How often should you bathe a cat?
It depends on your cat. Some heavier cats tend not to be able to reach places as easily as other cats, so you may have to bathe them more frequently. Or if some cats don't groom themselves very well, they end up getting really dirty. I bathe mine maybe every three to four months, and that's only because he gets really dirty in the summer months. He likes to play in the dirt and get messy, but they don't really need baths very often. They usually keep themselves pretty clean.
What's the best way to bathe a cat who is afraid of water?
Take it very, very slow. Make sure that it is very quiet. Any loud, sudden sounds are going to scare your cat, and then your cat's going to be on the ceiling or something. You want to go ahead and draw their bath, and instead of having the water running, have a cup or something that you can rinse them with, something that's not going to be loud or spontaneous. You can place them in the bathtub on a rag or a towel in the bottom to give them that grip, that security that they're not going to fall. I would definitely recommend having a buddy. I would never take on a cat bath by myself, not if you can help it. That's kind of the way I feel about cat baths in general, unless you have to, because they're really good at getting away, and then you've got a wet cat running through your house.
How can I make bath time less stressful?
All those things she just mentioned.
What type of shampoo should you use for a cat?
I like any kind of oatmeal shampoo, anything that's going to be soothing for the skin. You don't want a lot of fragrance for your cat. They don't need to smell like bubble gum, but there are cat shampoos. I definitely recommend cat shampoos. The shampoos that we use here are for dogs and cats. It's safe for both, and so there are some out there that are safe for cats and dogs. Just make sure you read the label. Make sure it's not medicated either. Now just remember your cat will then groom himself and dry himself. If you've got something with a lot of fragrance or perfume in it, they're licking all that, and that's got to be gross. They don't like it; that probably is not going to feel real or make them feel really good. Do not use your own shampoo just because it contains conditioner and other ingredients. Do not use your own shampoo. It's not made pH balanced for cats.
How do I dry my cat after a bath?
I dry my cat with a towel because that's as far as I can get with him. I get them out, and I call it "wringing out the kitty," where you just squeeze all that excess water out. Cats tend to take longer to dry. A younger cat, I feel like you would be okay letting them go and letting them groom themselves and lie in some sunshine. Older cats, I don't recommend leaving them alone wet. Regulating their body temperature can be difficult for older cats, so I would definitely recommend some kind of very cool air. Don't use hot air on a cat. That would make their skin way worse. If you warm air or warm plays cooler air, I wouldn't suggest a hair dryer. No, I think that would... No.
Are there any dry or waterless shampoos that you can use on a cat?
Oh yeah, there's tons. There's lots. Again, make sure it's pet safe.
How can I safely trim my cat's nails?
Cat burritos. Cat burritos are awesome, and anybody can do them. For a cat burrito, you could use a blanket or a towel. You're going to want something larger, so that the cat is secure, and you literally wrap them up like a little burrito. Pull one foot out at a time and trim them like that. It's less stressful than scruffing, and it makes it more of a positive experience, and it keeps you safe and keeps the cat safe. That might be a good thing to do after the bath, because then you've got them all wrapped in a towel. You're kind of soaking up some of that water and giving them a nice, like you said, a nice snuggle while you're trimming their nails. Usually, they're not too bad for their nail trims. Not unless they just absolutely hate it. My cat, as soon as I put him in a burrito, he just chills out. He's like, "All right, I like it."
What should I do if my cat has mats?
You can trim the mats. Never use scissors. Always, always use clippers. But whenever you're cutting a cat, their skin is very, very thin. You have to be very careful. You can cut them and also cause razor burn to their skin. Their skin is very sensitive. Whenever you are trimming a mat out of a cat's hair, use your fingers as a guideline to block the skin from the clippers. It's the easiest way to do it. A lot of times, if it's a small mat, I can use the flea comb. Just kind of brush it out slowly. Like she said, hold it at the bottom of the mat and then just work it out that way. Because it's small, it's fine-toothed. It's easier than getting the clippers out and scaring the cat too. But if you've got a mat, you need to get it off because it'll just continue to grow until it's cat-sized. If it is an ongoing problem, they do have quiet clippers. They're not going to trim a whole cat or anything like that, you know, but it's tiny little clippers that you can just get in there and just nick it off. I've got a pair for my pet's paws under here that work pretty well.
How do I keep my cat's ears clean and healthy?
