Contrary to what some may believe, kittens are not born naked. Their skin is covered by a short, soft and/or sometimes wooly like hair or fur. Sometimes the kitten’s fur is already a similar color to what is expected as an adult, other times it is not. Most kittens will develop a coarser, longer, and sometimes darker coat by the time they reach six to eight months of age. This also depends on the breed of the cat, as different breeds have different rates of coat development. Other factors that may determine a cat’s coat development include day length, hormones, average outdoor temperature, and nutrition.

Interesting Facts About A Cat’s Fur

Did you know that cats have four types of hair? There are short fluffy hairs that are referred to as secondary hairs, underfur or undercoat. The second type of hair is the longer and stiffer outer hairs that are called primary hairs. These hairs are also sometimes referred to as guard hairs, outer hairs, or the outer coat. Unlike some other mammals, cats have hair called awn hairs. Awn hairs are much thinner than primary hairs. Last but not least, a cat’s whiskers are actually specially developed hairs known as tactile hairs. These tactile hairs help the cat sense their surroundings.

The ratio of the number of primary to secondary hairs in a cat can differ by age and/or breed. Newborn cats actually lack primary hairs. This is why a kitten’s coat is short and short. Usually after about 6 months a kitten will have developed a good number of primary hairs so that their coats are longer and coarser. Many variations exist again depending upon cat breed and can affect different factors of the coat such as length, color, and/or texture.

Each hair on a cat grows from a simple opening within the skin known as the hair follicle. Even more interesting, kittens are born with all of the hair follicles it will ever possess. Any future differences or changes of the cat’s coat will be due to changes within the follicle. Each hair shaft produced by a cat’s hair follicle will eventually die and be shed and replaced by a new hair shaft produced by that particular hair follicle.

Cats continuously shed dead hair from their hair follicles and replace them with a new live and growing hair. Technically there is no such thing as a non-shedding breed of cat. The extent or rapidity to which an individual cat sheds is however governed by age, amount of sunlight, breed, sex, hormones, outside temperatures, allergies, nutrition, health, etc.
Shedding

Depending on the breed of cat and the cat as an individual, each cat will shed and regrow hair at different rates. If a cat sheds often it is more noticeable than if he or she sheds extensively but for a period of only several weeks. Most indoor cats tend to shed in a more or less continuous fashion due to artificial heat and light. While cats that are kept strictly outdoors tend to shed for several weeks during major seasonal changes, most notably during spring and fall. Usually outdoor cats can be found shedding more secondary hairs in the fall for warmth and the losing the underfur in the spring to replace most of it with longer primary hairs. The hair coat also changes in appearance and texture; however the absolute numbers of hair follicles and hair does not.

Hair Growth In A Cat

Interesting enough, the hair of a cat does not actually grow continuously, but rather in cycles. Similar to how we humans grow eyebrows. Anagen is the first phase in which the hair is produced. During this phase, the new hair grows alongside the old hair, which is subsequently lost. Catagen is an intermediate stage in the cycle, and telogen is the resting phase in which the cat’s hair follicle is basically left dormant. Kitty’s hair follicles are not all in the same phase at the same time either, which explains why we do not see a lot of bald cats.

Although you may have grown up watching cartoons or reading children’s stories where the neighborhood friendly feline gets a cup of cream or milk and is perfectly content upon receiving it, the truth of the matter is that in reality most cats are technically lactose intolerant.

Lactose Intolerance In Cats

Contrary to what many people may believe or have seen in the media, many cats just like people, actually have trouble properly digesting milk due to its lactose (milk sugar) content. The result? Violent diarrhea and/or stomach upset and a not so happy kitty.

According to cat nutritionists and veterinarians the only time animals are exposed to lactose is when they are babies – in their mother’s milk. In order to digest lactose, both the human and feline digestive systems must contain the enzyme lactase. While we have plenty of this enzyme in our systems at birth and it helps us thrive on our mother’s milk, as we get older and start growing up, it is completely normal for people and even cats to begin producing less lactase. What this means is that we begin to lose our capability to properly digest lactose. Eventually possibly leading to lactose intolerance.

