Training an Adult Cat for a Bath

Cat´s don´t like water; that is a well known fact. However, any cat can be trained to tolerate a bath. Use this method once a day, every day, and at the end of a month, you should be able to give your kitty a full bath without too much trouble.

First, the water must be warm, because a cat´s normal temperature is higher than humans. A hot bath for a human is a normal temperature for cats. If the cat shivers, the water is too cold; if he pants, the water is too hot.

Second, choose a location that has a flat surface, so the cat will feel secure that he can stand easily. Add a towel or rubber mat to the bath surface so the cat won´t slip, creating more panic.

Third, start with just enough water to cover his feet. For the first week, just dunk his feet into the water and immediately pull him out and dry his feet. Then give him plenty of treats and special attention.
Gradually increase the depth of the water, and the amount of time you ´dunk´ him. Always give him treats and special attention after the ´bath.´

Finally, use only enough water to get him wet and rinse him; usually no deeper than his ´knees.´ This should be enough water to give him a bath, without creating the panic of trying to swim. Also, don´t leave his feet in the water unless you have to. Allowing him to stand on dry land (like the back end of a bath tub) will decrease his discomfort and make him easier to control.

A note of caution: don´t use a sprayer, this will cause panic in the cat. Instead, use a plastic cup or glass to pour the water over his body.

Start bathing kittens early

Here´s some bathing cats advice: You have allergies, and still want a pet. The doctor says that weekly baths will help reduce the allergens on a cat. With this in mind, it would be best to adopt a young cat or a kitten so you can train her to take a bath much eaiser than an older cat.

Start the first week you have the kitten. Once a day dunk her feet into very shallow, very warm water. Then immediately dry her feet and give her a special treat and attention. The second week, set her down in the water and let her stand in it for a few seconds, then pull her out and dry her feet always followed by the treat. Towards the end of the second week, you should be able to completely wash her.

Don´t use a sprayer at first, the splashing water will panic the cat. Use a plastic glass or mug to pour water over her body. Keep everything, water, soap, etc, out of her eyes and off her face. This will cause panic, and could irritate her eyes.

Training an Adult Cat to be Brushed

Here´s a good cat grooming tip if your adult cat hates to be brushed, but is a necessary fact of life, especially in the warm seasons. With persistance, consistancy and patience, you can train your adult cat to be brushed.

Make it a routine, if you haven´t already, to pet/groom your cat. Every day at the same time, pet your cat or kitten for several minutes. That action alone will help remove hair and help straighten it.

When Kitty comes to you to be groomed/petted, start using an oven mitten or a cotton rag wrapped around your hand.

Eventually, purchase a groomers mit. That is a specialty type of mit used to help remove fur. Once Kitty is accustomed to the groomers mit, start alternating your touch with the groomers mit, with a brush. Put the mit on one hand, and a brush in the other; alternate between the two. Once you are at this level for a few days, you should be able to groom Kitty with the brush. Slowly decrease the number of ´pets´ with the mit and increase the number of ´pets´ with the brush.

Once Kitty is tolerating the brush, I would suggest you start with the mit and then switch to the brush in Kitty´s daily routine. That will help him to feel like he is being ´loved´ and not just brushed.

Shaving a Cat - Cat Coat Problems

Cat grooming and matting - I do not recommend shaving a long haired cat or kitten unless the vet or groomer can see a need to; such as the mats are so bad that they are causing problems for your cat.

Cats need their fur to protect their skin from the sun, and other possible dangers. Since they do not perspire, removing the hair does not help them to stay cool. On the contrary, it could make them feel hotter since the sun will reach their skin.

It is best to brush your long haired cat for several minutes every day, and do this several times a day during the warm summer months. This will allow you to catch those annoying mats when they are small enough that you can easily trim them out.

However, once the mats have formed tight enough to be next to your kitty´s skin, let a reputable-professional groomer or your vet remove the mats, since you could seriously injure your kitty if you try.

A waterless bath for kitty

Cats Bathing - No Water - If your cat or kitten absolutely cannot tolerate being wet, try using a waterless or powder shampoo or give your cat a sponge bath with a damp towel.

Remember, the younger a cat is when you begin to bathe her, the more likely it will be that she will come to enjoy an occasional bath.
-Drs. Foster and Smith

A lukewarm bath

Use lukewarm water in your cat´s bath. Avoid a hard spray and spraying in her face. You may want to wrap your cat in a thin towel and wet the coat through the towel, then apply the shampoo. Rinse the cat thoroughly.

Kitty doesn´t like to be brushed

Cat training tip - Cats naturally groom themselves and can take offense when you try to help them.

Here´s a cat grooming tip on how to get your cats or kittens comfortable with regular cat grooming - Try purchasing two identical brushes. Start brushing your cat with one of the brushes, when she reaches around and grabs that brush, let her have it. Then pick up the second brush and continue brushing. Whenever she grabs the brush you are using, just pick up the other one and continue brushing.

Eventually, your kitty will learn that you are not hurting her, and that this cat grooming actually feels good.

