Bathing a cat is an extremely controversial and complex issue. In most cases, the animal remains completely unhappy with the procedure itself: it breaks out of hands, tries to jump out of the bath at the most crucial moment, awarding the owner with noticeable scratches. The most active representatives of the cat family begin to kick, bite, show other signs of obvious displeasure. Some owners, not knowing what to do right, begin to ask others if they should expose the pet to water procedures. When wondering if a cat needs to be washed, some important points need to be taken into account.
The need for a procedure
Many people doubt whether it is necessary to resort to washing this clean animal at all. The fact is that cats quite independently cope with maintaining the cleanliness of their fur coat. They lick endlessly in a rough language and do not allow the appearance of significant contaminants. It is noteworthy that females are much more accurate than males.
This is noted by those who have representatives of both sexes in the apartment. Thinking about whether to wash a cat and how often, certain circumstances should be taken into account. No need to rush and try to satisfy your whim just because such a thought even occurred to me. You should think it over well and only then make a decision.
Severe stress
Before you start bathing a cat, you must remember that for an animal the procedure is always a big shock. It does not understand what is happening to him, and is very scared. Sometimes the shock is quite strong. If you are considering whether to wash your cat, bear in mind that it will in any case experience stress. In order to somehow minimize her worries, try to calm the darling.
To do this, you first need to stroke it, try to say a few kind words. Admittedly, the animal always responds to affection. In the power of the owner to reduce the level of anxiety of his pet. After all, no pet can calm itself on its own. Animals lack the ability to think constructively.
Wool length
This factor is of great importance. There is no particular need to further torture the shorthair animal. In the best case, you can’t change the situation in any way; in the worst case, only harm your beloved being. If you expose your pet to the washing process too often, then there is a great risk of worsening the situation. The owner of a long luxurious fur coat, of course, will have to bathe more often, but should not be abused. Many owners are so addicted that they do not notice how they themselves begin to harm their pet. It is necessary to think in advance about whether it is possible to bathe cats and how often to do it, before the unpleasant consequences begin to appear.
Health status
A sick animal should never be bathed. Even if the cat is only slightly unwell, it is better to postpone the procedure for a certain period. Your health condition can significantly deteriorate if you begin to insist on making your pet crystal clear. Even if significant changes do not occur, the pet will experience much more stress than if you waited and subjected it to the bathing procedure later. Even when the animal is completely healthy, there is no particular need to make it suffer additionally, experiencing fear and horror.
Fleas
If the animal is infected with parasites, the bathing procedure justifies itself. The presence of fleas incredibly exhausts the cat, makes it nervous and irritable. Constant itching brings a lot of inconvenience, makes you experience certain suffering. In this case, it is necessary to bathe the animal with a special anti-flea shampoo. If the result is not achieved immediately, after a while the procedure will need to be completely repeated.
Living in an apartment
Is it necessary to wash a cat if it is domestic and is never outdoors? This question excites many. Usually a caring owner wants the pet to look like a royal: well-groomed shiny coat, healthy appearance. You can achieve this result by switching to proper nutrition, regularly combing out excess hair.
If you do not properly care for the animal, but simply expose it to frequent washing, you cannot achieve a satisfactory result. A cat can even get sick, become lethargic and lethargic. It should be remembered that the pet living in the apartment does not need frequent water procedures. You need to wash it only when it is very dirty.
Warm weather
It would be a big mistake to consider that pets need special events in the summer. When thinking about whether to wash a cat in the heat, one should be guided by purely common sense.
Warm weather does not mean that the animal should be subjected to water procedures. Sometimes it’s enough just to comb out your pet once again, so that it is easier to bear the heat. You can not thoughtlessly approach the health of your four-legged friend.
Winter time
In the cold season, felinologists generally do not recommend exposing a pet to water procedures. The fact is that the animal can catch a cold as a result of hypothermia and get sick. You need to be especially careful to prevent the appearance of certain ailments. In winter, cats like to stay warm. For this reason, dry thick wool is able to store heat. If, after washing, the animal is in a draft, then it is unlikely that health problems will be avoided in the future. It is necessary to take care of the four-legged friend, try to anticipate the consequences of their actions in advance.
Animal age
Bathing small kittens is generally not recommended. Their delicate hair needs additional protection. If the animal is less than one year old, it is best to take a while with a bath. Having become older, the pet will be able to more easily transfer the procedure itself. Does a cat need to be washed if she is already over twelve months old, but there is no need for it? Most probably not.
Subjecting the animal once again to stress, we do not contribute to changes for the better. You must admit to yourself that in most cases, the desire to redeem a pet is dictated only by a personal momentary impulse. Many succumb to him, without realizing that this is absolutely not necessary at the moment.
Frequency of bathing
If you are convinced that bathing is a necessity for your pet, you need to decide on the frequency of taking a bath. You can not expose the animal to the procedure only for the reason that the owner so wanted. You need to know how often you can wash a cat so as not to harm its health. Bathing a pet should occur no more than 2-3 times a year. This is enough to completely clean the soft fur from dirt and dust. Do not forget that the animal perfectly licks itself with a tongue, and does it very carefully.
Breed features
It turns out that one should pay attention to such an important characteristic. There are a number of breeds that need to be bathed periodically and thoroughly combed. If this is not done, the likelihood of the formation of unpleasant tangles.
For example, Maine Coons, Persians and Siberians should preferably be washed at least once or twice a month. However, the Siamese breed, burmese or oriental does not need to interact so much with water. Having washed off the protective layer from the skin, it is possible to reduce the animal’s immunity, then it will begin to hurt and worry more often.
Thus, the question of whether to wash a cat has a very clear answer. Many factors need to be addressed before making a final decision. It is recommended to weigh all the circumstances, to understand the reasons that prompted the owner to do this. Being responsible for your pet is the most natural thing that should be in the head of the owner.