Grooming your family pet can be a complicated and frustrating experience, especially if that pet just happens to be a cat. The feline temperament can make them tricky to deal with, and many pet owners do not even bother trying. They often shrug off the responsibility of cat grooming with the idea that cats are constantly cleaning themselves anyway, so why bother?

Once you have a bad experience with grooming, it is natural to be reluctant to go through the process again, but you should not give up. Giving your cat a bath can be a rewarding experience. It is a good bonding experience between owner and pet and will help you both lead healthier, happier lives together. Proper grooming, which includes brushing and bathing, help cats lead longer, healthier lives and reduces problems such as matting of the fur and hairballs. It also helps control shedding and smelly cat problems.

For every cat bathing horror story, there are cuddly, well groomed kitties purring contentedly in their owner’s lap. One of the main keys in achieving this state of bliss is to be consistent in your cat grooming routines. Starting a grooming routine when your cat is still a kitten can help acclimate your cat to baths, making future baths faster, easier, and more comfortable for you and your pet. Patience and preparation are also important. If you don’t take the time to properly prepare for a grooming session and do not take steps to soothe and comfort your cat, bath time can be a traumatic experience for both of you.

Preparation

It is a good idea to brush your cat and clip his or her nails before a bath.

You may want to do this the day before the bath itself, if your pet is not very tolerant of grooming. If your pet enjoys being brushed, it is a great way to relax both of you before a bath. Brushing will remove a lot of excess fur that will only clog your drain later as well as releasing and distributing essential natural oils throughout your pet’s coat. Removing loose fur prior to a bath will also allow soap to better penetrate the coat, enabling a more thorough cleaning. Clipping your pet’s nails will lessen any damage that your kitty might cause if he or she panics and struggles during the grooming process.

Make sure you have set aside enough time for the entire grooming process.

You do not want to rush through anything if you can avoid it. With a pet that enjoys grooming, this may be a quick process, but a more difficult animal will require more time and patience. If you can set aside a block of time that will be quiet and relatively distraction free, it would be ideal. The entire process shouldn’t take longer than 10-20 minutes, but if you have an especially difficult animal, a problem with matted fur or sticky substances in the fur, or have never given your pet a bath, you may want to have as much as an hour free for this activity.

Have your supplies and staging area ready.

I recommend using the bathroom tub and not the kitchen sink, because it is easier to keep the animal contained. You do not want an upset, soapy cat running through your home.

You should also have plenty of towels on hand. Long furred cats soak up a lot of water and will require more towels for drying than a short haired feline. I recommend having two to three towels for drying set aside. It is also a good idea to have plenty of towels on the floor of the bathroom in case your pet jumps out of the tub. It isn’t necessary to use your best, fluffiest towels for the job or to even use freshly laundered ones. Any clean, dry towel will do. An old blanket would also make an adequate floor covering, if you wish to use one.

Other supplies to have on hand include: a bottle of shampoo, a quick rinsing cat shampoo is best though a mild liquid soap such as baby bath could be used, and a large plastic cup for rinsing. Place these on the floor, within easy reach of the bath tub.

It is also a good idea to remove any glass objects from the room, as well as anything that could be knocked over and broken or spilled, in case the cat jumps from the tub and attempts escape.

Bathing

When you have all supplies ready, fill the bath tub with about four to six inches of warm water. You are now ready to get your cat and begin the bathing process.

Be gentle and soothing, not aggressive. If your cat is hard to handle, you may want to ask someone to help you with the bathing process. One person can hold the cat and try to keep him or her calm, while the other washes the animal.

Bring your cat into the bathroom and close the door. Gently and slowly, place the cat in the tub, feet first. Speak softly and stroke the cat in a reassuring manner. Using the plastic cup, pour water gently over your cat, being careful not to get water in the animal’s face. If your cat is upset and trying to get away, hold him or her in place gently but firmly with one hand at the back of the neck while taking the soap bottle in the other hand and squirting a thin line of soap down the cat’s back. If your cat enjoys water and bathing and is not trying to get away you may squeeze a small amount of soap into one hand, then rub both hands together so a lather forms. With both hands, massage the shampoo into the cat’s fur from the base of its neck to the end of its tail. Gently, lift the cat and rub soap along his or her underside and down each leg. Pay special attention to any matted or heavily soiled areas. Try to work out any knots and/or debris slowly and gently. Carefully, wash the head with your fingers, being sure not to get soap in the animal’s eyes or nose. This can be a very enjoyable head scratch and ear rub for your cat.

If you are bathing a more difficult animal with the help of a friend, one person will hold the cat gently and firmly while the other washes and rinses. It can be much easier to bathe your pet with help because one person can lift and move the cat as necessary while the other has more freedom to concentrate on cleaning any problem areas.

When your cat has been soaped up and cleaned, take the plastic cup, fill it with water, and slowly pour over the animal to rinse. Repeat this until all soap has been thoroughly rinsed from the fur. The water dripping from your cat should be clear, not cloudy when completely rinsed. Remember, any soap that you don’t rinse out, the cat will be licking out of its fur later, so please, rinse thoroughly.

Next, pick up your cat and remove from the bath tub. Gently squeeze excess water from its fur, if you can while still holding the animal over the tub. Then drape a towel over your cat and blot water from his or her fur. Do not rub vigorously as this will most likely aggravate your pet. You may need to use more than one towel. Do not blow dry, most cats won’t tolerate it. As long as your cat stays warm, it is perfectly safe for your pet’s damp fur to air dry.

After

Following a bath, your pet may prefer to run off and hide somewhere to dry off on his or her own. This is fine. If you do not want your pet to curl up on your furniture and leave a big wet spot, you may want to contain it in one room and/or lay down dry towels or old blankets on his or her favorite sleeping spots. Do not threaten or intimidate your pet as this will make bathing a traumatic experience which will result in more difficulty with grooming in the future. Reward your feline friend for good behavior with treats and affection.

You and your cat may find bathing to be unpleasant at first, but if you make it a regular part of your routine, are gentle and soothing, and reward your feline companion with treats and affection, it will become easier. You may even come to enjoy the experience.