How to Bathe a Kitten

As parents, you need to take care of your child's health as well as health and hygiene of pets that stay inside your home. This is because your child tends to cuddle up with these pets most of the time, which can be a likely cause for most infections.

Eeks!! It just sends chills down your spine to think of all that dirt sticking on the couch and cushions. But you can always bathe your kitten to get rid of this problem. Here is how kittens can be bathed at home.

Most felines love cleanliness and use their free time to clean themselves with their rough tongues. However, young kitten may need some help when it comes to cleaning process, especially if their mothers are not around them.

However, avoid bathing kittens that are less than 3 months old as they do not have enough capacity to regulate their body temperatures after the bathing process is done.

One of the foremost step is to assess the kitten's fur for any infections or presence of fleas and lice. There are different cat shampoos available in the markets to suit your requirement. Remember to use a special kitten shampoo for young kittens. For adult cats, there is a separate cat shampoo available at pet stores in your vicinity.

If your kitten's fur is infected with fleas and lice then you might have to buy a special medicated shampoo for the same. In case, the skin and fur has any kind of infection, then get a special shampoo after consulting your vet. You may even use a special conditioner for treating the kitten's fur after you are done with the shampoo.

Bathing cats and kittens may get a bit difficult since feline pets tend to get a bit defensive when you start bathing them. In the process, you are likely to get scratched by their sharp nails.

Therefore, you to buy two pairs of latex mittens from your local pet store. Now tie up the paws in these mittens protectively. You might need to be careful during this process as extremely tight binding is likely to hinder blood circulation to your cat or kitten's paws.

• To start with, you bathe your kitten in your bathroom sink. As an alternative, you might opt for a shallow tub so that your pet does not get frightened. Place a rubber mat at the base of the sink to give a good grip to the cat's paws.

• You need to fill up lukewarm water in the sink to about 3 to 4 inches. The water temperature should be just right, else your kitten might freeze or find the water too hot. Shut the faucet once the water is filled up.

• Gather the bottle of kitten shampoo along with a clean soft towel.

• Now lower your kitten in the sink one paw at a time. Avoid leaving the kitten in the water on all its paws lest it starts drowning. You gently hold the kitten around its tummy so that its front paws are up in the air and it is standing on its hind feet.

• Your kitten might struggle to break free and run out of the sink, as most cats hate water. But be gentle and firm.

• Take a generous helping of kitten shampoo on your free palm and rub the kitten's fur gently till it lathers. You might want to start with the kitten's back followed by its tummy, tail, hind feet, front feet and finally its neck. Lather gently and pour the lukewarm water all over to clear off the shampoo.

• Avoid using the shampoo directly on the kitten's face lest the shampoo causes inflammation in the kitten's eyes. For the face, you might opt for using just plain lukewarm water.

• Once done, wrap the kitten in the clean towel and gently dab its fur. Avoid rubbing the fur roughly lest the hair fall off. After some initial dabbing, you can set your kitten free. Watch as it, dries itself vigorously with its tongue.

Before you know it, you have bathed your kitten clean. Once done, play and cuddle with your kitten to make it feel warm and cozy. Use a soft baby hair brush to comb through the kitten's fur as you play with it. This will help to dry the fur faster. Avoid using hair dryers as their noise can frighten your kitten.

You might have to repeat this procedure every once in a while, but do check with the vet to confirm the bathing frequency that is suitable for your kitten. Bathing is definitely not a fun experience for your cats and kittens, but this process is unavoidable if you have young children at home.