Guide you to become a professional cat bathing expert
Bathing a cat – a verb indicating hardship, hardship and bloodshed. Surely for many longtime cat owners, this is still a dilemma, isn't it? To solve this problem, read this article carefully, hopefully it will help you become a talented "cat spa technician" or at least bathe your cat :v
Let's start now!
1. How often should a cat be bathed?
Speaking of which, there really isn't a very specific time frame because cats can clean their own coats. But this does not mean that cats can clean themselves 100% and they need to be bathed like other pets.
So how often should you bathe your cat? Please refer to the important factors affecting the frequency of bathing your cat below and calculate it reasonably.
a. Cats often "run away" or not : Of course, the outside environment always contains a lot of dirt and bacteria. If your cat runs out into the street and jumps right into a pile of dirt or a coal field. It's possible to bathe twice a day ^^ Just kidding, if your cat often runs away from "vi vu", then bathe a little more often.
b. Hair length : When wearing a thick coat, we will feel hot and sweat easily, right? Cats too, cats with long hair should be bathed more often to remove oil from the skin
c. Frequency of self-cleaning : although it is a species that is difficult to clean, "laziness" will not spare anyone. Some cats may be lazy to clean their fur, so they need to be bathed regularly to keep the coat from getting greasy and sticky (please observe your cat's self-care).
In addition, babies who are overweight should also be bathed more often because their coat care may not be as effective. They can't clean the whole body because they are "sticky" with the fat lumps on their body.
d. Activity Level : Being active is great, but with this comes a cat's sweat. Therefore, with active cats, we can bathe a little more times than old cats who often lie still.
e. Based on health condition : When your cat has problems such as skin irritation, fleas, lice or loose stools, it also needs to be bathed regularly to ensure hygiene for the cat and for you.
f. Living environment : An important factor that affects the "need to bathe cats regularly" is whether there are children in the house or not. Children often hug and kiss animals, so if there are children in the house, please bathe the cat more to limit the spread of bacteria to the baby. In addition, you should also refer to the article " Should you keep a dog or cat when there are children at home " for some other useful knowledge.
👉 According to the National Cat Groomers Association of America, cats should be bathed about 4-6 times a week to keep their coat clean and free of clumps.
However, in my opinion, we only need to bathe cats about twice a week or at least once a week is more than enough. Consider your cat, how many good factors out of the above factors and choose a reasonable frequency of bathing for your cat.
2. Items to prepare before bathing the cat
This is a particularly important step and it determines how fast or slow you will complete your royal bathing task.
Believe me! When you're bathing His Majesty and you realize you forgot to prepare something and decide to go get it, His Majesty won't be standing in the bathtub and waiting for you. Footprints and car soap are everywhere in your house ^^ So, what to prepare when bathing the cat? Please refer to the necessary things below
a. Shampoo used for cats : Do not use the type for friends and why, I will introduce in the section below
b. Towels : An important item that cannot be forgotten, quite a lot of people subjectively don't bring a towel (even me :v) and when the emperor is often wet running around the house, you can imagine the results like how is it?
c. Specialized brush or brush for long-haired cats : Everyone knows what this is for, right?
d. Rubber mats placed in the bath : Helps cats cling better, this partly helps cats reduce stress and panic because when putting cats in the water bath, they often stick out their claws, but the nails cannot stick to the plastic. or porcelain (bath) causing them to scratch constantly. Rubber mats work very well in this situation
e. Prepare an extra support person😂 : In all cases, teamwork always brings the best results, bathing cats is also a skill because most cats hate water and it will be difficult for you to do it alone. Hold the cat in the tub of water and take the shampoo with the other hand. 2 hands to hold the cat and 2 hands to bathe is the best method and save the most time
3. Detailed instructions on how to bathe cats most effectively
Step 1 : Prepare a good mentality! Obviously, not only for cats but also for cat bathers who have just bathed their cats for the first time, knowing this is not an easy job – especially for cats who have never been bathed. before. First, get the cat and the bathroom and the next thing to do is immediately close the bathroom door.
