by Thom W. Conroy

Created on: August 06, 2009

One of the most basic of facts concerning Cat behavior is that they do not like to be wet, and a human that purposely attempts to apply water to a cat is in for a most difficult experience. Chances are that even the most docile kitty will react with fright or violence when confronted with a bath, and truth be known, when it is possible and economically practical it is best left to professional groomers. Since this may not always be the case, there are several appropriate ways in which to give a difficult Cat a bath, without stressing your Cat out or getting injured in the process. It is important to remember that regardless of your reluctance, you Cat will probably be extremely scared, and it is necessary to do all that is possible to bath your Cat in a gentle and loving manner

While it is nearly impossible to give a cat in the same way one would bathe a dog, there is a relatively simple way to give your Cat a bathe without being bitten or scratched. This may sound quite odd, but from personal experience I know it works like a charm. Take a tape measure and while your Cat is standing, measure it's height from the floor to it's shoulder ( about 3 inches below it's chin). It the measurement is 10 inches, fill your bathtub with 10 inches of warm water with cat shampoo mixed into the water. Place you Cat into a plastic Cat carrier, and slowly and gently submerge the cage into the bath water. By now, your Cat will be standing in the cage with water to it's shoulder. Very slowly lift and lower the cage two inches each time for a minute or so - this has the same basic effect as a washing machine, only much gentler. It is very important that during this process you are constantly reassuring your Cat by speaking to it in a calming manner.

Drain the bathtub and refill it with warm, clear water and repeat the process of raising and lowering the cage. When the Cat is adequately rinsed, take a large bath towel and lay it out on the bathroom floor. Drain the bathtub again, and let the Cat out of the Cat carrier. It may take a minute or two, but eventually the Cat will walk onto the towel - when it does, quickly wrap the towel around the Cat and dry it as best as is possible, and then let the Cat out of the bathroom.

While you or your Cat will not enjoy the bathing experience, the aforementioned process is a quite effective way to bathe a difficult Cat without excess duress to your Cat's psyche. Best of all as a pet owner, you will not have to dodge teeth and claws.

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