Bathing an adult cat for the first time

Author: John Stephens
Date Of Creation: 27 January 2021
Update Date: 29 June 2024
Anonim
How to Wash an Adult Cat for the First Time
Video: How to Wash an Adult Cat for the First Time

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Cats have a well-known reputation for being extremely hygienic animals, and anyone who has a feline at home and has already observed it may have noticed the large amount of time a day they spend cleaning up. Despite this, it may be that at some point you will have to bathe your 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 strength to run away from you.

As at PeritoAnimal we want this experience not to be traumatic for any two of you, let's give you this advice to know how bathing an adult cat for the first time. They will be very useful to you and will help you to overcome this task in a simpler and faster way.


Do you need to bathe your cat?

It's not hard to see that most cats run scared from the water, although there are some breeds or cats in particular that find it fun and even enjoyable. Indeed, many veterinarians recommend not bathing cats unless strictly necessary, and always after at least three months of age and after the puppy vaccines have been administered, as bathing could easily make them sick.

However, it may be that you have never bathed your cat because you never needed to, but that as an adult there has been some situation where you need a good shower, as in the following situations:

  • You have fleas and you need to give them a bath with a special shampoo to fight them.
  • In his games, the fur was left with some substance that he cannot remove by licking, or that could 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 it clean and free from knots.
  • Suffered from heat strokes.
  • Do you have an allergy or skin infection.
  • It is a sick animal that has failed to sanitize itself.
  • You've got an adult stray cat and you need to give it a bath to keep it at home.

Regardless of the reason, bathing your cat can be traumatic for him and you if you do it incorrectly, so we'll show you several methods to make the process more enjoyable for both of you.


General advice for bathing an adult cat

Regardless of the method you choose to bathe your adult cat for the first time, you should follow the following tips so that the bathing experience is satisfactory:

  • must be calm at bath time. Any symptoms of stress or worry itself, any predisposition to things going wrong, will be easy for the feline to detect and will stop it.
  • Look for someone in the family to help you bathe your cat, between two it will be simpler.
  • During the entire process you should be affectionate, talk to your feline with sweet words and never force the situation.
  • Have everything you'll need on hand: two towels (one for drying and one for the cat to scratch), the special cat shampoo, a dryer, containers and a cat carrier.
  • You will have to count on the time necessary for the bath, as it can take up to an hour, depending on how much it costs to convince the animal that everything is fine.
  • Try to make the whole environment quiet.
  • pet the feline to be able to relax.
  • Regardless of whether you wash it in a basin or bucket, bathtub or sink, it should be big enough for the cat, but do not fill the container completely with water, just enough to reach the cat's belly.
  • the water must be warm, but close to the ambient temperature that is colder or warmer.
  • When finished, dry the animal with a towel and then dry it with a dryer at a low temperature, away from the cat's body so as not to burn. If you are afraid of the dryer, place the animal in the transport box and let the air from the dryer pass through the door. In this case, you should use cat snacks to prevent the feline from relating the transport box with something negative.
  • If there are screams and scratches by the animal, be patient and understanding. Opt for a quick shower.
  • Never wet your eyes, ears, nose or head, do a bath from the neck down.
  • Add your favorite toys when bathing your adult cat, to feel safe and interpret it as a fun and positive activity.
  • Avoid using the water jet straight from the faucet, as the force of the water will scare the animal.

When you have all these things in mind, you can try bathing the animal with some of these methods.


in the bathroom

Whether in the bathroom or in the lavatory, first prepare all the utensils you will need and have the water ready for when the animal arrives. Start by moistening your hands and running them through the cat's fur little by little, always attentive to your reaction. Remember that this is the first time you have bathed your adult cat, so it may change and try to scratch it. Then follow these steps:

  1. At the edge of the tub or sink, place a dry towel so your cat can curl up in it and scratch it if necessary.
  2. While petting you, the person helping you can distract you with a toy while you douse it with water in a container.
  3. If the cat changes, be firm but gentle, not forcing it. Massage the hair with the shampoo and then rinse thoroughly.

when you have finished bathe your adult cat, dry it with a towel and hairdryer as explained in the previous point. If it is impossible to use the dryer, remove as much water as possible with the towel and let the animal finish drying itself in a warm room. Be very careful: this is only possible in hot weather, never in winter, and you should always make sure that the cat is not wet at the end of the day.

a quick shower

For cats that are more difficult to wash, it's better to apply faster methods, so let's show you this one. To do this, you will need three basins, one with soapy water and two with just water. For all three, remember to fill just enough for the cat and use warm water.

When you have this ready, what you should do is quickly put the cat in the basin of soapy water, avoiding the head, and rub it so that the shampoo takes effect. Then, move to the next basin, where you must remove all the shampoo, and finish rinsing in the last container.

Dry in the same way we explained in the previous points to prevent the cat from getting wet.

use a vaporizer

If none of the above methods serve you to successfully bathe your adult cat for the first time, then try the following techniques:

use a vaporizer

Get a vaporizer that makes as little noise as possible, as this sound usually frightens cats. Then fill the sprayer with soapy water, hold the cat by the fat on the top of its neck, as mothers do, and spray the fur little by little.

Massage the cat's fur for the shampoo to take effect and quickly remove it in a basin of warm water.

dry bath

There are products to clean the fur of cats that apply dry, make sure which are the most suitable according to your case and the needs of your furry friend.

With these recommendations, we are sure that you will be able to bathe your adult cat and get it clean. The first time is usually more complicated, but the best is convert bathing into a routine, with definite steps that the cat can remember and recognize, so it doesn't get stressed out because it doesn't know what's going on.

Also remember that in normal situations it is not usually necessary to bathe your cat unless its fur is long, as the work they do with their tongue is enough. Consult your veterinarian about your feline's fur needs to recommend the best.

And after the bath?

Once you've managed to bathe your adult cat and dry its fur, you should brush it to remove the dead hair that may have stayed. Depending on the type of fur your cat has, you should choose one type of brush or another, as well as follow specific brushing routines. If your feline has short fur, check our article on brushes for short-haired cats, while if you have long fur, don't miss our article where we show you the brushes for long-haired cats.

Brushing the cat frequently is essential to prevent our house from becoming full of fur, but especially not to encourage the formation of hairballs in its stomach. By licking itself, the feline inadvertently ingests the dead hair that we do not remove, generating the dreaded balls and causing the animal to vomit and regurgitate in an attempt to expel them. Offer your cat the best care and you will have a healthy and happy animal by your side.

Also read our article with other tips to avoid hairballs in cats.