Surely you want to have the best experiences in the course of your life. With cats this is no different, but there is a great concern of tutors with regard to bathing and how to make this moment pleasant.
In this sense, common questions arise: is it really necessary to bathe a cat? When is this indicated? What are the precautions to carry out this process properly?
Continue in this post and see this information and also other relevant points on the subject.
Contents
IS IT NECESSARY TO BATHE CATS?
It depends! Cats have the ability to keep themselves clean, as they spend most of their day performing this “natural bath” with their own tongue. These felines have a very rough tongue, which means that, when they lick themselves, they remove most of the impurities and dead hair that are on their body.
A big reason for this frequent self-cleaning is to restore its natural smell. Even cats have a highly developed and sensitive sense of smell to easily detect any abnormality in the smells around them.
Cats already start to clean themselves and improve their hygiene notions since they are puppies, with approximately four weeks to live. Therefore, bathing cats is not mandatory, which becomes a choice for tutors.
However, it is important to understand that it is not interesting to perform this procedure too often and improperly, as this can harm the feline’s health.
WHEN IS CAT BATH INDICATED?
The truth is that this decision will depend a lot on the tutor’s routine, the habits of the house and the characteristics of the animal. Very hairy, elderly or fat cats, for example, often find it difficult to perform hygiene alone, so they should be bathed every 1 or 3 months.
In cases of tutors with allergic problems, baths are also recommended. That’s because, owners can have crises triggered by excess dead hair in the environment.
Finally, another exception that justifies the need for the cat to bathe is the veterinary recommendation, if the pet has dermatological problems or some other factor that justifies this process.
WHAT ARE THE RISKS OF AN INADEQUATE BATH?
Bathing without respecting your cat’s health can be very expensive, causing illnesses and colds , which can progress and lead to more serious cases that, unfortunately, result in death.
In addition, there are several studies that relate bathing cats with acute stress crises. Which can promote increased blood levels of glucose and stress-related hormones such as cortisol and norepinephrine.
Therefore, before thinking about bathing your furry friend, make sure that you have all the necessary conditions for this, otherwise it is more feasible to take him to a specialized veterinary clinic so that the bathing experience is the most appropriate and comfortable for the pet.
WHAT ARE THE MAIN PRECAUTIONS WHEN BATHING A CAT?
If your veterinarian indicates the need to bathe the cat, be aware of the six precautions listed below and never force a bath, as this can stress the pet even more.
1. HAVE AN IDEAL BATHING PLACE
Bath time can be very stressful for cats due to a number of factors and one of them is the bathing location.
The ideal place to clean your furry friend is a basin or a sink that is comfortable for him. This place should be quiet and without too much light, noises and noises that will make the cat nervous.
2. ALWAYS USE WARM WATER
The water temperature should be pleasant for your feline, which means that it needs to be neither too hot nor too cold, as these extreme temperatures can cause anything from the flu to serious skin problems .
Also avoid strong jets of water on the cat. A good alternative for this is to wet it using a bucket or a small bowl of water.
3. USE THE RIGHT MATERIALS
There are soaps and shampoos made for cats. Knowing this, it’s important to acquire good products to apply to your furry skin.
Soaps and other hygiene products used by us human beings can harm pets, in addition to the fact that some of these substances have strong smells, a fact that causes discomfort to the animal.
4. HAVE EVERYTHING AT YOUR FINGERTIPS
When bathing your cat, everything must be prepared to avoid as much as possible making this moment bad for him.
So, make sure that the soap, towel or any other item is within easy reach so that your cat doesn’t have to be alone, even if it’s for a few seconds, because that’s enough for him to hate and have traumas of that moment.
5. OFFER PET STIMULI
Another strategy to make your cat forget that bathing can be a bad experience is the use of stimuli, such as caresses before, during and after that moment, in addition to that tasty treat as a reward.
6. RESPECT THE FREQUENCY OF BATHS
Never overdo the amount of bathing your cat. The intervals between these baths can vary from five weeks to more than six months, if it is really necessary to bathe the cat.
When in doubt, seek a veterinary doctor to establish a correct frequency for this procedure.
DO CATS LIKE WATER?
Naturally, cats, like other felines, are not so adept at contact with water, which is contrary to most dogs, for example.
In view of this, take measures to ensure that the cat is not terrified of water, such as: introducing baths to the cat from a young age and leaving bowls of water close to it so that it gradually gets used to it until it is time for the bath. Everything must be done respecting the limits of the feline and its health.
