The bathtub and our feline companions have never been very good friends. Cats are restless every time we try to shower them to remove dirt. However, it is possible that in some situations we are acting badly as owners, since, is washing in cats always necessary?
If you want to discover when it is strictly necessary to bathe a cat and you would be interested in knowing the steps to follow so that the body washing of the feline is as calm as possible, in this article we give you all the details!
The first question we must answer is whether it is really necessary to wash a cat. The answer will vary depending on the health of the animal and the amount of dirt it appears to have.
As you may have already noticed, cats constantly lick their bodies. And you wonder, why do they do it? Well, our feline companions are very neat animals and every time they carry out this action they are de-worming and cleaning the body with their tongue.
That is why, whenever you go to the vet, he will not recommend that you wash your cat, since his own nature is responsible for grooming him. However, there are situations in which we will have no choice but to bathe our feline companion. We will tell you about them!
The situations in which your cat will need your help with body hygiene are varied. One of the most repeated is that the animal stops carrying out the self-grooming behavior. If your cat stops grooming itself with its own tongue, the responsibility for washing the animal falls on us.
Another cause that we intervene in the grooming of our cat is that toxic substances fall into the body. In these cases, it is essential to act as soon as possible, since feline grooming can have direct consequences on the cat's health.
Finally, we must intervene in the washing of our cat, as is obvious, when it clearly shows that its fur is extremely dirty. It is possible that our pet explores hidden corners with a lot of dirt. In these cases, the owners will be in charge of returning the feline fur to its pristine appearance!
Once we are clear about the age and the cases in which it is necessary to wash our cat, it is time to follow the advice and steps that we show you in this section.
The first thing you should be clear about is that the bath you give your cat is not going to be an easy task. Cats are very concerned about water and it is very difficult to get used to washing, regardless of how old they are. Therefore, it is convenient that you look for another person to help you clean the animal.
Being clear about how uncomfortable the toilet is for cats, from PET AND HEALTH we recommend that you follow the following steps:
Try to create a climate that is as calm as possible for the cat. Everything we do in this direction will work in our favor when we start the bath. In this sense, it is advisable to wash the cat in a room where there is not much noise - we will prevent the animal from getting upset - and find a bathroom surface where you and the cat can feel comfortable.
Before filling the surface with water, what we will first do is place a towel where we are going to support the feline. This will allow the animal to sink its nails to the ground well, which will provide greater security. Here you can see how to cut your cat's nails.
After having followed all this preparation, it is time to introduce the animal to the bathing area!
3. First Contact with the Bathroom
This phase is decisive to carry out or not wash our cat. When we introduce our feline in the bathing area, it is possible that it is quite aggressive.
In that case, it is best not to continue with the bath and go to a professional veterinarian to help us. In case the feline is not very reluctant to bath, we will have a free hand to clean it.
Before starting the bath, we recommend that you brush the cat's hair: this will help you remove dirt more effectively. With the cat already brushed, the first thing to do is wet the animal's fur gently and with warm water. Without a doubt, the fundamental thing in this step is not to wet the eyes and ears of the cat.
After this step, we will proceed to lather it with a special shampoo for cats, never use soap for humans! We will carefully rub all the parts of the feline body that are dirty or contaminated and, immediately afterwards, we will rinse with plenty of water.
5. Drying and Brushing
The culmination of the bath comes with drying and final brushing. The first is key to prevent diseases arising in the skin of the animal derived from the storage of moisture. It is advisable to take the feline and wrap it with a towel. We would gently dry their fur little by little. After this step, it is advisable to dry the animal again with another towel in the same way.
Once we have made sure that our pet has been completely dry, we will finish the washing by brushing its fur. Remember that the brush will depend on the type of hair our cat has!
Washing a cat is not an easy task; therefore, it is always good to have the support of the best veterinarians. A qualified professional will always give you the most appropriate advice and will provide you with solutions to your pet's possible health problems.