What Happens When A Cat Drinks Milk?

When a lactose intolerant cat drinks milk, the undigested lactose passes through the intestinal tract, drawing water in with it. Bacteria in the colon also ferment the undigested milk sugars, thus producing volatile fatty acids and leading to upset stomach, diarrhea and possibly even vomiting. The most common symptom in lactose intolerant cats is diarrhea, and usually occurs within 8 to 12 hours after ingesting the milk.

If you are reading all of these facts and wondering why Mr. Boots has never shown any signs of distress when you fed him a bit of milk in the past it could just be because your cat can tolerate milk just fine. Some cats have a higher tolerance for lactose than others, it really just depends on the cat, but in any case milk should only be given to cats sparingly and as a very special treat every now and then.

What If I’m Not Sure Of My Cat’s Tolerance For Milk?

If you are not sure whether or not milk is a good idea for your cat, the best way to check your cat’s milk tolerance is to try offering him or her a tablespoon or two of milk. If you do not see any symptoms within a day, chances are good that your cat will do just fine with a bit of milk as an occasional treat. Just keep in mind that this should be just that, an occasional treat. In fact, most veterinarians do not recommend giving your feline milk. Cats do not need it, and the potential problems that come along with it actually outweigh the benefits.

An important rule of thumb to follow is that treats of all sorts whether it be milk, tuna, meat, cheese, or other foods that we humans consume on a daily basis, should make up no more than 5 to 10% of your cat’s diet. The rest of your cat’s calories should come from a high quality, nutritionally complete cat food.

If you are not exactly sure what this means for your cat, you should speak with your veterinarian or a pet nutritionist. It is also important to remember that offering your cat table food can often teach them to be finicky.

Lactose In Other Forms

Sometimes a cat that can’t tolerate lactose in milk may be able to eat other forms of dairy such as yogurt, cheese, butter, cream or ice cream and/or vice versa. This is because different forms of dairy foods contain varying amounts of lactose. There are two reasons for this. Foods like yogurts and ice creams are often diluted with other ingredients, such as water or added fats. In addition, they may also be cultured, meaning microorganisms have digested part of the lactose. Therefore, if you want to give a sensitive feline a bit of dairy, the chances of intolerance reaction are a lot less likely with cheese products, yogurts, and/or other cultured dairy.

Other Things To Consider

Kittens And Milk

Technically speaking, cow’s milk is inadequate for kittens. Though kitty’s have lactase in their system, simply speaking there is just not enough of it to properly digest the overload of lactose that is found in cow’s milk. However, the lactose is not the only problem. The casein to whey proportions are also a cause for concern when it comes to cats.

If your kitten is still a youngster and needs it’s mother’s milk, there are plenty of milk replacements on the market today that are made specifically for kittens to safely and properly consume and digest. These types of products can often be found being sold at your local veterinarian clinic or pet store.

These milk replacements often contain cow’s milk; however it has been modified to approach as closely as possible the nutrient composition of a mother cat’s milk. This means that the casein and whey rations have been adjusted and the amount of lactose has also usually been reduced significantly. If you are raising an orphaned kitten, milk replacements formulated specifically for kittens are definitely your best bet as far as milk products go.

Adult Cats And Milk Replacements

When it comes to adult cats and milk replacements on the other hand, these milk replacement products are just like any other dairy product. They can and should only be offered in small amounts as the occasional treat. The same goes for any dairy substitute designed for humans, and yes this even includes soy and lactose free milk products. They can be given to kitty as treats, but generally speaking, there is no other reason to use them.

