Bathing your Cat, Happy Caturday!

We are back in Toronto and it was time to pick up Crypticat from her Grand-Hooman's house. Lucky for us we have someone trusted who can watch our cat when we go out of town. It's a tradition to wash the cat once or twice a year and the best time to give her a bath is after she has been at someone else's place. Some people think a cat doesn't need a bath because they clean themselves, I think a city cat needs some help once in a while because of the pollutants.

How to Bathe your Cat

First, you need some cat shampoo, I just make it with a mild detergent, vinegar and water in a 1-1-8 ratio. Don't use scented soap or anything with fancy additives, I suppose baby shampoo is fine. Just remember it will be impossible to get the cat to close her eyes-not that you want to get soap or water near them.

One jar of genuine, homemade cat shampoo. Don't waste your money buying it at the store, you can buy it off me for 10 SBD plus S & H! It's Crypticat Approved!

Second, you draw a nice warm bath. I understand cats have a slightly higher body temperature than humans so make sure it's very comfortable. If the bath is cold, your cat will hate you. I clipped her claws before the bath for safety reasons, your arms make an easy way out of a tub. Also, longhaired cats are like a sponge, they will soak up a lot of water so keep this in mind.

Third, make sure the cat is wet, DO NOT GET WATER IN THEIR EARS OR EYES. Once the cat is wet, just mix the shampoo into the fur and then rinse it off. When the cat is in the bath, she may be confused because it's like a warm swimming pool on a cool day. She wants out, but it's warmer to stay in there.

When the cat has had enough she will jump out of the tub and your floor will be soaking wet. It's great to have two people around so someone can grab a mop and the other person can grab a towel. We strained a lot of water out of her fur, or else we would have needed a couple more towels. Cat's will get cold quickly so make sure it's warm in the house, you can also use a hair dryer to speed things up.

Although she looked a little confused and miserable at first, now Crypticat is one happy cat. We're happy to have her back and she's happy to be home. Spring is here and now she can enjoy time on the balcony. Thank you for reading and have a Happy Caturday!