Hello everyone, it is me, Buddy. Today I will be bringing you a sleuth of information on an important topic which is Cat Hygiene. Now I have been sick for the last couple of days so my hygiene has not been the best, but I know my father will give me a bath soon which I like so I will be clean again as soon as I get better. This blog is for first-time cat parents, and fur (giggles) your home basic cat healthcare.

Now to some people, they are most likely thinking well cats keep up with their own hygiene which is only partially true. You are in for a surprise when I go over this list. Healthy skin and coat begin with good nutrition (see 6 Foods You Should Be Feeding Your Cat) and parasite control (see New Kitten Care), but good grooming helps, too. With regular brushing or combing and perhaps an occasional bath which if you start when we are young we will enjoy as we get older. Maybe not all of us, but some of us.

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Brushing and combing

Hairballs are formed of indigestible hair in our stomachs. This can cause vomiting, constipation, and loss of appetite. We usually cough them up, but in severe rare cases, hairballs must be removed surgically (yikkers). You can prevent or reduce the incidence of hairballs in your cat by grooming him or her regularly, especially when we are shedding which we do 12 months out of the year. You can also reduce hairballs with hairball control cat food.

Now my parents use something called a furminator. As you know, brushing is essential for a long-haired cat to remove tangles and prevent matting. It’s also good for all of us. Brushing removes a lot of hair before it falls on your furniture and carpets or is ingested by us, and converted to a hairball. The close attention you give to “the outer part of a cat” while grooming can also mean early detection of lumps, bumps, sores, or parasites, or changes in skin or coat that could indicate a developing health problem. Now for the new parents out there here are some basic instructions. I recommend that you begin at the head of your cat and keep working your way back to the tail, one side at a time, and if necessary groom them in small sections at a time until they get used to the procedure. A friendly reminder is to work slow. The whole process can be time-consuming depending on the cat’s hair and when it comes to combing the belly, if you startle us or we don’t trust you with our belly, you will get hurt. & now you have been warned…

Can you give a cat a bath?

Most of us cats don’t need to be bathed very often, but there are times when a bath is in order. And if you get a hairless cat a weekly bath will be in order but you can read about that in my parents’ previous blog Top 5 Worst Cat Breeds FOR NEW CAT OWNERS. Like I said earlier if you introduce this to us when we are young and make it our weekly or monthly routine we may get used to it. Show cats are bathed regularly as they prepare for competition, and they learn from kitten-hood to accept water, shampoo, and a dryer as part of their routine. So yes, you can bathe us and live to tell about it.

Kitty bathing is essential at times for health reasons. Since we are curious by nature and if we are exposed to a toxic substance a bath is imperative to keep us from ingesting the poison as we clean ourselves. We once had a major flea invasion in our home – funny story. Well, now it was not funny at the time. I think it bothered our dad more than us – he is actually allergic to fleas. ANYWAY, everyone got bathed. Now, this is when we found out who liked baths and who didn’t. Joey was the worst out of all of us. If you take in a stray or bring home a shelter cat, he or she might need a freshening up before meeting the rest of the furfamily. All in all, it’s good to know how to go about bathing a cat. Also, remember to brush your furbaby before the bath.

Here are some basic bath instructions my parents have learned from experience – sometimes, very painful experience. Be sure all your supplies are close at hand before you begin because some of us will run if you leave us for a fraction of a second.

You will need the following items:

Shampoo

One or two towels (better with two, but one works as well)

An unbreakable container for rinsing if no sprayer is available

A mat or screen for the bottom of the tub (for kitty traction)

Use warm water, not hot water. A spray attachment makes it easier to wet and rinse us. As an alternative, fill a pressurized garden sprayer (the ordinary hand-pump type) with warm water. Be sure to use a sprayer that has never been used for any toxic chemicals and use an unbreakable cup to pour rinse water over your cat. You can use a hairdryer set on low or cool (never hot) to dry them further if your cat will allow it. If your cat has long hair, brush it while it’s still damp. And if your cat is an indoor/outdoor kitty, keep them inside until they are completely dry.

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Vacuum, vacuum, and in case you missed it, vacuum. There is no way around it. Even the most diligently groomed cats shed – it is like a hobby of ours. That makes your vacuum one of the most essential appliances in the house. How often and thoroughly you vacuum your furniture, carpets, and drapes depends on how many cats you have, whether they are short hair or long-haired breeds, and whether the fabrics in your home are “fur magnets.” If fur is a major problem, or if someone in your home is allergic to cat dander, you may want to consider adding a few special attachments to your vacuum’s attachment arsenal.

Litter pans or in this house, litter robots and pans because nobody likes a dirty, smelly litter pan, right? For hygiene and overall cat and parent happiness please remember regular and frequent litter changes are essential. Using a clumping litter and scooping the pan daily can limit odors between litter changes. Also, consider an enclosed litter pan to keep litter from getting kicked and pawed outside the box. If your furlove is like my sister Missy this will not help. She likes to throw kitty litter like confetti. If you want to go high-tech and do not mind a little extra expense, you may want to consider a self-cleaning pan like Litter-Robot. This was a Godsend to our human parents. Also, another consideration is a cat mat for when we step out of any of our containers.

Automated feeders and water bowls. While we are discussing high-tech pet solutions, there are several products on the market that help dispense food and water to your cat in regular adjustable portions. Now my parents gave us a water fountain, which is one of my favorites, but the food portion thing would cause mayhem in this household.

Pet air purifiers. Air filters and purifiers can go a long way to removing airborne dirt, dust, and dander from your home environment. They can reduce both odors and allergens and can help your home smell fresher longer, even if you have multiple cats like here at Kittystead. I have my 8 feline siblings and my Maggie, our corgi. Our parents have to really pay attention to our hygiene.

I want to thank everyone for being here this week. I hope I was able to help some people with advice. If you are a new cat parent or a cat veteran it’s always good to learn as much as you can. Remember to sign up for the Kittystead newsletter as it will have tips, tricks, and more to come on Kittystead.com. My name is Buddy and I was glad to be a tour guide on this eye-opening adventure, see y’all next week.