Cats And Water

One last but very important thing to keep in mind is that milk should never be used as a substitute for water. Your cat will always require plenty of fresh, clean water. Water not only keeps your cat hydrated, it also helps your cat regulate body temperature, digest food, eliminate waste, lubricate tissue, and allows salt and other electrolytes to pass through the body with ease.
To encourage your cat to drink water, try placing several bowls all at different depths around the house. Many cats love flowing water. There are plenty of pet stores out there that sell fresh flowing kitty fountains for a decent price. The best thing about these products? They are usually dishwasher safe and come with replaceable filters, making them easy to keep clean and giving your kitty only the best quality H20.

It can be difficult at times to know which types of foods are and are not okay to feed to your kitty. Generally speaking, peanuts and/or pistachios are not considered to be toxic to cats however all nuts contain fats, which can cause gastrointestinal upset, including vomiting and diarrhea. In other words, your cat would be better off if you didn’t feed it such things. Here we will look at the health risks involved with feeding peanuts to your cat.

High Fat Content Can Lead To Potential Health Risks

Foods such as nuts, which contain high fat content can product an inflammatory condition of the pancreas known as pancreatitis. Many commercial nuts are heavily salted which also poses a risk for the development of sodium ion toxicosis when consumed in large quantities. Another important thing to consider is that cats cannot properly digest peanuts like we humans can.
The bottom line? While the occasional peanut is not likely to be a major issue for your cat, it is not recommended that you feed your cat a significant amount of nuts as it can actually cause more harm than good. Besides, cats can’t taste sweetness anyways, so he or she probably won’t be very disappointed if you don’t feed them peanuts. If your kitty accidentally eats a peanut or two they will probably be okay in the long run, but you should try to avoid willingly feeding your cat this type of food and in the future should try to keep peanuts and other foods like these away from kitty’s reach just to be safe.

Maintaining A Balanced Diet

A cat’s diet should be well balanced and foods such as peanuts or other types of nuts that are high in fat content and salt are better off avoided. A cat’s diet should be close to what he or she would eat naturally if out on their own in the world; this usually does not include nuts. Better safe than sorry.

Just like dogs are allergic to chocolate, so are cats. Chocolate poisoning or Theobromine poisoning is an overdose reaction to the alkaloidtheobromine that is found in products such as chocolate, tea, cola beverages, acai berries among other foods. Cacao beans contain about 1.2% theobromine by weight, while processed chocolate, generally contains smaller amounts. Highly refined chocolate candies typically have smaller amounts than say that of dark chocolate or unsweetened chocolate used for baking.

Typically speaking, the amount of theobromine that is found in chocolate is small enough that it is able to be safely consumed by humans. However there have been some occasional side effects from the consumption of larger quantities, especially in the elderly. In extreme cases, emergency room treatment may be necessary.

Why Cats Are Allergic To Chocolate

The affects that chocolate have on domesticated animals is much more serious and this type of poisoning unfortunately has been known to happen accidentally and frequently on many occasions. One reason that chocolate is so dangerous for your feline friend to consume is because cats and other domesticated animals metabolize theobromine at much slower rates than we humans do. If large numbers of chocolate are consumed it can trigger life threatening pancreatic several days later.

Typically, the most common victims of chocolate poisoning are dogs, for which it can be fatal. However, the toxic dose for cats is even lower than for dogs. One good thing to note however is that cats are generally less prone to be found sneaking into chocolate since they are actually unable to taste sweetness.

Symptoms Of Theobromine/Chocolate Poisoning

Initially the first signs of theobromine poisoning are as follows and typically appear within 10 hours of ingestion:

• Nausea
• Vomiting
• Diarrhea
• Increased urination
• Excitability
• Irregular heart rhythms
• Slow heart rate
• Dehydration

Eventually the above symptoms can progress to:

• Cardiac Arrhythmias
• Epileptic Seizures
• Heart Attacks
• Internal Bleeding
• Death

What To Do If You Suspect Your Cat Has Ingested Chocolate

The basic rule to keep in mind when it comes to a cat consuming chocolate is that the more cocoa in the chocolate, the higher the levels of theobromine. Plain and/or dark chocolate contain more cocoa than milk chocolate and have 4.5 to 10 times more theobromine in them. The amount of theobromine in chocolate also varies from one manufacturer to the next.

