Talk to your vet about when is a good time to give your little kitty a full-on bath. According to the Animal Compassion Network, you should wait until your kitty is at least 8 weeks old before giving him a full-on bath. [1] X Research source One benefit to bathing your kitty when he’s young is that this will make him used to bathing if he routinely gets dirty. Just remember that cats spend about 30% of their time grooming and that they really shouldn’t be bathed more than once or twice a year unless they get really dirty. [2] X Research source
You shouldn’t trim your kitten’s nails right before you bathe him, however. Do it the day before or at least a few hours before. A lot of cats get a bit feisty and riled up after their nails are trimmed, and you want your little critter to be in a calm frame of mind before you begin the bath. If you haven’t trimmed your kitten’s nails yet, you’re better off leaving quite a bit of time between nail trimming and bathing — even a full day. Nail trimming can be a new and scary experience for a young kitty, and you don’t want to make it worse by adding a bath into the mix.
Some kitties actually love having their fur brushed and look at this as a very relaxing process. However, others get a little panicked or agitated when their fur is brushed. If this process does not relax your cat, then give him an hour or two at least to calm down before the bath begins. Playing some soft music in the background will also relax your kitty and help draw his attention away from the pending bath. Giving your kitty a little treat after brushing him in time to the music can make the process feel more positive.
You should also try to pick a thick cotton material for your clothes so your kitty doesn’t get his nails caught on your clothes. Pick something that is hard to claw through.
Don’t use dog shampoo if you have it on hand, either. It needs to be tailor made to suit your kitty’s needs.
It’s also a good idea to close the door of your bathroom to keep your kitty from running off.
When the time comes to bathe your kitten, you can even throw in a few of his favorite toys, or a few bath toys, to make him comfortable. You can even get him used to playing with the bath toys in a dry environment first.
Though he’ll naturally get excited pretty fast, it’s better to start off with a calm kitty so you make it easier for yourself and your little creature to get through the bath. You can also schedule a play session that tires your kitty out and then wait half an hour for him to get tired and to rest before bath time.
You can also consider putting a rubber bath mat at the bottom of the sink or basin to help keep your kitty from slipping. Some people like to fill the basin with just an inch or two of lukewarm water to get kitty’s paws used to the water before the bath begins. You can even do this as a training run in preparation for later bathing, if you like. If your cat is really afraid of water, then you may have to ease the little guy into the process.
Pet your kitty while keeping a firm grip on his back or shoulders. If he’s more calm sticking partly out of the basin with his front paws, then you can keep him in this position instead of placing his entire body in the basin.
Alternatively, you can fill the sink partway and dip the kitten in the water. If you choose this approach, then you can first place your kitty into just a little bit of the lukewarm water until his paws are wet, compliment him, and then dip him in more water. If you do this, though, try to fill the basin or sink when your kitty is in the other room, because some kitties are scared by the sound of running water.
You should gently massage the shampoo into your kitty’s fur and body. Treat it like it’s the hair of a baby and avoid stroking his fur too hard. Be kind and gentle and your kitty is more likely to relax. Your kitty may really not like the shampoo. Just keep reassuring him or her and try to keep kitty calm by staying calm yourself. Try to keep the soap out of your kitty’s eyes. You don’t want to hurt the little critter in the process of bathing him.
Some kitties love and are fascinated by faucets. If your cat is not scared off by faucet water and you’re bathing him in a sink, you can use a gentle stream of lukewarm water to help rinse off your kitty. Make sure the water isn’t hot, as the kitten could get burned.
Whatever you do, do not place your kitty’s face underwater. Doing so is guaranteed to make him panic.
Some people even use hair dryers on the lowest setting to help dry their kittens. You have to do what works best for your cat. Some are fascinated by the dryer and some are are terrified of it. If your kitty is okay with the hairdryer, then place it on the lowest heat setting and gently dry his fur just as you would with your hair, only taking a bit more care not to scare your kitty or harm him.
If you have a long-haired kitty, then you should brush his fur after the bath to get rid of any tangles that maybe have been caused by the bath.
Also, if you give your kitty treats after the bath, then he will associate baths with good things instead of bad, and he’ll be more likely to want a bath in the future.
