iHaveNet.com
Pets | Cats: Can You Give Your Cat a Bath? | Cats
Online Breaking News Headlines Single Source to Headlines Breaking News Current Events Top Stories. Find out what is happening in News & the World. Check out iHaveNet.com for the latest news & current events articles plus Movie Reviews, Wolfgang Puck Recipes, NFL Previews Analysis and Politics. Your Single Source to News Articles, Current Events & Reviews.
  • HOME
  • WORLD
    • Africa
    • Asia Pacific
    • Balkans
    • Caucasas
    • Central Asia
    • Eastern Europe
    • Europe
    • Indian Subcontinent
    • Latin America
    • Middle East
    • North Africa
    • Scandinavia
    • Southeast Asia
    • United Kingdom
    • United States
    • Argentina
    • Australia
    • Austria
    • Benelux
    • Brazil
    • Canada
    • China
    • France
    • Germany
    • Greece
    • Hungary
    • India
    • Indonesia
    • Ireland
    • Israel
    • Italy
    • Japan
    • Korea
    • Mexico
    • New Zealand
    • Pakistan
    • Philippines
    • Poland
    • Russia
    • South Africa
    • Spain
    • Taiwan
    • Turkey
    • United States
  • USA
    • ECONOMICS
    • EDUCATION
    • ENVIRONMENT
    • FOREIGN POLICY
    • POLITICS
    • OPINION
    • TRADE
    • Atlanta
    • Baltimore
    • Bay Area
    • Boston
    • Chicago
    • Cleveland
    • DC Area
    • Dallas
    • Denver
    • Detroit
    • Houston
    • Los Angeles
    • Miami
    • New York
    • Philadelphia
    • Phoenix
    • Pittsburgh
    • Portland
    • San Diego
    • Seattle
    • Silicon Valley
    • Saint Louis
    • Tampa
    • Twin Cities
  • BUSINESS
    • FEATURES
    • eBUSINESS
    • HUMAN RESOURCES
    • MANAGEMENT
    • MARKETING
    • ENTREPRENEUR
    • SMALL BUSINESS
    • STOCK MARKETS
    • Agriculture
    • Airline
    • Auto
    • Beverage
    • Biotech
    • Book
    • Broadcast
    • Cable
    • Chemical
    • Clothing
    • Construction
    • Defense
    • Durable
    • Engineering
    • Electronics
    • Firearms
    • Food
    • Gaming
    • Healthcare
    • Hospitality
    • Leisure
    • Logistics
    • Metals
    • Mining
    • Movie
    • Music
    • Newspaper
    • Nondurable
    • Oil & Gas
    • Packaging
    • Pharmaceutic
    • Plastics
    • Real Estate
    • Retail
    • Shipping
    • Sports
    • Steelmaking
    • Textiles
    • Tobacco
    • Transportation
    • Travel
    • Utilities
  • WEALTH
    • CAREERS
    • INVESTING
    • PERSONAL FINANCE
    • REAL ESTATE
    • MARKETS
    • BUSINESS
  • STOCKS
    • ECONOMY
    • EMERGING MARKETS
    • STOCKS
    • FED WATCH
    • TECH STOCKS
    • BIOTECHS
    • COMMODITIES
    • MUTUAL FUNDS / ETFs
    • MERGERS / ACQUISITIONS
    • IPOs
    • 3M (MMM)
    • AT&T (T)
    • AIG (AIG)
    • Alcoa (AA)
    • Altria (MO)
    • American Express (AXP)
    • Apple (AAPL)
    • Bank of America (BAC)
    • Boeing (BA)
    • Caterpillar (CAT)
    • Chevron (CVX)
    • Cisco (CSCO)
    • Citigroup (C)
    • Coca Cola (KO)
    • Dell (DELL)
    • DuPont (DD)
    • Eastman Kodak (EK)
    • ExxonMobil (XOM)
    • FedEx (FDX)
    • General Electric (GE)
    • General Motors (GM)
    • Google (GOOG)
    • Hewlett-Packard (HPQ)
    • Home Depot (HD)
    • Honeywell (HON)
    • IBM (IBM)
    • Intel (INTC)
    • Int'l Paper (IP)
    • JP Morgan Chase (JPM)
    • J & J (JNJ)
    • McDonalds (MCD)
    • Merck (MRK)
    • Microsoft (MSFT)
    • P & G (PG)
    • United Tech (UTX)
    • Wal-Mart (WMT)
    • Walt Disney (DIS)
  • TECH
    • ADVANCED
    • FEATURES
    • INTERNET
    • INTERNET FEATURES
    • CYBERCULTURE
    • eCOMMERCE
    • mp3
    • SECURITY
    • GAMES
    • HANDHELD
    • SOFTWARE
    • PERSONAL
    • WIRELESS
  • HEALTH
    • AGING
    • ALTERNATIVE
    • AILMENTS
    • DRUGS
    • FITNESS
    • GENETICS
    • CHILDREN'S
    • MEN'S
    • WOMEN'S
  • LIFESTYLE
    • AUTOS
    • HOBBIES
    • EDUCATION
    • FAMILY
    • FASHION
    • FOOD
    • HOME DECOR
    • RELATIONSHIPS
    • PARENTING
    • PETS
    • TRAVEL
    • WOMEN
  • ENTERTAINMENT
    • BOOKS
    • TELEVISION
    • MUSIC
    • THE ARTS
    • MOVIES
    • CULTURE
  • SPORTS
    • BASEBALL
    • BASKETBALL
    • COLLEGES
    • FOOTBALL
    • GOLF
    • HOCKEY
    • OLYMPICS
    • SOCCER
    • TENNIS
  • Subscribe to RSS Feeds EMAIL ALERT Subscriptions from iHaveNet.com RSS
    • RSS | Politics
    • RSS | Recipes
    • RSS | NFL Football
    • RSS | Movie Reviews

