Bathing Cats
Bathing Cats - The Mother Of All Battles?
When was the last time you saw photographs of bathing cats? Not usually a pretty sight. Maybe it's just because the fur is wet, but the cat in question usually appears to be somewhere between upset and enraged. Cats were once thought to be sacred. Your house cat most likely still believes this to be true, and you should never think of giving a god-like entity a bath.
When we picture bathing cats in our minds eye, we see ourselves wrapped in body armor for protection and a soapy, squirming animal that is either intent on escape or, if that is not possible, ripping us to shreds with its claws. Cats as a rule do not have a particular fear of water. An outdoor cat will continue to hunt in the rain, though there may be limits as to how wet it wants to get. What is happening with your kitty, when you try to give it its first bath, is that you are taking it out of its comfort zone. Imagine if you had never had a bath before, and someone grabbed you, held you, and either dipped you in water or sprayed you with it. You'd more than likely be terrified.
Although there are occasional exceptions, most cats can be taught to accept having an occasional bath. Breeders will bathe their cats quite often, and therefore must have the knack or knowledge of performing the operation in a way that does no damage to the cat or themselves. Still, a question remains. Why bother to bath a cat at all? Cats are very fastidious creatures. They are forever grooming and washing themselves. They are basically very clean animals.
Bathing cats is often necessary when they have gotten into something that either they can't clean off by themselves, or it would be unhealthy for them to try to do so. If your cat got into some cleaning fluids or pesticides, you don't want it to start licking it off, and it most certainly will try. A bath is the only reasonable solution. There are also occasions when a bath may be necessary for medical reasons and, again the option of not giving the cat a bath may not be a very good one.
As the big day approaches, get prepared. There are many things in life where not being prepared can lead to trouble, and bathing cats is one of them. If your cat is a very small kitten you may not have too much of a problem, especially if it trusts you. Of course if it’s a small kitten it can't tear you apart either, but kittens seem to have an easier time with a first bath than do adult cats.
It would be a good idea to have a helper. One person can hold the cat and the other bathe it. Grooming the cat just before the bath is a good idea as well. Besides the cat enjoying the grooming process, there is the practical aspect of it, especially with the long haired breeds. Grooming will get rid of tangles or clumps of foreign matter that might make the bathing process more difficult. Have everything ready, so all you have to do is dip the cat in the (warm but not hot) water. Use a cat shampoo or a very gentle baby shampoo. Never use a dog shampoo on a cat! It can be very toxic to cats. One of the most important things you should do is try to stay calm. If you get excited, it's a foregone conclusion that your cat is going to freak out.
If all goes well it may be just a little easier the next time. It really boils down to a matter of trust on the part of the cat. A bath can be a good experience for a cat once it realizes that nothing harmful will happen. Of course there is the occasional cat that will fight tooth and nail each and every time. Hope it's not yours.