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You can easily groom your cat at home just like professional breeders of show cats. This article will share some of their tips and techiques!
Giving a cat a bath doesn’t have to be a terrible experience for you or your kitty. It is, of course, best to start out with a kitten and get them used to the whole grooming process rather than take an adult feral rescue and try dipping him in a sink full of water!
This article shares the steps to groom a kitten or young cat and will also help if you’ve adopted an older cat that is used to being bathed. If you have an adult cat that has never had a bath or are inexperienced with grooming cats, I highly recommend taking your feline friend to a professional groomer.
Cat Grooming Supplies:
- Nail clippers
- A couple of towels
- Cotton balls
- Ear wash solution
- Comb or brush
- Shampoo (and possibly conditioner)
- Blowdrier for longhaired cats
Step by Step Instructions for Grooming Cats
- Clip the cat’s nails - Cradle your kitty in your arms, hold a paw in one hand and gently apply pressure to the top of the paw to push out the nails. Clip only the clear part of the nail.
- Clean the cat’s ears – Put a few drops of solution in your kitty’s ears and wipe out with a cotton ball. If you notice excess waxy buildup, check for ear mites.
- Comb kitty if he has long hair.
- Wet cat thoroughly – If you don’t get the cat wet down to the skin, he will not get clean.
- Apply shampoo – Apply to cat’s neck first, then lather all over. Many breeders use a few drops of Dawn dish detergent or some Goop to degrease the kitty on the first shampoo.
- Rinse thoroughly!
- Second shampoo – Lather kitty all over again, and then rinse again thoroughly. Some people use a little vinegar water for the second rinse.
- Conditioner – If you opt for conditioner, use only a rinse-out type. Leave-in conditioners can cause diarrhea because your kitty licks himself to groom.
- Towel dry – If you have a longhaired cat, you may need a couple of towels for this step.
- Comb or brush – Combs work best for longhaired cats, brushes for shorthaired cats.
- Blowdrier – If you are blowdrying a longhaired cat, stop about halfway through and comb the cat again. This seems to speed up the drying process.
- Final comb through – If you have a shorthaired cat, you can skip the blowdrying, but towel dry your kitty well and then give them a good brushing.
Join in the discussions if you have any questions or would like to share tips or stories!
The copyright of the article Giving a Cat a Bath in Cat Care is owned by Darlene Cheek. Permission to republish Giving a Cat a Bath in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
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