Can You Give Your Cat a Bath?
Dorian Wagner

HOME > LIFESTYLES > PETS

Cat baths are usually the things that YouTube videos are made of. A quick search of the term "cat bath" yields 29,100 results, 95 percent of which, I'm sure, don't end well for the cat's owner. What you get is a soggy, miserable-looking kitty and a soggy, equally miserable-looking (and possibly shredded) human.

So what if you want your cat to look and smell extra-spiffy for the holidays and the company you're having? The good news is that indoor cats generally don't require baths. A gentle brushing once a week with a special de-furring comb, such as the FURminator, not only removes loose top hairs, but also gets to the undercoat, which is where dander and other allergens lurk.

If a bath is necessary, follow the tips below.

I've given my share of cat baths, and I have the scars to prove it. The key is to have a plan, keep everything you need handy and ask someone else to help you, if possible.

Depending on the size of your pet, it may be less scary and easier for you to maneuver and rinse your cat in the sink.

Cats don't like to be submerged. Use lukewarm water, and gently bathe your cat with your hands or a spray attachment with a soft stream.

Choose pet shampoo that is nontoxic. Never use dish soap or anything that could irritate your cat's skin.

Wet, lather and rinse as quickly as possible, paying close attention to not suds up your kitty's eyes. You may need one person to hold the cat and one person to wash it.

Have a large, absorbent towel ready to totally cocoon your cat in when the bath is over.

Allow your cat to air-dry. Never blow-dry your cat's fur; the heat is too much for its sensitive skin. If you must use a blow-dryer to quicken the process, be sure it is on the warm -- not hot -- setting.

Above all, do not fight or hurt your cat. Sometimes giving a cat a bath means giving yourself one too, and that's exactly how I had to do it with my kitten. The only way my cat would allow me to wash it was to let it climb on my back. I stood hunched over in the shower, cat on my back, as my roommate washed the cat. I was soaked and slightly scratched, but the cat was clean!

 

SocialTwist Tell-a-Friend

 

Twitter: @ihavenet

 

Recent Pet Articles

  • Make Your Senior Dog Feel at Home
  • Top 5 Ways to Improve Life for Your Senior Dog
  • Healthy Nutrition for Your Senior Dog
  • How to Care for Your Arthritic Dog
  • How to Introduce Your Puppy to Your Cat
  • Tibetan Spaniels: The Dog for Cat People
  • How You and Your Dog Can Go Green
  • Dieting With My Dog
  • Dog Fitness Centers
  • Running With Your Dog During Cooler Weather
  • Take Care of Your Dog's Hot Spots
  • How to Introduce a New Pet to Your Old Pet
  • Should You Clothe Your Cat?
  • Cat Sleep Routines
  • Can You Give Your Cat a Bath?
  • Healthy Nutrition for Your Senior Cat
  • Top 3 Apps for Cats
  • Breed Match
  • Doga: Yoga Your Dog Will Love
  • Groom Your Dog Like a Pro
  • Puppy, Get That out of Your Mouth!
  • Terminate Stinky Dog Breath
  • The Schipperke: Escape Artist Extraordinaire
  • Help Your Dog Cope With Holiday Guests
  • Coping With the Loss of a Dog
  • Cat Breeds for Dog Lovers
  • Teach Your Dog to Enjoy Your Garden Without Destroying It
  • How to Play Tug-of-war With Dogs
  • Size up Your Puppy's Food
  • What's Not to Love About Yorkies?
  • What to Ask a Dog Breeder
  • Train Your Aggressive, Biting Kitten
  • Can Cats Find Their Way Home?
  • Caring for Your Arthritic Cat
  • Keep Your Cat Calm During Storms
  • Top 5 Ways to Improve Life for Your Senior Cat

For more Pet Stories and Articles, Click Here to Visit our Pets Section

 

Copyright © 2012 Studio One Networks. All rights reserved.

 

Brought to you by Eukanuba

Search Powered By Google

Google Search   

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertisement

ADVERTISEMENT

Advertisement

Your Ad Here
Your Ad Here
  • HOME
  • WORLD
  • USA
  • BUSINESS
  • WEALTH
  • STOCKS
  • TECH
  • HEALTH
  • LIFESTYLE
  • ENTERTAINMENT
  • SPORTS

 

Pets | Cats: Can You Give Your Cat a Bath?

  • Services:
  • RSS Feeds
  • Shopping
  • Email Alerts
  • Site Map
  • Privacy