You would definitely want to keep an eye on them. Check them out, make sure they look clean, and make sure there's no gunk in there. Make sure that they stay dry. I don't clean my cat's ears as frequently as I do my dog's because my cat mainly stays indoors, except in the summer, when he occasionally goes outside. He tends to keep himself clean. But if you give your cat a bath, you need to go ahead and clean their ears to get that water out. If there was any water that went in there, we want to make sure that they stay dry. We have Odaoo ear cleaner. You can't overdose them with ear cleaner, as we've told you about dogs. Just squirt some in there and squish the ears at the bottom, then just wipe out the excess. They'll shake their head and get the rest of the stuff out, and you might want to just wipe it. Don't use a Q-tip down in there. You can use it on the little creases on the outside but not down in the ear. Like you said, do it after the bath, so if you got water in the cat's ears, you can help. It has a drying solution, so it will help keep those ears dry.
What are signs of dental problems in cats?
Drooling, their breath stinks, you can see that tartar buildup. If they'll let you look at their teeth, if you're lucky enough to have a cat sweet enough to let you open their mouth, they'll paw their face. Eating, they're not as thrilled for eating or not eating as much. There's probably some pain going on in their mouth. Cats don't tend to chew their food a whole lot anyway, so that's not always an indication. But if they're shaking their head and dropping food out and picking it back up, just kind of keep an eye on how they eat to make sure nothing is going on there. Of course, we check their teeth if they come in twice a year, like we recommend. We check their teeth every six months, and we'll kind of warn you that things are looking like it's time for a dental. Don't wait until it's a necessity or a health risk for them; try to keep them up as much as you can. I know it's harder to look at yourself with a cat, but don't wait till they're twelve years old and their teeth are rotting out of their head, and they're not eating, and they're losing weight. Get them before that.
How often should I brush my cat's teeth?
If they let you, once a day. They eat every day, so it would be nice to go ahead and get in there at least once a day. But they are cats. You can try cat Greenies, which they can eat, to help clean their teeth. But if you can, nothing beats brushing. If you start young, you may be lucky enough to have a cat that would let you do it. We recommend that. Truthfully, I have never brushed my cat's teeth. Number one, I've had too many cats. But if you can do it, if you can't, I don't feel terribly guilty because a lot of cats just won't let you. But if your cat will let you, that's the way to help him out. I got really lucky with mine. He lets me do it, but bribery, I have to give him a treat. Marlin would have let me, I think. But the rest of them, no.
How can I reduce shedding and hairballs in my cat?
There's food that you can get. I know Hills has a hairball food. Brushing, brushing their hair, making sure you get all of that loose hair out of them. My cat, luckily, he doesn't get hairballs very often. But I've seen some cats that constantly, and that can't be awesome for them. Getting all that loose hair out, making sure you de-shed them, especially when they're poofing during the summertime. My cat's doing that now. Especially a long-haired cat is good to brush all the time. I don't think you can ever get rid of all the excess hair. You can brush them, and then you turn around, and you can brush some all that out of them again, right after. But at least it gives them a little bit of help because eating all that hair can't be good. If you research brushes, if you have a long-haired cat, some brushes are better for everyday use than others, and they can get as much hair as you possibly can. They're constantly going to shed, but like Furminators and stuff, there are cat Furminators that you can get that really get that hair out of there, that excess hair, and make it to where at least you can see some kind of improvement. It's not going to be completely gone, though. But they still shed less than my German Shepherd, I swear. I don't know. My cat, I don't know. My cat loses like even brushing him, he'll lose like a whole lot of hair. Well, if I brush him, they will, but if not too much, he gets more hairballs. Every day he'll just walk by and just poof and just drop some hair and keep going. Somehow it accumulates in my house. I can sweep, and I'll turn around, and there are hairballs everywhere. Especially in the middle of the night whenever he's doing his shenanigans. My cats don't do shenanigans. They sleep all the time. No, mine does. He runs through the house.
Is it safe to use human grooming products on your cat?
We already talked about shampoos. Shampoos, no. I mean, a comb wouldn't hurt the cat, but it's not going to do as good as a pet brush would do because it's just not made for it. It's made for detangling hair, and the goal of brushing a cat is detangling but also getting that excess hair out. They don't need hairspray. They don't need fragrances, anything like that. Cats are especially sensitive to any kind of fragrance or any kind of chemicals. Be really careful about what you put on them because whatever you put on them will be in them eventually.
What should I do if my cat has fleas or ticks?
