kitten bath

Question
QUESTION: hi.i bought a 9week old persian kitten and i just read that,it needs to be showered once a week,which is a must for their fur..is that true??? and if it is then how do i shower it???..this kitten is my first pet so i dont kno much about it..thnx

ANSWER: Syed,

I don't have persian cats, but the general rule that I follow with long haired cats is a good brushing at least twice a day. If they get into something that makes them dirty then you can look at bathing them. To bath a cat you will want a sink that is at least waist high (the kitchen sink works well for me). I put a towel on the bottom of the sink so that the cat has something to hold onto. The right temperature for bathing a cat is no warmer than what feels pleasant on the inside of your wrist. I fill the sink with a few inches of water (3-4). I also make sure that I have dry towels and a cup for pouring water over the cat for rinsing and washing ready before I go and get the cat. Place the cat into the water hind end first, make sure that you hold onto the front paws because if you don't the cat may scratch you and run away. Start with the soap from behind the ears and work back to the hind end. Don't use an excessive amount of soap as rinsing will take a long time and some cats really aren't too patient about that. When you rinse the cat rinse until you think you have all of the soap out and then rinse twice more. Wrap your kitty in towels helping to dry them and make sure that the area that they will be in after their bath is warm enough, it should be slightly uncomfortably warm to you. You might want to invest in kitty cream rinse or detangler because that will make the coat easier to comb out when it is dry. If you have a patient cat you can try using a human blow dryer on the lowest setting while you comb your kitty out. There are commercially available wipes to get rid of tear stains around the eyes which I prefer to using shampoo in such a sensitive area.

Some advice that I like to give to first time pet owners is socialization and training are everything. Expose your kitten to as many new situations as it is safe to, because the more your kitten has seen the more laid back and friendly it will be. Make sure that you take  your kitten to the vet for a complete health check and vaccinations. I would recommend feeding a good quality kitten food until your kitten is at least a year old or until your vet feels that they don't need the extra protein and calories anymore. Use a spray bottle filled with water (make sure it has never been used to store chemicals, I use the ones meant for misting plants) to correct offensive or undesirable behaviors. You may want to consider using more than one litter box because young kittens sometimes have issues with bladder control much the same as young humans. Make sure that your kitten has clean, fresh water available at all times. Don't feed your kitten milk, it is not something that they need and most kittens are lactose intolerant after they are weaned from their mothers. Whether you feed hard cat food or soft cat food is largely a matter of preference. Hard cat food can help to remove some plaque and tartar from their teeth reducing the risk of dental disease, but ultimately the best defense against dental disease is to purchase a finger toothbrush and kitty toothpaste (don't use the human kind it is toxic to cats) from a pet store or veterinarian and start gently training your kitten to accept having its teeth brushed. Your vet can demonstrate how this is done. You will want to either make or purchase a good quality scratching post for your kitten to use as an outlet for their natural scent marking and sharpening behaviors so that your furniture doesn't end up being a substitute and getting ruined. You will also want to talk to your vet about spaying and neutering and see what age your vet recommends. Some vets spay and neuter as young as 8 weeks others prefer to wait until at least 5-6 months of age, it is a question of preference of your veterinarian. Enjoy your new family member and good luck with all of the new tasks that you have taken on as a new pet owner. You are sure to have many questions over the coming weeks, so please do not hesitate to contact me with further questions or concerns.

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: hi..thnx for ur help..i did as u said and it really worked..now my concern is abt her eye problem..its like a red deposit on the corners of her eye..i clean it every day with cotton ball n warm water...it does the job but the hair around the eye are turning brown..i hav an appoinment for vet on jan 3..anything u could..recommend till then would be great..thnx

Answer
Syed,

Your kitty might very well have an eye infection. The sooner she gets to the vet the better. In the meantime keep it clean with a wash cloth or even some gauze with warm water just barely moistening it. I wouldn't recommend the use of cotton balls because you could unintentionally leave a tiny piece of cotton in or around her eye and accidentally make the problem worse instead of better. Alternatively there are commercially available pet eye wipes designed just for cats to clean their eyes available at most pet stores. In my experience the commercial wipes work well, but are too large, I generally use a small piece of gauze just slightly moistened with clean water and one piece does both eyes, but remember to change corners of the gauze or you could be spreading a problem from one eye to the other. I would also suggest that you wash your hands thoroughly before and after cleaning your kitty's eyes because you don't want to introduce new bacteria from your hands into her eyes and since eye infections are highly contagious you want to make sure that you don't touch your face or anyone else's before you get a chance to wash your hands thoroughly afterwards with an antibacterial soap and hot water. Hopefully this advice helps. Hope all goes well with your trip to the vet. Enjoy your new family member, but remember, gentle and humane training makes for a good cat that you will enjoy for many years to come. If you have any further questions or concerns, please do not hesitate to contact me again. I will do my best to point you in the right direction to solve your issue.