The toxic dose of Theobromine for pets is 100-200 mg/kg. (1 kilogram equals 2.2 pounds). There are many charts that you can find online to help you figure out the amount of theobromine found in chocolate etc.

Rapid Response And Treatment

If you suspect that your cat has eaten a large quantity of chocolate there are certain steps that you can take to ensure that your pet is getting the best treatment necessary. They are as follows:

• Don’t panic! Panicking can interfere with the process of helping your pet.
• Take a few seconds to safely collect any have on hand any material involved in the accident. This may greatly benefit the situation when it comes time to talk to your vet or APCC toxicologists, as they may be able to determine what poisons are involved.
• In the event that your pet needs to be taken to a veterinarian if possible, take the product’s container or wrapper with you. Be sure to also collect in a sealable bag any material that your cat may have vomited or chewed.

If you witness your pet consuming toxic material do not hesitate to seek emergency assistance, even if you do not notice any symptoms. Sometimes, even if poisoned an animal may appear normal for several hours or even days after the incident. Time is of the essence when it comes to saving your cat’s life.

Call your local veterinarian or the ASPCA animal poison control center for more information. The telephone number for the ASPCA poison control center is (888) 426-3335. There is a $65 consultation fee for this service, but isn’t your cat’s life worth it?

Having the following information on hand is extremely helpful:

• The species, breed, age, sex, weight, and number of animals involved
• The animal’s symptoms
• Information regarding the exposure, including the agent, the amount of agent involved and the time elapsed since the time of exposure
• If possible have the product packaging available for reference

If your cat is losing consciousness, suffering from seizures, or is having difficulty breathing, telephone ahead and bring your cat to your local veterinarian or clinic immediately. Treatment can potentially save your cat’s life. This often includes inducing your cat to vomit, limiting the absorption of the toxin by administering activated charcoal as an absorbent, and/or administering intravenous fluid therapy to prevent dehydration. Your vet or poison control center will know what is best in this type of situation. Never ignore theobromine poisoning, this could make the difference in whether or not your cat lives or dies.

Preventing And Dealing With Future Kitty Emergencies

When it comes to preventing theobromine poisoning and other emergencies in the future it is a great idea to invest in an emergency first aid kit for kitty. This kit should include the following items:

• Phone numbers to your local veterinarian clinics, poison control centers, etc.
• A fresh bottle of hydrogen peroxide (3% USP) used to induce vomiting
• A turkey baster, bulb syringe or large medicine syringe (used to administer peroxide)
• Saline eye solution
• Artificial tear gel (this will be used to lubricate eyes after flushing)
• Dishwashing liquid (mild and grease cutting) – Will be used for bathing an animal after skin contamination
• Forceps to help remove stingers
• Muzzle (can be used to protect against fear or excitement induced biting during emergency)
• A can of your pet’s favorite wet food (can be used to calm the animal)
• A pet carrier

It is not uncommon for cats to come down with a cold every now and then. The symptoms of such a cold will be very similar to the symptoms humans experience when they have a cold. Your cat may exhibit the following symptoms: sneezing, coughing, wheezing, runny nose or mouth, mucous discharge, breathing problems, cold sores, and/or red teary eyes with discharge. Cat colds are very contagious and interestingly enough cats are more susceptible to catching them during the summertime.

However, don’t fret if you have a cold. Your cat cannot contract a cold that way. The cold virus is species specific which means pets and humans cannot pass a cold back and forth to each other. Your cat can however pick up a cold from the kennel, vet, groomers, or if it is an indoor/outdoor cat it can pick up the virus if it encounters a cat with a cold outside. Cold’s are serious in cats, and especially in multiple cat households.

