by: Niall Kennedy

Although your cat doesn't realise it right now, after some tender loving care and a little shampoo, he will appreciate it.

Cats hate water, that much is easy to see as he lashes out at you with his claws when he gets anywhere near it. Why would someone want to bathe their cat, then?

Well, they are dirty and can become flea infested just like a dog, so they do need them. Sometimes, you'll just have to do it. The key is to not bathe your cat more than once a month as you will damage his skin and his hair if you do so more than that. And, you can do it.

The Supplies

To do the task, you'll need some supplies. The very least you will need are two cloth towels, a pet safe shampoo and conditioner, a sponge and a sprayer to attach to your skin nozzle. No sprayer? Then use a pitcher of water and keep it near the sink. You should try to have a non skid mat there as well to help your cat feel better about standing in the water.

A scared cat is hard to control. So, if you plan to wash him in the tub, make sure to shut the door to keep him from getting out into the rest of the house.

What To Do

Put the mat at the bottom of the sink or tub. Add about two or three inches of warm water to the bottom and carefully place the cat in. Talk to him quietly and reassure him that he's okay. More than likely, he'll settle down within a few minutes. Now that he's calm, you can wet him down. Use the sprayer but if this scares him, you'll need to pour water over him using the pitcher. A word of warning, do not pour water on his head. You'll clean his face later.

Now he's wet. You can squeeze a palm sized amount of shampoo and massage the shampoo into his coat. Use slow, calm motions and he'll relax and maybe even will enjoy it. Once he is lathered, you'll need to rinse him off. Make sure to get all of the shampoo out of his coat as anything left on him will irritate his skin.

Next, do the same with the cat's conditioner. This step is optional if the cat has short hair. If the cat isn't too upset, though, you should try to use it on all cats.

Once his body is clean, it is time to do his face. Dampen the sponge and use it to carefully wipe down his face. Pay attention to the area around his eyes too.

After The Bath

Now, he's done. Wrap him up in the towels and blot off as much of the water as possible from his body. Use a dry towel as a second blotting tool. Now, he'll finish the job himself. For those who have a long haired cat, you can use a blow dryer at the very lowest setting if you keep it continuously moving so that you do not burn him. Now, you have a clean cat and hopefully no wound marks to show from it.

Your cat will thank you for his bath, and you will both enjoy each other's company more, next time you snuggle down in front of the fire.