There is a general idea that, since cats wash themselves, they never need to be bathed, and this is true, but only half true. Bathing a cat is not necessary if it is he althy, looks good and never goes outside, so it does not get any dirtier than normal. Normally, a good brushing would be enough, but if you let your cat go outside, he can get dirty with mud or some substance that he himself is not able to remove. Therefore, sometimes it is necessary to give them a bath
The ideal is to get your cat used to the bathroom since he is a puppy, in this way you will prevent him from hating water. Getting an adult cat used to bathing is more complicated, although not impossible.
Do you want to bathe your cat but are worried about doing so because he has long hair? Nothing happens, the steps are just as simple as when bathing a short-haired cat, you just have to be more careful when soaping and rinsing it so as not to make it knot. Keep reading this article from EspertoAnimal so you can learn the steps to follow to Bathe a long-haired cat:
1. Prepare all the material
It's much better to have everything you need close at hand: combs, towels, hair dryer, shampoo, conditioner and water. Fill the bathtub or a container with warm water to about an inch or two before taking the cat to the bathroom.
two. Brush his hair
One of the most important tips when bathing a long-haired cat is to brush the fur before you start, so you will remove the knots, it will be easier to bathe him and besides, the water and the shampoo will get everywhere. If we skip this step the knots will become more tangled when wet and more difficult and painful to remove. There are special brushes for long-haired cats that will help you in this step.
3. Put the cat in slowly
You have to put the cat slowly in the bathtub, caressing it and trying to relax it so that it takes the bath as something natural. You can insert a toy that he likes a lot, so he will be more entertained.
4. Wet the cat slowly
We will start with the back and continue with the legs, the belly and the neck. We will not wet the head until the end, since it is the most unpleasant area for the pussycat and it can get scared and try to escape.
5. Shampoo it
We'll add some special shampoo for long-haired cats There are all kinds of brands and a wide range of prices. We will soap him well giving him a little massage and rinse. If necessary, we will repeat the soaping. Be very careful in this step so as not to entangle the hairs and knots form.
6. Apply conditioner
To make your kitten's coat soft, shiny and to prevent knots from forming when you comb it, it is recommended that you use special conditioner for catsEach brand will have a way of use, but the normal thing is that it is applied like shampoo and you have to leave it to act for two or three minutes. In other cases, the conditioner is applied after washing, with damp hair.
7. Get it right
Make sure you rinse thoroughly and that no traces of shampooor conditioner remain. A trick for bathing a long-haired cat is to wash its head last, being very careful not to get water in its ears, eyes, or mouth. Even so, we recommend using wet wipes or a wet towel to clean the area.
8. Dry it well
It is important that we don't leave the cat wet, especially in autumn and winter. A trick so that your cat is not scared of the dryer is to turn it on before the cat is in front of it. This way you will get used to the noise from afar. If he still seems scared, help yourself with several dry towels and the heat of a radiator.
9. Comb it
When the cat is dry, comb it again so that the fur is perfect and shiny and remove any knots that may have may have formed during the bath.
