How often should you bathe a cat

Cats are naturally afraid of water, so they don’t like bathing. However, after all, they live with humans. If they don’t take a bath for a long time, they will be oily, dirty, and some even smelly, which will cause a lot of trouble to the owner. Now is the time when the seasons change. It is the season for cats to change their hair. It is also a good time to give cats a bath. Let’s choose a sunny day to give the cat a bath. Today, Uncle Cat will tell you about cat bathing.

How often do cats usually take a bath?

It is recommended that long-haired cats take 1-2 months and short-haired cats take 2-3 months, but it depends on the cleanliness of the environment. Be careful not to bathe too frequently. This will not only make the cat more susceptible to skin diseases, but also affect the cat’s calcium absorption. In severe cases, it will cause a lot of hair loss.

1. Preparation before taking a bath

Cat shower gel:

Be sure to use cat shower gel, never human shower gel. Since cats’ skin structure, pH, etc. are different from those of humans, using human body wash will not only fail to achieve the corresponding effect, but will also damage the health of the cat’s hair and skin. The same goes for baby shower gel. Although it is less irritating, it can still cause some harm to cats. In addition, cats have the habit of licking their hair and often like to lick and comb their hair. During the licking process, the cat will lick these chemicals in, which is also detrimental to the cat’s health in the long term.

Towel for drying:

You can prepare a few more pieces and dry them more easily to dry them. If possible, you can use special absorbent towels for better results.

Hair dryer:

Used to dry cat’s back hair. If possible, it is best to choose a silent heater, which makes very little noise and is acceptable to most cats.

Hot water:

The water temperature is about 38-40 degrees Celsius. You can wash it in a basin or rinse it with a spray nozzle (but the water flow should not be too fast).

2. Precautions when taking a bath

Do not bathe cats under three months old, as they are prone to colds or diarrhea due to bathing, and in severe cases, they may die from this. (If a cat under three months old is dirty, please wipe it with a hot towel that has been wrung out.)
Do not rinse the head directly with a nozzle, and do not wash the head with water. This will cause the water to flow into the cat’s ears, which can easily lead to otitis media. It is recommended to wipe the head directly with a hot towel that has been wrung out. It will be cleaner after wiping it a few times.
When taking a bath, you can put cotton balls in their ears, or completely cover the cats’ ears with a towel to prevent water from entering their ears, which may cause infection. This is also a certain treatment for their ears. protective effect.
When blowing, use hot air and turn it on at the lowest air volume to avoid scaring the cat. And pay attention to step by step. When the hair dryer is turned on, it should be far away from the cat. After the cat is slightly stable, gradually approach it. You can gradually increase the air volume after the cat adapts, but be careful not to burn the cat.
After drying, it is best to brush the hair carefully with a brush (especially for long-haired cats), so that the hair that falls off in the bath will not be licked by the cat and form hair balls in the stomach, which will seriously affect the digestive system.

3. How to bathe a cat

Soaking the coat below the neck. Hold the cat’s neck gently with your left hand so that the cat will not jump out casually. Water with your right hand, or use a nozzle to soak the coat below the neck.
Pour an appropriate amount of cat bath solution on the cat’s coat, and rub it into the fur with your hands to create foam. Carefully rub the hair on the paws, belly and tail. After sufficient foaming, rinse thoroughly with warm water until there is no foam. .
Take the cat out, gently and quickly remove some of the water from the cat’s body with your hands, and then wipe it with a dry towel to dry it as much as possible.
Use the lowest heat setting of the hair dryer to blow the cat’s coat, and use one hand to continuously pull the area where the hair dryer blows (just like we blow hair). If the cat is more accustomed to the sound of the hair dryer, you can gradually increase the air volume of the hair dryer, but pay attention Don’t let hot air burn your cat.
When the cat’s hair is 70% to 80% dry, you can brush it once with a brush. At this time, part of the fallen hair will be combed out (the cat will not lick it into the stomach and form hair balls that affect gastrointestinal function). If your cat has hair knots, you can carefully use scissors to cut off the obvious parts with the help of someone (be careful not to cut the skin). Don’t rush for success. You will have time to do this slowly and safely in the future. thing.
Finally, remember to dry the cat completely. After washing, you can let the cat bask in the sun. The scavengers can also give the cat a small reward, so that it may be more cooperative with bathing in the future.