While we can take medication for our colds to better ourselves, cats cannot. Then what can you do for your cat? First of all, never try using human over the counter remedies. These are dangerous to the cat and can be fatal. Usually a cat’s cold lasts for about the same amount of time as a human cold (7-10 days) and they will eventually get over it as we do.

However this is not to say that a cat with a cold should just be overlooked and or left untreated. As mentioned before, colds in cats can be very serious and are very contagious to other cats. If the viral infection travels to the lungs or bronchial area it can cause a lower respiratory infection or a secondary infection can occur in the mouth, nose or eyes. Once a cat gets a respiratory infection it is possible for it to reoccur time and again. This is why it is important to contact your pet’s veterinarian at the first sign of a cold. This can prevent the cold from turning into something more serious and can also save you lots of costly vet bills in the long run.

A more serious upper respiratory infection would have the following symptoms: fever, enlarged lymph nodes, yellow or green discharge from the eyes and nose, and loss of appetite. Antibiotics from a vet would be necessary to treat this infection. If your cat is experiencing any cold like symptoms or the previously listed more dangerous symptoms it needs to be seen by a vet immediately.

Another reason it is important to get your cat to a veterinarian sooner rather than later is because a cat smells their food before eating it. If your cat has a cold he will not be able to smell his food and he will stop eating or drinking. This can cause dehydration to occur and the cat will start using its own fat stores for energy. This is really not good for kitty’s health. A cat needs to eat and drink because if it does not it can come down with a condition known as hepatic lipidosis also known as fatty liver syndrome, which in turn can become life threatening. If your cat shows any signs of not eating or drinking, do not wait, call your vet immediately.

There are two types of viruses that can cause a cat to have cold like symptoms. The first is known as feline herpesvirus (FHV) and the second is feline calcivirus (FCV). Keeping your cat up to date on its vaccinations is important as there are vaccines for both FHV and FCV that can be given at regular intervals. Keeping your cat indoors is also the smartest way to ensure your cat will not get sick.

A cat’s runny nose or drippy eyes can be wiped with a warm washcloth and giving them a little extra loving care can help too. However again this does not cure kitty completely, it just helps make him or her more comfortable, so checking with your vet is the number one thing to do here to ensure your cat can make a speedy recovery without any lasting medical problems.

Cats cannot see in complete darkness, but they can see better in the dark than we can. They can also see better in the dark than most other animals. The way a cat’s eye is structured is the reason for this. Cat’s have extremely large eyes for the size of their head. However these large eyes serve an important purpose and are quite unique compared to other animals. The cat’s eyeball is formed by several layers of tissue. The white part is known as the ‘sclera’. The sclera is made up of tough fibrous tissue rich in blood vessels. These blood vessels transport oxygen and nutrients to the contents of the eye. The clear outer part that covers the eye is known as the cornea. Made up of extremely thin layers of cells, the cornea is arranged in a unique way so that that it is transparent and allows light to enter unaffected into the cat’s eyeball.

The colored portion of the eye is known as the iris. A cat can open its iris very wide and its purpose is to let in as much light as possible. The back of the eye is known as the retina. A cat’s retina is composed of two major types of cells called rods and cones. These rods and cones are light sensitive. Rods are responsible for magnifying light impulses. The cat has an increased number of rods compared to humans. In humans, four out of five light sensitive cells in our retinas are rods. In cats twenty five out of twenty six cells are rods.

Cats also have a well developed mirror like layer located in the back of their eye. This is called tapetum lucidum. A number of animals besides cats, such as raccoons and deer have this as well. This is what makes their eyes glow in the dark when you shine headlights on them. When there isn’t a lot of light available, the cat’s tapetum lucidum reflects any light available back towards the front of the eyes. This is pretty cool, because it is almost like its allowing the cat to use the light twice to see better. Bottom line, because they are naturally nocturnal animals meaning they sleep during the day and are awake at night, cats are built to be able to see well even when there isn’t much light provided.

