Tips On How To Shampoo And Style Your Cat

If you want to shampoo and style your cat, there are certain preparations that you should make beforehand. Cats are normally very fastidious animals. The only time they really need a bath is if they have something stuck on their fur that they can't, lick off or if they are show cats.

Before you start with the bath, make sure that you use a shampoo and conditioner that are meant only for cats. Other shampoos tend to dry or irritate the cat's skin. The room that you bathe the cat in should be warm and all the windows should be closed. A few suggestions for places that you could bathe the cat in are the kitchen sink, a bathroom tub or a tub in the washroom.

Keep a few warm towels on hand and a non-skid mat, if possible. Before you start to shampoo and style your cat, groom it first. Brush its coat to get rid of any matting or knots. This will also help the cat to relax.

Fill the tub or sink with about 2 or 3 inches of lukewarm water. The temperature of the water should not be too hot or too cold. Put the cat in the water and wet its fur thoroughly. Talk to it in a gentle relaxed voice the whole time. Once the fur is wet, apply the shampoo and massage it in till it forms lather. The continuous motions should relax the cat further. Rinse the shampoo off properly. If by this time, the cat is still relaxed, you could apply some conditioner to its fur. On the other hand, if the cat is tense and irritable, then it is probably time to end the bathing session.

When you apply the conditioner, leave it in for a few minutes and then rinse it off. While you shampoo and style your cat, remember to keep water, shampoo and conditioner away from its face. You can clean its eyes and ears before or after its bath.

Once the bath is over, you have two options for drying the cat. You could wrap it a towel and leave it in a warm room to dry off naturally or you could use a dryer. The second option will only work if your cat is not scared of the sound of the hair dryer. If it isn't, then use the dryer at the lowest temperature and move it around constantly, till the fur is only slightly damp. If the cat is scared of the dryer, then wrap it in a warm towel and blot off the excess water. You will probably need to do this a few more times with different towels. Once that is done, you can gently brush your cat's fur.

You will need time and patience to shampoo and style your cat. If your cat is used to bathing sessions, then it won't be too difficult. But if you try to shampoo and style an adult cat, you might want to call in another person to help you out.