Clean the Cat Too

Your doctor has given you the information on how to live with allergies, and one of the recommendations is to bathe your pets at least once a week.
According to our members, the medical field has determined that humans have a hyper-sensitivity to the proteins in feline saliva. When a cat or kitten cleans itself, the proteins in the saliva remain on the cat´s coat. When the saliva dries, the proteins flake off and cause the allergy symptoms.

Bathing your cat or kitten once a week will help remove these and other allergens. There are several products on the market to help remove the allergens from your pet´s coat. Check with any pet store or your vet for recommendations.

Cleaning cats teeth

Here´s a cat grooming tip that will make a big difference in your cat or kitten´s oral health. The key to getting your cat to tolerate having his teeth brushed is to do it in small steps over time and to be patient and encouraging. Try to brush several times a week with a child´s toothbrush or a fingertip brush and a toothpaste designed for pets.

Regular cleanings under anesthesia by your vet is important to address problems at the root line. Left unchecked, plaque buildup on teeth can ultimately cause infections that can lead to tooth loss, make eating painful, and puts your cats internal organs under pressure, therefore causing illness and premature aging.

Steps to Grooming a Persian Cat

Step by Step cat grooming methods for a long haired or Persian cat or kitten:

1. Use the wide toothed or a comb with alternating long/short teeth to comb the coat backward from the way it lies. For heavy thick coats, you may need to do this in small parts. Make certain you comb all the way to the undercoat to loosen and straighten and knots or tangles. Always use extra care when grooming the belly and rear sensitive areas.

2. Use a baby powder or unscented talcum powder next, to help the brushes ease through the fur by separating each hair. Sprinkle the powder onto the cat's coat and work in with your fingers. Never use a heavily scented powder as this could irritate your cat's sensitive nose, and/or cause allergic reactions.

3. Brush the coat well using first the wire side of the combination brush. Be gentle as the wire bristles can break delicate hair. Use short strokes that move out from the body in a fluffing motion.

4. Then use the bristle brush to lay the fur back to its natural lie.

5. Use the toothbrush to groom the facial area.

6. The slicker brush can be omitted, if desired. It is used mainly on the tail and back end to add the extra fluffiness for shows.

Paraphrased from: The Complete Cat Book, by Paddy Cutts

A pedicure first

Cutting cats nails and cleaning cats ears - Before her bath, trim your cat´s nails and clean her ears. Use a cotton ball dipped in ear cleansing solution to clean around the outside of the ears. Check for an overabundance of wax, ear mites or other ear problems.

This is also a good time to check your kitty for sores, abscesses, lumps and other skin problems.
- Drs. Foster and Smith

Daily brushings control allergens

Brushing your cat daily, will control the loose hair in your home, which will help control one of the allergens cats produce.
When cat´s wash they leave proteins behind on their fur; when they protein dries it becomes an airborn allergen.
By brushing your cat daily, that will help remove loose hair and the protein on it.

Brushes

My favorite choice of brush for domestic short haired cats is a flat ´slicker´ wire brush. This type of brush will remove more hair in a shorter amount of time. Daily brushings will help control intestinal hairballs, reduce shedding, and create a time for bonding with your kitty. Multiple brushings every day is better during the warm months of the year, because cats will shed their winter coat.

Brush your cat gently

Brush your cat thoroughly before her bath, being especially gentle on the skin because it is thin and sensitive. Also, make sure to brush out any mats you may find. They are much harder to remove from wet hair.
A bit of cornstarch sprinkled on the mat may help.
After this step, you may want to wrap your cat´s feet in stretch gauze tape (from your local pharmacy) to prevent her from scratching you.

Finishing bathing long hair cats

More on bathing long hair cats - Here´s a cat grooming and matting tip for your longhaired cat: After the bath, longhaired cats benefit from an additional brush out and a blow dryer on a no-heat setting.

Bathing a kitten

If you plan on bathing your cat frequently, it is recommended to start bathing it as a kitten. This way it will get used to the water and the routine, and it will be much easier to train as a kitten rather than waiting until it is an adult.

Hairless Furniture for Company

Try investing in covers for your fabric furniture pieces. I use my handmade quilts and crocheted blankets to cover my furniture (and to show off my work.) This way, I catch most of the loose cat or kitten hair of daily living, and pull the blankets off when company comes.

Hairless furniture, in an instant.

I wash these and my Kitties´ ´special blankets´ whenever I do the rest of the bedding.

To remove the hair from the couch covers, you will need to run them through the dryer. Most of the hair will not come out in the washer.

Controling symptoms with cleaning

You and your doctor have determined that you are allergic to your pet kitty, now you face the challenge of controlling the symptoms so you can keep him.
First of all, regular dusting and vacuuming are recommended to continuously remove allergens. Clean surfaces with a solution that is un-scented, or hypo allergenic to prevent irritation (simple solutions such as a baking soda/water combo, or even Simple Green).
Removing cloth window coverings and carpet are some of the more radical measures, since they trap allergens.
One last suggestion is to purchase an air purifier/filter for your home. Purchasing a purifier with an ionizer is recommended. All that cleaning and dusting will de-ionize the air in your home thus making it more difficult for human lungs to exchange the oxygen.