Cats have a well-earned reputation for being extremely hygienic animals, and anyone who has a feline at home and is detained at Observing them you may have noticed the large amount of time each day they spend grooming. Despite this, at some point you may have to bathe an adult cat yourself, and this is not an easy job, neither for you nor for the feline in question, which will try with all its might to run away from you.
As on our site we want this experience not to be traumatic for either of you, we bring you these tips on how to bathe an adult cat for the first timeWe are sure that they will be very useful and will help you cope with this task in a simpler and faster way.
Does your cat need a bath?
It's not hard to see that most cats run away from water in fear, although there are some breeds or kittens in particular that find it fun and even enjoyable. In fact, many veterinarians recommend not bathing cats unless strictly necessary, and always after they are at least three months old and their vaccinations have been given, as a bath could easily make them sick.
However, you may never have given your cat a bath because he didn't need it, but as an adult a situation arises that requires you to give him a good bathyes or yes, such as:
- He has fleas and you need to give him a bath with a special shampoo to combat them.
- In his pranks his hair has been impregnated with some substance that cannot be licked off, or that would be dangerous if he did, such as paint, grease, gasoline, etc.
- The cat has ringworm.
- Its fur is long and you need to bathe it to keep the coat clean and untangled.
- You have suffered heat stroke.
- You have an allergy or skin infection.
- This is a sick animal that has stopped bathing.
- You have picked up an adult stray cat and need to give it a bath to keep it home.
Regardless of the reason, giving your cat a bath can be traumatic for him and for you if you do it the wrong way, so we will propose several methods to make the process more pleasant for both.
General tips for bathing an adult cat
Whatever method you choose to bathe your adult cat for the first time, you should follow these tips for a successful bathing experience:
- You must be calm at bath time. Any symptom of stress or worry in you, any predisposition for things to go wrong, will be easy for the feline to detect and will put him on guard.
- Find someone in the family to help you bathe your cat, between two it will be easier.
- During the whole process you must be affectionate, speak sweet words to your cat and never force the situation.
- Have everything you will need on hand: two towels (one to dry and the other for the cat to scratch), the special shampoo for cats, some containers, a hair dryer, a kennel (carrier).
- You will have to have the necessary time for the bath, since it can take up to an hour, depending on how hard it is to convince the animal that everything is fine.
- Make sure the whole environment is calm.
- Pet the catso he can relax
- Whether you bathe in a bucket or basin, sink or bathtub, it should be big enough for the cat to fit in, but don't fill the container all the way with water, just enough to reach to the belly of the animal.
- The water should be lukewarm, more toward room temperature than hot or cold.
- When you finish, you should dry the animal with a towel and then apply a low temperature dryer, away from the cat's body so as not to burn it. If he is afraid of the dryer, put the animal in the kennel and let the air from the dryer pass through the door. In this case, use sweets, or any other snack, to prevent the cat from associating the carrier with something negative.
- If the animal screams and scratches, be patient and understanding. Opt for a quick bath.
- Never get his eyes, ears, nose or head wet, take a bath from the neck down.
- Add his favorite toys when bathing your adult cat, so that he feels safe and interprets it as a fun and positive activity.
- Avoid using the direct stream of water from the tap, as its force will scare the animal.
When you have all these things in mind, you can proceed to try one of these methods.
In the bathroom
Whether in the bathtub or the sink, first prepare all the utensils you will need and have the water ready for when the animal arrives. Start by wetting your hands and passing them through the cat's fur little by little, always attentive to his reaction Remember that this is the first time you bathe your adult cat, so it may get upset and try to scratch you. Then follow the steps below:
- On the edge of the bathtub, punch bowl, or sink, place a dry towel so your cat can cling to it and scratch it if necessary.
- Without ceasing to pet him, the person helping you can distract him with a toy while you pour him some water from a container.
- If the cat gets upset, be firm but gentle, without forcing it. Massage the shampoo into the fur and then rinse very well.
When you have finished bathing your adult cat, proceed to dry with a towel and hair dryer as explained in the section previous. If it is impossible to use the dryer, remove as much water as possible with the towel and let the animal finish drying alone in a warm room. Be very careful: this is only feasible in hot weather, never during winter, and always making sure that the cat is not still wet at the end of the day.
A Quick Bath
For cats that are more difficult to bathe, faster methods are better, so we present this one. To carry it out, you will need three punch bowls or buckets, one with soapy water and two with plain water. In all three, remember to fill only enough to fit the cat and use warm water.
When you have everything ready, what you will do is quickly put the cat in the bucket with soapy water, avoiding the head, and rub so that the shampoo takes effect. Then, go to the next bucket, where you will remove all the shampoo, and finish rinsing in the last container.
Dry in the same way as we explained in the previous sections to prevent the cat from getting wet.
Use a spray bottle
If none of the above methods are successful in bathing your adult cat for the first time, then try the following techniques:
Use a spray bottle
Get an atomizer or sprayer that makes as little noise as possible, as this sound often scares cats. Then, fill the sprayer with soapy water, hold the cat by the upper fat on its neck, like mothers do, and spray the fur little by little.
Massage the cat's hair for the shampoo to take effect and quickly remove it in a bucket of warm water.
Dry Bath
There are products to clean cats' hair that are applied dry, get advice on the most suitable ones according to your case and the needs of your furry friend's coat. Do not skimp on expenses when it comes to a product of this type, because remember that the cat will lick it.
With these recommendations we are sure that you will be able to bathe your adult cat and make it look very clean. The first time is usually more complicated, but it is best to turn the bath into a routine, with established steps that the cat can remember and recognize, so that it does not he is stressed by the uncertainty of not knowing what is happening. And if you want to give it extra shine, don't miss our article in which we show you the tricks to shine your cat's fur.
Also remember that in normal situations it is not usually necessary to bathe your cat unless their fur is long, as the work they do with their tongue is enough. Consult your veterinarian about the needs of your feline's fur so that they can recommend the best for you.
And after the bath?
Once you have managed to bathe your adult cat and dry its fur, you must proceed to brush it to remove any dead hair that there is could stay Depending on the type of hair your cat has, you should choose one type of brush or another, as well as follow specific brushing routines. If your feline is short-haired, check out our article on brushes for short-haired cats, while if it has a long coat, don't miss the post in which we show you brushes for long-haired cats.
Brushing your cat frequently is essential to prevent your home from becoming impregnated with hair, but above all, to prevent the formation of hairballs in its stomach. When licking itself, the feline inadvertently ingests the dead hair that we have not removed, generating the dreaded balls and causing the appearance of arches to try to expel them. Offer your cat the best care and you will have a he althy and happy animal by your side.
