Beauty tips

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide

Josie F. Turner
By Josie F. Turner, Journalist specialized in Animal Welfare. January 19, 2017
Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide
Persian Cat

Animal file: Persian Cat

Persian cats are a mild-mannered breed; they usually prefer to stay at home, so their long and silky coat rarely gets dirty. As we said in our article on caring for Persian cats, they require daily brushing and grooming but only need to be bathed once every two to three months.

Before starting our step by step guide on bathing a Persian cat, we recommend asking a professional cat groomer for advice, at least at first, and take that chance to give the cat's coat a good trim. Caring for a Persian cat's coat needs to become a deeply ingrained routine for both you and the cat, and you should also pay attention to maintain the hygiene of their eyes, ears and teeth to prevent common diseases.

In order to help you, in this AnimalWised article we'll give you a step by step guide to bathing a Persian cat.

You may also be interested in: Step by Step Guide to Bathing a Ferret
Steps to follow:
1

Whether a kitten or a fully grown Persian cat, the first step to bathing them will be to get them used to warm water (37° C to 38° C or 98.5º F to 100.5º F). As always, a kitten will get used to taking a dip more easily than an adult cat.

Persian cats tend to detest water. The main problem will be keeping them calm in the water without them fleeing in terror when coming into contact with the liquid, which should always be lukewarm in order to make the experience more tolerable.

To give your Persian cat their first bath, make the most of a hot day with no unpleasant breezes. A large plastic bowl with a little bit of warm water will be the ideal container to start wetting and gently soaking your cat until they don't try to run away and feel calm and confident.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 1
2

Once the cat has realized you're there to help and is no longer stressed, gently massage them and lather up a small amount of shampoo specific for Persian cats. It should be neutral so as not to harm their sensitive skin.

Then, rinse the shampoo by slowly pouring warm, clean water from a jug without getting water or shampoo in the cat's face.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 2
3

If your Persian cat is very dirty, try washing them again with shampoo. Remember to take extra caution to prevent the shampoo getting in your cat's eyes or mouth. If this happens, your cat would probably run away in terror.

You can also use a cat conditioner to soften their fur and prevent the formation of knots and tangles. However, if at this point you discover that your cat has a big knot in their coat, make sure you take a look at our article to learn all about removing knots and tangles from a Persian cat's coat.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 3
4

Whether soaking your cat or giving them a quick bath, it's imperative to thoroughly dry your pet. Use two towels, the first to absorb most of the water accumulated in your Persian cat's fur and the second one to rub vigorously until the cat is completely dry.

Take advantage of the situation to comb and brush your cat thoroughly. We recommend visiting our article on caring for a Persian cat's coat, where we tell you about the most appropriate brushes and the ideal materials for your feline.

Finish drying off your cat with a hairdryer, as long as it isn't too hot and the noise doesn't scare your cat. There are also ultra-quiet pet hairdryers available on the market.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 4
5

We strongly recommend going to a professional cat groomer for your Persian cat's first bath. This way, you can watch what they do and how your cat reacts, and take note of the guidelines they give you.

Pay close attention to what kind of shampoo and conditioner the professional uses, in addition to the combs, brushes or slicker brushes. Of course, if you leave your cat at the groomer's and leave to do something else you'll miss a master step-by-step guide to bathing a Persian cat - without a doubt, a groomer is the best person to teach you this process, as every cat is different.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 5
6

Again, Persian cats are usually very clean. They only tend to accumulate dirt under the chin and around their neck. This is because when they eat food tends to get stuck in those areas; however, you can easily get rid of that residue through daily brushing.

If your cat has eaten any greasy foods such as tuna or salmon - which are strongly recommended because they are rich in beneficial omega-3 and omega-6 oils - you can tidy up the cat's face and neck with a baby wipe.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 6
7

It's not good to bathe a Persian cat too often, but there are some tricks to help clean your cat without bathing them. Giving them a soak once every two or three months will be enough. Don't forget to bathe your Persian cat with anti-parasitic shampoos in the summer.

Your cat might accidentally get dirty soon after you have bathed them, or during the first two weeks after getting a vaccine shot. In those cases, it is advisable to clean them with soap powder or dry mousse instead of bathing them. These products are applied similar to traditional shampoo, but it shouldn't get on the cat's face or genital area.

After leaving these products on to act for a couple of minutes, remove them. Soap powder can be removed with a thorough brushing, which will remove the dirt as well as the powder itself. Dry mousse is first removed with a clean cloth before thoroughly brushing, dragging out any remains of mousse and dirt.

Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide - Step 7
8

This is our step by step guide to bathing a Persian cat. If you have any tips, please tell us in the comments section.

If you want to read similar articles to Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide, we recommend you visit our Beauty tips category.

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Ibrahim Zarar
What will happen if you bathe a persian kitten too often? Asking as sometimes our kitten gets dirty so we once gave it 2 baths in a day – what would happen if we continuously did that?
Administrador AnimalWised
Hi Ibrahim,

There are very rare circumstances when a cat should be bathed more than once every one to two months, let alone twice in a day. This is harmful for the cat. Not only can bathing be a stressful experience, but it will remove natural oils on the cat's skin which help to protect it. In general the conditioning of their coat will be poor and it can even lead to hair loss.
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Bathing a Persian Cat: Step by Step Guide