Cats are both nocturnal and diurnal. This means that they can be night animals and/or day animals. The way a cat’s eyes are designed allow them to have very good vision in both high and low light which means, they have no problems seeing in either situation. However cats usually lean more towards being nocturnal. They prefer to sleep during the day and stay more active at night. In fact its not uncommon for cats to sleep for hours at a time during the day. The average cat sleeps anywhere from sixteen to twenty something hours a day. Even though they have been bred to be brought up as domestic pets and to live with humans, they are predators by nature so they still have that natural instinct to hunt at night and sleep during the day.

Many cat owners find this to be problematic, as their cat is so active at night it often keeps people in the household wide awake. The good news is there are a number of ways that one can help their cat adapt to your lifestyle and change its sleeping patterns to be diurnal. Keeping it awake during the day is one of the easiest ways to get your cat to sleep more during the night. Playing with kitty and keeping him or her entertained during the day will make kitty exhausted when its finally night time. Using cat nip a few hours before bed can help too, it will get kitty active and then make him pass out later after he’s had his fun running around the house.

For pet owners who are not home much during the day, keeping lots of cat toys around to entertain kitty can also be helpful. Changing the toys every so often will help kitty from becoming bored. If your cat likes to wake you up during the night, try closing the bedroom door so that kitty doesn’t bother you. This doesn’t work for every cat. Some are quite stubborn and will only meow more until you open the door back up. Unfortunately every cat and situation varies. However one of the main reasons cats often wake us up in the morning is because they are hungry. Feeding it its biggest meal right before bed can help prevent this as well as feeding it smaller meals a few times during the day.

Many people think that cats are colorblind but this is not the case. It is true that cats do not see in the same way that most humans do, however thinking that they don’t see any colors at all is simply not true. Rather, cats are able to distinguish between blues and greens but lack the ability to distinguish shades of red. This means that they only see in these two different colors, blue and green. So for instance, when a cat sees anything that we would describe as red, orange, yellow or green, to a cat they are all the same color. Furthermore all shades of blue and violet are seen as one color to a cat.

Like humans cats have two primary structures located in the retina of their eye for perceiving light. These two structures are known as rods and cones. Rods help us humans see light and dark areas, and cones, the color sensitive cells in the eye are what detect particular wavelengths of light thanks to the pigments they have. However where humans have three varieties of cones that help us distinguish over one hundred different hues of color, cats only have two kinds of cones that are most sensitive to green and light blue. It has been suggested that the inability in cats to distinguish between colors may have evolved due to the fact that they are night hunters and colors are not discernable in reduced light, nor do they really need to see in color in order to hunt well. A mouse or a bird is still dinner to a cat, no matter what color it is.

The way a cat’s eye is designed is very unique. They have good vision in both high and low levels of light. They may not be able to distinguish colors in the same way many humans do, but that isn’t to say that they can’t see well. In fact, A cat’s iris can open up very wide to let in a lot of light so that even when they are surrounded in darkness and there isn’t much light around, they can let in as much of the light as possible. Cats also have light sensitive structures in the makeup of their eyes and a mirror like layer (tapetum lucidum) located in the back of the eye which helps reflect any light available back towards the front of the cat’s eye when there otherwise wouldn’t be much light in the room. This reflective area is what makes cat’s eyes “glow” at night when headlights shine on them.

Cats don’t usually need to be bathed on a routine basis, and for anyone who has ever owned a cat you probably already know that bathing a cat can be quite difficult depending on the cat’s personality. Most cats hate getting baths. Cats take care of their grooming mostly all on their own and need little assistance when it comes to keeping clean. In fact a healthy cat will normally spend more than 10% of its time grooming itself. Usually by the end of the day it has cleaned whatever dirt, debris, etc. it had on itself off.

