. The best way to make sure your cat is squeaky clean is to use the old fashion soap and water method.

The thought might be scary, but having worked in a grooming shop and bathed many a cat, I can say for sure that there is at least one safe way to bath your aqua phobic kitty, while keeping your arms and face free or at least mostly free, of scratches.

The best place to bathe a cat is in the bathtub, with the bathroom door closed. It's a small room and if the cat gets loose there aren't very many places to hide. You will need several items within arms reach before you begin.

1. Shampoo. (Animal shampoo is best, but human shampoo will work just as well).

2. A cup or bowl. (For scooping water)

3. At least three towels.

4. (optional) A second person. (To help if your cat is exceedingly feisty.)

The first thing you'll want to do is have the cat in the bathroom with you before you fill the tub.

(Getting your cat accustomed to being with you in the bathroom will help tremendously. The more you allow your cat in the bathroom, on non bath days, the more comfortable the animal will be when bath time does come around.)

The second thing is to fill the tub. Lukewarm water is best. Not to hot and not to cold. You will only need a couple inches of water in the tub, for wetting and rinsing.

The next step is the hardest and perhaps the scariest. Placing the cat in the tub. The best way to do this is to hold the cat by the scruff of the neck, while at the same time holding him tightly against your body and slowly lowering your cat into the water. Don't dangle the cat by holding it by the scruff of the neck. A mother cat may do this to its kittens but this action can actually hurt an adult cat. Holding your cat tightly next to you may not seem like the natural (or smart) thing to do when mixing cats and water, but it's the best way to keep the

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