Bathing the Cat: Dry Baths
Homemade and commercial
dry baths for your cats
MetPet.com Staff Writer
Most of the time your cat simply needs a light brushing
to keep her clean. A cat can spend hours every day
keeping her coat and skin in good condition and free
from debris and dirt. As long as she looks good to
you, she's doing a good job. A long-haired cat may need
extra care for mats but these can be kept to a minimum
with a gentle daily brush.
Every now and again though, your cat may need a little extra
help. Perhaps he has been ill or is old or a
little overweight and
not limber enough to reach all of his parts.
Perhaps you just want to do a little extra grooming
before company comes. If you wish to
provide that extra bit of care but want to avoid trying
to actually bathe your cat, try one of the dry bath
preparations.
You will want to make sure that your cat has used his
litterbox, been fed and is otherwise content. If
you have a second person hold your cat during the bath
it will make things go much faster. Otherwise, you
can try doing just a portion of your cat's coat and see
how it goes.
You probably do not want a half 'dusted' cat running
around the house trailing powder in his wake so it's
best to start small. You may also find that your
cat is thoroughly pleased with the bath and is happy to
lie down and purr while you massage his coat and skin.
 Dry
Shampoos
There are a number of commercial preparations known as
dry shampoos. You will want to start with a dry
cat so that the dust does not clump onto the hair.
Cover the top of your table with newspaper, find the cat
and the shampoo and gently brush your cat from head to
tail to fluff up the coat and make it easier for the
shampoo to penetrate to the skin. Dust your cat
with the shampoo according to the manufacturer's
directions.
Gently work the dust into your cat's hair and leave on
according to the manufacturer's directions. You
may want to confine your cat to a small area of the
house so that he does not dust your furniture with the
shampoo. Gently comb out the dust thoroughly so
that your cat does not ingest it when he resumes licking
himself.
Alternatives to commercial dry shampoos include corn
starch, unscented talcum powder and bran. Bran,
which is readily available at grocery stores or at pet
stores as food for bunnies, can be spread onto a cookie
sheet and warmed in the oven. When it is warm, but
not hot, to the touch you can massage it into your cat's
coat and then leave it on for several hours.
If you are new to bathing your cat, you can start off
working half of your cat's coat or just a small section
to see how easily your cat takes to it. Try and
keep your cat from licking or ingesting too much of the
bathing material.
  Wipes
for Allergies
Although not technically dry and not technically a bath, these wipes are made just
for cats. They are made to pick up traces of a
cat's saliva that create allergic reactions in some
people.
If you are going to have a guest who you know is
allergic to cats, this is nice added measure.
Related Information:
Bathing the
Cat: Wet Baths
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