Cat Shows are Beauty Contests
Judges consider a cat’s presentation an important part of their judgement. Your show canteens to be sparkling clean and impeccably groomed when exhibited
However, knowing how to groom well is not always intuitive; it involves a few tricks of the trade that I will share with your from The Blue Lion Cattery. My hope is that you will be able to create customized grooming regimen suitable for your cats’s unique grooming needs. Ready? Let’s get started!
Before The Show Bath
Clip the cat’s nail’s prior to the bath. It is best to clip them up to 24 hours in advance of the bath so the cat can blunt the edges on a scratching post. Comb out their coat prior to the bath and clean the inside of their ears. You can remove excess ear wax with a soft cloth. If needed use cleaning solution or witch hazel applied with cotton balls.
Pre-Bath Degreasers
If your cat is breed with a water resistant or oily coat (like many Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats), it’s beneficial to apply a degreaser while their coat is still dry. I use a recommended degreaser by Chris Christensen Pet Shampoos and Conditioners.
Apply degreaser liberally to your caT’s coat while it is still dry, paying special attention to the fur behind the ears, on the chest, stomach, legs, tail and britches. Work the degreaser through the coat for several minutes. NEVER let the cat lick the shampoo or degreaser products. It’s also not a good idea to apply any grooming product and then leave the cat unsupervised.
Starting The Bath
Fill a sink or bathtub with warm water. When filled, pour in( two for a sink and one more for a bathtub) of Woolite detergent ( a liquid soap intended for delegates). Shaklee’s Basic H2 is also good. Both of these products act as a catalyst to help the soapy water ,ore easily penetrate through their coat to get the fur wet all the way to the skin. Stir the water to mix it up, then pour cups pf soapy water over the cat’s coat but not onto the face. Baby shampoo is best for the face, it will not sting their eyes.
Do not let soapy water get into your cat’s eyes, nose, or ears, but do wet down the hair behind their ears, the sides of the headband chin down to their toes and tail.-since their entire coat needs to become soaking wet and thoroughly saturated on order to permit the degreasers and shampoos to do their full cleansing job.
If you have applied a degreaser, rub, and ruffle their cats in the treated water to help remove the degreasing product yet also get the coat completely wet.
Deep Cleaning
After the coat is soaking wet a the degreaser washed away, then drain the sink or tub and rinse the coat. The second step is designed to further remove any dirt and grease from the coat. Many exhibitors do this step by using dish detergent such as Dawn or Ivory on their cat’s coats. You may also use Chris Christensen cat shampoo. This product is applied to the cast, with special attention to the tail fur, especially if any signs of stud tail (sticky tail fur or stringy, oily fur)are seen. Use fingers to lather the product into the coat using gentle yet firm strokes. While Dish soaps work well on stud tail it may be too harsh for the rest of the body and cat times could cause excess dryness, can strip out natural coloration and lead to a ticked appearance. I recommend the Chris Christensen products on the rest of the coat.
Stud Tail
Cats with stud tail may require multiple washes using dawn to remove all the oils the tail. Be gentle when shampooing the tail area. Consider applying an absorbent grooming power a ew hours prior to the bath to absorb excess oil. Bruch or comb out most of th power prior to the bath. A very fine grade of Fullers Earth (also called Diatomaceous Earth) or corn starch helps absorb excessive oil. Its your cats’s tail has blackheads or other skin conditions caused by excess sebum, consult your veterinarian for treatment options.
You may wish to express anal glands of your cat at this stage of the bath. If your do not know how to do this, please consult your veterinarian and request a demonstration.
The Basic Show Bath
If the cat has been groomed o a regular basis ad is not oily, dirty or greasy, but just needs a show bath, you may be able to skip the degrease and deep cleansing steps above and commence the bath.
Medicated shampoos, while formulate to address parasites, can thoroughly cleanse the cat and many have anti-static dandruff properties. Always read the labels of the medicated shampoos carefully and consider any warnings or contraindications; I do not recommend using dedicated shampoos on a pregnant cat.
Experiment to se what works best for each of your cats. Depending on upper cat’s fur texture you may also need to apply a lightweight conditioner. Some exhibitors use a peas-sized amount of human conditioner to the area the needs it(i.e. just on the sides of the coat and not the to the back) and immediately rinse it completely out of the coat. Others might spray o a detangler prior to drying the coat. Experimentation is key. Wrap you kitty in a warm towel a dry them off and remember praise and give them a treat or a special toy as a reward.