Should I bath today?
A cat is an extremely clean animal. It is one of the pet animals which is more concerned with grooming and being tidy most of the time. Unlike dogs, cats lick themselves to remove any dirt or sticky substance in the body.
Moreover, cats do not like bathing. Yes, dogs will always have fun when you bathe them. But cats are extremely stubborn on this point. They do not cooperate well like dogs when it comes to bathing. Though we may agree to the fact that cats are clean and can take care of themselves, there are times where manual intervention is needed.
I have heard many cat owners say, their cats do not agree with the terms of bathing. But we have no other go because they are under our responsibility!
If you are going to grow up a kitten, then try getting that cat used to water and bathing. This would ease the process of bathing when the kitten grows to be a cat. As we know, convincing an adult cat to a bath is more difficult than when it was a kitty.
What should I use to bathe a cat?
While making your cat bath itself has its own difficulties, selecting the right shampoo is another difficulty added on. If you have visited pet shops, you might notice and sometimes wonder about seeing the availability of varieties of products, especially for each type of animal.
Yes, that’s correct. Every animal is different, no skin type is 100% match, no animal’s health condition is the same hence you must use only designated products for your pet animal. To make sure the products we use are not harmful to them should be our utmost priority.
Some animals may not close their mouth and hence the chemicals used can be consumed by the poor animal and in case if ingredients are not checked before using, it may lead to some health issues.
Can I use dog products on cats?
To bathe a cat, you must first need all things ready in place. The things include,
- Towel
- Cleaning product
- Dryer (Hairdryer in precise)
Due to technological advancement & caring for pet animals have increased, shops now sell different products specific to breed type, fur type, and so on. Though we buy beforehand, that might not be the case most of the time.
There are situations where you might run out of cats’ products and all that you have is DOG PRODUCTS!
This is where suffering starts. Now, you must wash your cat who knows when the second chance will be thrown for you.
Whenever you buy/left with dog products, reading the ingredients is a must since not every product is good for your cat. Do not use soap or shampoo that is designed for dogs always. Though both are pet animals and they share many similarities, the skin type is different for both animals. The fur type and pH levels vary largely for both animals and it is not advisable to use it regularly.
The products you select must have more alkaline because only then the cat skin does not dry out. Moreover, the usage of these alternative products is not recommended for pregnant cats and young kittens since their skin is sensitive. The human body is said to be less alkaline in nature than cats. Selecting the wrong shampoo can make your cats’ skin itchy and dry.
Buy products that contain natural ingredients like plant oils and good scents. Essential oil is toxic for cats and their skin. Do stay away from using this on your cat since the cat’s liver can be affected by this oil.
Natural ways are better but not all-natural ways are better. So, know the difference by reading the ingredients and discussing them with your vet before using them.
Will my cat feel sick I use Dog shampoo?
Choosing the shampoo is crucial and in case, if wrong products are used, then your cat might fall sick and ill. A vital reason for not recommending dogs shampoo is because of the permethrin ingredient. This is a type of insecticide that is poisonous to cats. In case your cat has an injury or suffers from a breathing problem, exposure to this product is dangerous.
When this product is overly exposed to cats, they might have symptoms of vomiting, diarrhea, respiratory problems.
The cats are not used to more exposure to chemicals. Dogs being the pet animal which gets untidy too often and bathing is vital for every week, the composition of making the shampoo for dogs might be intensive with high dosage. That is the exact reason why the dog’s shampoo is not recommended for cats.
In case of no discomfort seen or no weird sounds produced by cats, it is just normal. But do not make this a habit and use dog shampoo for cats always.
My peroration is,
To put in simple words, it is better to turn your eyes on something that is labeled as ‘for cats’. But practically speaking, you may use a product that is not produced for cats but using it once or twice would not be a problem. Usage of these non-cat products frequently does create serious problems on your cats’ digestive and respiratory systems.
In case if you are left with no choice other than bathing your feline friend, then search for cat’s specifically designed products, Not there? Fine. Take out the ingredients list in the product, read it carefully and if none of the ingredients used are harmful, then you may enjoy this time!
Next time make sure we have all the ingredients. products and that our cat is not susceptible to any health issues which may occur. Wash the animal two times or three times so that we are sure of nothing happening to our cat’s time. Do comment on the post about what is your feeling, how did your last bathing of cat go and how is your feline friend responding to the bathing.