by Jennifer Macon-Steele

Created on: January 22, 2010

The first rule of bathing your cat is that you should not attempt to bathe your cat unless it becomes absolutely necessary. The only good reasons to bathe your cat are if he smells like death or if you are entering him in a cat show.

The second rule of bathing your cat is to leave it to the professionals. Pack that kitty up in her cozy carrier and take her to your local pet groomer.

With that out of the way, let’s focus on those of you who are crazy enough to this themselves. Most cats are going to require some serious restraining if you are going to give them a bath. There may be some cats out there who like to have a bath, and good for you if you have one. Most of us, though, will have to hold that cat down for his bath. You can accomplish this a couple of ways. You can ask someone to help you. This should be someone who has no fear of cats and isn’t going to get spooked when the claws come out and let your soapy cat run wildly away. Another option is to buy a special device that will hold your kitty steady while you bathe him. These can be bought online and sometimes in pet stores.

Do not use your salon bought shampoo to bathe your cat. Do not use your discount store bought shampoo either. Go to your pet store and get yourself some shampoo that was made for cats. Cats’ hair and skin is not the same as yours, and their product needs to be different.

Use your shower attachment to wet down your kitty. Yes, you can dump cups of water over his head, but that’s going a bit too slow for most cats. Wet him down quickly, and then lather him up. Make sure you get underneath his tummy and his tail. Then rinse him down fast. Get all of that shampoo out of his hair.

Do they make conditioner for cats? They do! Use it if you want. You might as well go for it as long as you’ve got the cat in the tub anyway.

After you’ve washed your cat, brush him out so that his hair is mat free. Use a blow dryer if you must, but have it on a low and cool setting. Cool air will make his hair shinier anyway.

When you have finished with the bath and your kitty is sitting pretty, be sure and give her a nice treat.

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