How To Bath A Cat

Cats can live their whole lives without needing a bath. They tend to keep themselves scrupulously clean through their own grooming. This combined with grooming, may well mean they never need to enter the sometimes dreaded kitty bath.

A white and grey cat with a beautiful clean coat climbing out of the tub

However some cats are unable to clean themselves and some breeds of cat need bathing regularly. When you decide that your cat needs a bath there are some things you can do to try and make the process stress free.

A black and white Persian cat having a warm bubble bath

A Step By Step Guide On How To Bath Your Cat

Take your cat into the bathroom and close the door to prevent any possible escapes.

Place a towel or rubber mat in the bottom of the sink or bath you are going to use.

Place some toys in the empty bath tub and play with your cat until you think she is tired.

Remove your cat from the bath and allow her to explore the bathroom whilst you add a few inches of warm water to the tub (not hot and no more than 4 inches deep).

Place your cat in the bath and gently support her. Talk to her in a soothing voice and try not to grab or hold her forcefully. If your cat panics then get her out of the bath in a calm manner, comfort her and try again another day.

If your cat seems happy enough in the bath you can begin washing her. Use water first and when she tolerant of this you can use a special cat shampoo. Make sure you read the instructions on the cat shampoo but it is usually a case of massaging the shampoo into the cat’s fur and then rinsing out.

A wet cat that needs drying after just having a bath

When your cat has finished bath time you can take her out of the tub and use some warm towels to blot the excess water from her coat.

Some cats will benefit from being dried with a hairdryer but many find this very frightening. See if your cat seems scared by the noise of a hairdryer and if she is then don’t bother. Instead make sure she has a warm place to sit (next to a radiator or fire) and dry off. If she seems happy with a hairdryer you can gently dry her. But make sure the hair dryer isn’t hot as it is easy to burn your cat’s skin.