Bring them to the animal hospital. Definitely bring them in because you do not want that in your house. Get some Revolution or some kind of prevention that'll take care of all of that. Do not use dog flea medication on cats, never ever. We see it at least once a year when flea season starts. Just remember, flea season here is pretty much year-round. Just because we had a bit of a cold winter, they're still out there, and as soon as it warms up, you can move into a new house or a house that's been lived in before, and those fleas are lying dormant because they don't have anything to eat. As soon as you get in there and you warm up the house and you start walking on the floor and making vibrations, those fleas are going to come alive again, and it's with a vengeance. They will come after you. Cats, a lot of times, will groom the fleas off, but if you see little black pieces that look like sand, flea dirt, or if you see them under the chin, it's one spot that cats get them. You can see them in that sparse hair up near their ears on their head. Sometimes with dogs, it's at the tip of their tail or at the base of their tail, I should say. Get a flea comb and just run it through. You may be surprised. You may think you have no fleas in your house until you get a fine-tooth comb and run it through your cat. Fleas are not good. No, they're not good for... They're hard to get out of your house. It's kind of disgusting. Real disgusting.
How can I clean my cat's eyes and keep them free of discharge?
I get my cat's eye boogers. It depends on what kind of discharge. If it is something that is causing the cat's eyes to be red and swollen, that could be an issue. I would definitely bring them in to be seen. If it's just occasional discharge, you can wipe them with a tissue, but I wouldn't put anything in your cat's eyes that the veterinarian hasn't given you. If it's like the occasional eye booger once a week, I wouldn't worry about it. However, if they are experiencing discharge every day, they should definitely be brought in. Cats get eye discharge from upper respiratory disease, allergies, that kind of thing. If they have discharge, there's usually a reason for it. Eyes are so important for cats. Eyes are considered an emergency for cats and dogs. If you notice anything, they could have an ulcer on there. If you use something that you've had before that's got steroids in it and you put it on a cat or a dog with ulcerated eyes, they can lose an eye. Just take them in. Eyes are an emergency for people and dogs and cats.
What is the best way to clean my cat's litter box and how often?
Scoop out your litter box daily. With your litter boxes, you should have one litter box plus one per cat. So if you have two cats, you should have three litter boxes. Scoop them daily. Change out the litter; it depends on how many cats you have, but I completely change my litter and clean the litter pan every four or five days. Depending on his bowels, if it gets too crazy, I'll get in there sooner. Definitely scoop it daily. Whenever you change out the litter, wipe it down. Don't use any harsh chemicals. It's supposed to smell like a cat. You don't want it to stink, but you want your cat to know that's his litter box. If you go and bleach it, then they're going to be confused whose litter box it is. Well, you wouldn't want to go in an area where there's a lot of bleach, and that bleach smell stays. Yes, it does. So, at least if you're going to use bleach on it, air it out. However, most people don't have spare litter boxes that they can clean, air out, rinse thoroughly again, and then refill with litter. Some cats don't like scented litter at all. You just kind of got to see what your cat can stand. Bleach, nobody likes to breathe in bleach when they're... No. No cat likes to breathe it in when they're going to the bathroom. Let's put it that way.
How can I help my overweight cat groom hard-to-reach areas?
Brushing can help. Cats distribute an oil throughout their hair and their skin whenever they're grooming themselves, and this is what keeps their skin healthy and their hair healthy. Whenever you see overweight cats, you tend to see a lot of dandruff and even thinning of the hair, especially around the back, around the spine. Brushing the cat and distributing that oil as much as you can can help improve their skin and their coat and make sure that their coat and their skin stays healthy. If you notice a dulling of their coat too, that could be some other issues, health issues. Cats should have sleek, shiny hair, except for long-haired cats; it's not going to be really shiny and sleek. It's just fluffy. Yes, fluffy. If you notice anything like that, like she said, dandruff flakes, flea dirt, anything like that, that can cause a skin issue. The hair can be some kind of organ dysfunction or dysfunction, I should say. Thyroid. Anything. So bring them in and have that checked out.
What are the signs that my cat's skin or coat needs attention?
Dandruff, dry skin, dry hair, redness, hair loss, scratching, dullness, and itching can indicate skin or coat issues. If you have any questions about your pet's fur health, skin health or if you notice something that we've mentioned here that is affecting your cat, you know where to take them. Bring them to the vet, have them looked at, have them checked out. It makes them more comfortable. Fleas will make you uncomfortable as well, so you don't have to tolerate fleas. There are so many good products out there. Like she said, Revolution takes care of heartworms, some of the intestinal parasites, and fleas. It's great. It's great, but do not, again, do not use dog products on cats. Final warning.
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