For the most part kitty does a good job keeping itself clean, and owners can help by regularly combing them or wiping them down with moist towlettes if they are dirty or have loose stool hanging on their fur. There may be times however when a simple wet wipe just won’t do the trick. In this case it can often be quite difficult in knowing how to bathe a cat properly/safely, and the trickiest part often lies in the cat’s behavior. Many have been known to bite, claw or fight their way out of the bathtub ending bathtime in complete chaos.

If your cat is aggressive you may want to consider taking them to a groomer rather than try and bathe them on your own. Another good thing to keep in mind is making sure that they are up to date on their rabies vaccinations. Most groomers will not let you make an appointment if they know your cat isn’t up to date on its shots.

However for those pet owners who decide they are brave enough to try and bathe the cat on their own should prepare themselves and the bathtub before rounding kitty up for a cleaning. Choosing a small area to bathe the cat in is usually best, this makes it easier to keep things under control. To bathe kitty a few supplies you may want to consider using include: a bathtub or sink, mild soap or cat shampoo, A few warm, dry towels, a rubber bath mat or small towel for kitty to claw or grasp while being bathed, a cup or something along those lines to pour water, A washcloth for washing kitty’s face, A cat brush or comb (flea combs will work fine), A blow dryer if applicable (most cat’s are frightened of the loud noise they make), and having someone help you bathe the cat is always a helpful thing to try as well as it can be difficult to do alone.

Once you have assembled all of the items you will need to bathe the cat, you will need to find your cat and bring them into the area you plan to bathe them in. Making sure everything is ready to go before getting the cat and bringing it into the room is most helpful, because it will make kitty less anxious. (the loud sound of water running or the commotion of moving everything/getting everything ready can frighten kitty).

If your cat is a fighter, the bathing process will not be easy nor will it be very fun for either of you. But in some cases, it is something that must be done. Most cats are not going to enjoy getting a bath, but there are a few who don’t mind. Beginning to talk to your cat in a soft, soothing voice can help keep kitty calm. Try your best not to act scared or nervous, it will let your cat know that something isn’t right and will make him or her anxious. This will in turn make them act more aggressive.

Next gently set kitty down in the water, on something such as a bath mat or a wash cloth that they can grab onto. This will keep them from slipping in the tub. If you have managed to talk a friend into helping bathe the cat, have them hold onto the body and upper shoulder area of the cat. If you are bathing the cat alone you are going to want to hold onto the cat with one hand and scrub with the other. It is best to try and ignore the cat’s meowing and carrying on so that you can get the bath over with as safely and quickly as possible.

It is important when bathing your cat to keep water away from their ears and face. Use a wet wash cloth to wash this area and after wetting the cat, lather it up with shampoo. Start at the neck and work your way toward the other end. Always work from clean to dirty so you aren’t bringing any of the messiness from one area to another. Next rinse your cat by scooping some water into a cup and gently pour it over the cat. Again, it is important during this to keep water away from your cat’s face and head. If you get their head wet, it may cause them to panic.

After rinsing all of the shampoo off, drain the water and wrap the cat in a warm, dry towel. Try to calm the cat by petting it or talking soothingly to it. A blow dryer can be used on kitty, but this is usually more stressful than anything and ends up being more trouble than its worth for both parties. Dry them as thoroughly as possible and they will air dry on their own the rest of the way. Next try combing the cat.

Bathing a cat is a lot of stressful and hard work so many pet owners choose not to do it unless absolutely necessary. As mentioned before, bathing cats on a regular basis is not something that is necessary unless they have something like loose stool, dirt or a poisonous substance such as motor oil on their fur. So try not to worry too much about keeping kitty clean, they do a fine job by themselves. If it is absolutely necessary then try the above tips or opt for a groomer or moist towelettes instead. They even sell self drying cat shampoo at pet stores that you rub into the cat’s fur and then it dries later on its own. Any of these are good options when bathing trying to keep your pesky feline friend clean.