Whether you intend to make your new addition a show cat or just your best friend. There are many occasions when you may need to bath a cat.
Maine Coons are naturally inquisitive and many of them are fascinated with water to the extreme that they throw their water everywhere whilst others will sleep in the sink or bath.Devon will usually require less of a routine and may benefit from wiping down with damp sponge weekly.
It is a good idea to get your new kitten used to bathing from a young age. Your kitten will have had his/her first experience whilst with the breeder, so it shouldn’t totally feel like a new experience. Prior to the bath, you should use a comb/brush to remove as much of the loose fur as possible. Prepare your bathroom with towels and all the washing preparations. There is no point bringing the cat into the bathroom and wetting him only to find the soap is in the kitchen! It is also a good idea to clip the claws before you start the routine. Your kitten has been used to having his claws clipped regularly and if you have not done this before then either your veterinary nurse may be able to show you how to do this or please ask and I can show you.
I use a combination of products: mild eco-friendly washing up liquid and Woolite. If you are showing your cat and the fur is greasy it is a good idea to start with Goop cleaner. Goop can be brought on the Internet and at local cat shows. It is rubbed into dry fur and left for 10 mins and then rinsed off prior to using other products. If not, using the shower in the bath thoroughly wet the cat all over. Keep all water away from their eyes or you may get scratched. Now you can lather the cat up with the washing up liquid, again taking care not to get in his/her eyes.While the cat is lathered up, comb the cat again to remove as much hair as possible. Rinse and repeat the process with Woolite. I use two applications but a younger kitten may only need one. Lather, Rinse, Repeat using the Woolite. Your feline is now soaking wet but clean. I then use a mild human hair conditioner (amount dependent on the size of the cat varying from a golf ball to tennis ball.) Use this down the back but avoid any greasy areas such as the neck or top part of the tail. Rinse throughly. Use several large absorbant towels to both protect you from claw marks and dry the cat.
Maine Coon Cats have very absorbant thick dense fur. Some cats tolerate a hairdryer others don’t. Please don’t frighten your cat as then this will become a painful experience for both you and your kitten. I hair dry the cats in a wire basket as they tend not to be so frightened.
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