Cats are clean animals that are also said to hate water.
So you need to bathe your cat?
We give the best tips for fur care and sort it out once and for all: do cats really hate water?
How do I know if my cat needs to bathe?
Whether you should bathe your cat depends on what coat it has. Farm cats and other short-haired people are usually able to keep themselves clean and do not need to be bathed. However, if you have a long-haired cat, you sometimes need to help it wash itself.
The cats that need to be washed most often are actually naked cats. A naked cat has no fur that absorbs the fat that is secreted from the cat’s skin, which makes it really sticky.
How often do you need to bathe your cat? Aim to bathe a long-haired cat about every two months. If the coat becomes very oily, dull or dirty, you can wash the cat more often than that. The same applies if you have a show cat that needs a fur in top condition.
Remember to brush out or cut off any tangles before bathing the cat – otherwise the tangles will get worse when the cat is wet.
Do cats really dislike water?
The old saying that cats hate water is partly true, but it is very individual.
Some cats find it uncomfortable to get wet while other cats love bathrooms, toilet water and running tap water.
Some cats do not mind water in itself, but they dislike the washing situation where they are restrained and forced to bathe.
The rumor that cats hate water makes many people choose not to bathe their kittens.
A cat that is not used to being washed will find it more uncomfortable to bathe than a cat that starts bathing early in life. If you have a kitten, it is therefore time to start bathing it right now to get it used to water.
If your cat really hates water, bathing it can feel like an impossible task. Then try a dry shampoo instead to clean the cat’s fur.
How to bathe a cat?
If you have a long-haired cat, step one is to brush off the coat. Put the cat in a tub, bath or shower and gently soak the coat.
Avoid soaking the cat’s head – No water should enter the cat’s sensitive ears. Massage cat shampoo into the coat and rinse.
Always shampoo at least twice to make the cat really clean. A long-haired cat and cats with dry skin feel good about finishing the bathing routine with a conditioner. Always rinse the coat thoroughly before drying the cat dry with a towel.
Which cat shampoo should I choose?
There are several different cat shampoos to choose from when bathing your cat.
If the cat has problems with its fur or skin, you may need to buy a special shampoo, but otherwise it does not have to be that complicated.
A shampoo for normal fur is suitable for most animals. You can even use a mild baby shampoo.
The most important thing is that you rinse out the shampoo thoroughly.