The best thing to do with your cat is to get it used
to water, although, all cats will need a bath sometime in their lives. The easiest way to
get your cat used to being bathed is to start when the cat is a young kitten.
Fill a clean sink or washpan with very warm water and let the kitten get used to having a
bath. Let your kitten stand in the water and let some water from the spigot or a spray
nozzle run into the sink or wash pan. At this point, the kitten should be ready for a
complete bath.
Most cats get used to bathing fairly easily. As long as you can make this a fun experience, the cat will not be afraid. Talk to your cat during the bath and play after the cat is dry. You may also want to reward the cat with a treat after a bath.
If your cat gets very frightened during a bath and begins to struggle, grab it firmly by the scruff of the neck. This should stop the struggling. Talk calmly and quietly, then attempt to resume the bath.
Some cats are uncomfortable in the sink or tub because they have little or no traction on such a smooth surface. Place a rubber mat or a towel on the bottom of the sink. I bathe my cats in the kitchen sink with a hand-held shower massage attachment for the faucet.
Make certain the room temperature is warm enough for your cat while it is being bathed and toweled off and be certain the water temperature is warm enough for your cat. Cats have a higher body temperature than humans do, so the water should be a little warmer than you might use for yourself.
A cat should be brushed before being bathed to make certain that there are no tangles or knots. Keep the shampoo out of your cats' eyes and ears. It is best to avoid getting the cats' head wet with the hose since most cats will struggle when you get their head wet. Some people put eye drops in the eye before the bath to provide a barrier to the soap in case it does happen to run toward the eye. Older groomers used mineral oil, but recent research shows that instead of creating a barrier to caustic substances the use of oil actually acts to increase the permeability of the eye surface.
If you get soap in your cat's eyes, rinse it out immediately with warm water and follow with a neutral eye-drop such as artificial tears.
Whiteners and lightening shampoos are special shampoos specifically made to whiten white-haired cats and lighten light-colored cats. Follow directions on the product bottle and rinse thoroughly, as these shampoos are very thick.
Never use products on your cat that were not specifically formulated for use on cats, use only shampoos made specifically for cats. Use shampoo in the dilution recommended on the bottle and lather the cat thoroughly.
Take special care to wash between the toes of the cat, the hindquarters, the belly and the entire tail. Wash the face carefully along with the chin and neck, using a washcloth or sponge, if you can handle it easily. Rinse thoroughly and repeat the shampoo.
After you thoroughly rinse the shampoo out of the cat's fur, you might want to follow with a vinegar rinse. This helps to remove any shampoo left in the coat. However, it is not an alternative to a complete and thorough job of rinsing.
Rinse very, very thoroughly.
This is not easy with a longhair cat, but it is very important. A shampoo film on the fur of the cat makes a bad appearance. Most important, your cat may ingest this residue when it licks itself and this can cause internal problems.
If you are using a vinegar rinse:
After you have finished rinsing your cat, rub your hand down the fur, getting as much water out of the coat as you can. Wrap the cat in a big, absorbent towel and rub it all over with the towel without removing it to remove the excess water.
Longhair cats are best dried with a hand-held blow dryer. You can purchase dryers that are made especially for grooming animals,.however, since they are expensive and made for the professional groomer, most people will just use a blow dryer made for people. I suggest that you look for one with several heat settings and a filter you can clean.
At first, your cat may not like the whine produced by the dryer. However, if you take the time, your cat will soon get used to the sound of the dryer. In fact, some cats learn to like the sound very quickly, because they associate the sound with the owner paying a lot of attention to them.
With your cat on the grooming table, blow the coat backward, using your fingers to ruffle it so you can get down to the skin. As each area dries, brush upward and back in place. Do not brush the fur when it is wet as this may damage or break it. Be certain to dry the entire tail and the fur on the legs, on the belly and under the forelegs. By the time your cat is dry, the coat should have been thoroughly brushed.
Some professional groomers will groom cats. In fact, some of them specialize in cat grooming, (like me).
If you want to have your cat groomed professionally, you should first get recommendations from friends who use a groomer or from your vet. When making an appointment, be certain to ask the groomer what experience he or she has had grooming cats. Be SURE you are comfortable with ANY groomer BEFORE you leave your cat with them!