Most cats keep themselves clean and rarely need baths, but in cases of flea infestation or, perhaps, he got into mischief and got himself dirty, then your cat will need to be bathed.
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The first step before even attempting the bath would be to trim your cat’s nails to reduce the chance of getting scratched.
Also, be sure to choose a shampoo that is safe for your cat. Some shampoos may contain insecticides that can be toxic to cats.
The Aloe and Oatmeal shampoo is safe to use on cats and also helps to relieve itching and condition their coat and skin.
Another tip that I like to use is a mesh cat bathing bag or the mesh bag you may use for laundering your delicate unmentionables. This can be transformed into a cat bathing bag buy using a shoe lace and threading it around the opening. Then place your cat in the bag and with his head sticking out of the bag, pull the shoe string and tie the bag closed. You can then shampoo and rinse the through the mesh and cat’s tend to tolerate the bathing very well.
You can also put a cake rack or dish rack in the bottom of the sink. This helps to keep the cat out of the water and give him something to dig his claws around instead of your arm.
When bathing the cat, use a cup to pour the water over the cat rather than the sprayer. You can use one hand to scruff the cat behind the neck to maintain control and the other to gently pour the water. Start at the head and gently pour the warm water down the back of the head and on the rest of the body. Do not submerge the cat’s head or pour the water over his face. Once you have wet the cat, then apply the shampoo and work it into a lather. Follow the directions on the bottle to see how long to leave it on the cat before rinsing it off. Now you are ready for the rinse cycle. Again start at the head and work your way down until all of the suds are rinsed off. Gently squeeze the remainder of the water out of the fur and wrap your cat in a towel to dry. Some cats will tolerate the hair dryer but be sure to use the low heat and low air setting and go slowly.