In this space only these two humans could turn into a chaotic battlefield of fugitives, the wild screams of both humans and cats 😂. The cat will always find a way to escape and you play the role of a keeper. The special thing like I said is to prepare mentally for this situation because this is certain to happen, the more stressed you are, the more stressed the cat will be, so stay calm in all situations.
Step 2 : Put the rubber mat or non-slip sheet and prepare warm water about 10cm into the basin or tub, check the water temperature carefully, it should not be too hot because it can cause the cat to be burned or uncomfortable leading to non-cooperation. . Once the temperature has been checked, slowly place the cat into the bath, making sure to hold her with both hands (do not grip too tightly as this may stress or injure the cat.
Step 3 : Wet the cat's fur thoroughly (try to avoid the face and ears), after the entire coat is wet (down to the skin), gently apply a little shampoo on the body. After that, apply shampoo evenly all over the cat's body, if possible, rub the shampoo while petting the bottom of the chin (near the neck) to make the cat feel comfortable.
Step 4 : After you have bathed the entire body of the emperor, it is time to clean the soap. Use your hands and apply warm water evenly over the cat's body (or you can use the shower) to wash off all the soap left on the cat's body. Remember to flush the tub or take your cat out of the sink so soap doesn't get on her body
Step 5 : Now it's time to clean the cat's face. This step is quite simple, you just need to take a clean towel, soak a little warm water, squeeze dry and gently wipe your face clean. Never spray water directly on a cat's face or immerse her head in water, this can cause panic
Step 6 : After bathing, start drying the body. Take a large towel and wrap it around the cat's body and gently push the towel into each area of the body to absorb the water on the cat's body, continuing to turn the towel to remove as much water as possible. Then, take the cat to a warm area to dry naturally. In addition, you can also use a dryer to dry quickly, but many animals panic when they encounter loud noises (the sound coming from the dryer is one of them) so be careful when using it. this measure. If using the dryer, make sure to check the correct temperature (should not be too hot), and also take the dryer away from the body and move it continuously to avoid burns to the cat.
4. Summary of tips to make bathing cats easier
♦ Make sure you have everything ready before you put the cat in the bath
♦ Use only cat shampoos and baths and follow the directions on the bottle
♦ Double check the water temperature before letting your cat into the tub.
♦ If possible, ask a friend for help
♦ Make sure to wash off all soap on the cat's body
♦ Wash your cat's face with warm air and do not use soap
♦ Never dip a cat's head in water
♦ Talk to the cat during the bath, the voice should be soft, calm
♦ Let the cat dry in a warm room, only dry if the cat is not afraid of the dryer
♦ Patience is key in cat bathing!
♦ Let the cat get used to bathing as soon as possible, they will be easier to get used to and if it is scratched, it will be less painful, right :v
5. Learn about the dry bath method for cats
Of course, in some conditions, normal bathing will be difficult, especially when the weather becomes cold, the cat will never want to take a bath or for big cats who have never bathed, you will have difficulties. that's big. In these conditions, dry bathing is one of the preferred methods to use
Dry bath for cats is a form of bathing that does not require the use of water, instead we will use powder or cleaning solution to apply evenly on the cat's body. The use of these two substances is to eliminate bacteria on the skin, help balance the pH of the skin and nourish the hair. Keep your cat clean without having to go to the bath
However, this method of dry bathing is only coping in some situations, it cannot be cleaned with a water bath.
Dry bath with chalk: You can think of using baby powder at a young age. We will spread a layer of powder evenly on the body, rub the powder evenly all over the skin and brush the cat's hair 3-4 times.
Use a dry shower gel: This is like using a hand sanitizer. Just spray the shower gel on the body, rub it evenly so that the shower gel penetrates the skin, then use a towel with warm water to wipe the whole body clean, it's very easy, isn't it?