Bathing the cat

I remember once upon a time, my Physics teacher said something like energy cannot be created, so you'd be best conserving it. It rings so true for cats, if any of you took the time to notice the behavior of a cat.

Unlike dogs, where they'll jump up and wag their tails the minute they see you or jump into a puddle of water, cats would very much prefer to stay somewhere up high, where they'll neither need to move nor bathe.

It is not like they cannot take water, or they hate water, but if they can avoid using any energy to go take a bath and fight off the person trying to bathe them, trust me, they will. I have however, discovered an easier way to bathe cats.

First off, do not give tell tale signs that you are about to bathe them. My cats know that bath time is coming when we untie the longer end of their leash to tie them to the pipe so that they cannot climb all over the bathtub and sink and what not, making it so much harder to bathe them. Second tell tale sign for them would be opening the back door and not tying them up.

You may be shocked to learn cats are superbly intelligent and extremely cunning. The best way is to get them in fast, without giving them time to react to the tell tale signs.

Next, when bathing them with soap, gently place one hand on one side and using the other, massage the soap gently into their fur on the other side. That way, you are not too rough with them and they will still feel that supporting hand on one side.

Do not splash their faces with water until the very end when you are about to turn off the pipe and wipe them. Even then, do not pour a stream of water on their face. It is akin to the drowning sensation you would have if I stuck your head in a pail of water.

When wiping them, do it in the bathroom itself or they will take the advantage to literally climb all over you. Wipe them gently and when you reach the tail, do not wipe them vigorously. They feel pain and discomfort there, really.

Many people stay far away from cats, saying that they are not as friendly or as fun as dogs, but animals to us, they are not only pets. They're family and they have their ups and downs as well.

One cat in my house is so close to my sister that she sleeps, eats and keeps the little girl company all day long. The cat can even be entrusted with bacon (which happens to be her favourite) and she still will not eat it if that little girl commands her not to.

Cats are just different. They're no lesser pets than dogs are. I have both cats and dogs, and I love all to bits.