Persian Cat Grooming and Bathing
Grooming a Persian cat is quite different than grooming other cat breeds. Persian cats need combing on a daily basis. We use a wide-metal tooth, static free, comb. I never use a brush as a brush will not penetrate a long, thick coat of a Persian cat.
Of course, if combing your Persian is part of your daily grooming, your Persian cat will not have any mats. Pay special attention to behind the Persian's ears, under the armpits and around the rump and legs as mats collect faster in these areas.
Here is a link to our recommended Supply List for Persians.
There is a bathing video at the bottom of this page. While they use a small cup to rinse their kitty, you can either use a cup similar to this or use the sprayer hose (gently) on your kitchen sink.
Mats
Before you bathe your Persian cat, make sure you get all the mats out. To do this, take a wide toothed comb and gently comb out the cat.
Do NOT pull the mats out.
Do no use sharp-pointed scissors as it may cut the cat if he moves or jumps. Additionally, the cat's skin is very thin and it is very easy to cut/slice the skin without much pressure. To remove the mats, work at them with a large toothed comb and gently pull them apart. If you have larger mats, pull them apart into smaller knots and use the comb to GENTLY work them out from the skin side outwards. The skin beneath the mat can be very tender and sore, so be gentle. If a mat is left too long, the skin can become infected. It is best to comb a Persian cat daily in order to avoid mats altogether. In between baths, powder will help to absorb the grease and decrease matting. Grooming powder not baby powder. 🙂
Please do not pull or comb a mat out as it will not only ruin the coat and cause a lot of pain to your Persian cat.
Trim Nails
Trim the cat's nails prior to bathing.
This will make the bath much more enjoyable for you. Take care not to cut them too short or they will bleed. You should always have styptic powder on hand in case you cut a nail too short and bleeding occurs. I like either:
- Top Performance Medistyp Powder with Benzocaine
- Kwik Stop
Please visit the Amazon.com web site to order these products.
Bathing Advice
The frequency of baths will depend on your Persian's fur. A Persian cat will begin to look greasy as it becomes dirtier and mats will increase quickly if the cat is not bathed. A clean Persian's coat is not greasy and will not appear separated. An owner can either bathe their Persian themselves or take it to a professional groomer. However, the type of bath and the products used are important, so if you opt to use a groomer make sure you know what products are being used on your cat.
I exclusively use the PinkPawPal Grooming Products. I like them because they are made using natural ingredients and are not harmful to kittens, pregnant or nursing cats.
Degreasing
I use my kitchen sink to degrease and bathe my Persians. The first step in a proper bath for a Persian is to degrease it.
After all the mats are removed and their nails have been trimmed, it is time to degrease the coat prior to bathing. Persian cats tend to get greasy coats and it is important to use a Degreaser prior to shampooing.
De-Greasing Cream
There are a few products that I recommend as a degreaser: Goop, PinkPawPal Degreasing Shampoo, and/or Dawn dishwashing detergent.
- If using Goop, apply it directly to the dry coat and rub it in, paying attention to behind the ears and underarm areas where the coat is usually the greasiest. It is not unusual to use a whole container on one adult cat. You can purchase Goop at Wal-Mart (or similar type stores) in the automotive section. It comes in a white tub just make sure you buy the NON pumice kind.
- If using PinkPawPal Degreasing Shampoo, please follow the directions. Pelaqita Persians uses and recommends the PinkPawPal professional grooming products.
- If using Dawn (original, blue formula ONLY), there are a couple of ways to use it and it depends on what you feel most comfortable with. Some people apply the detergent directly to a wet coat while others prefer to dilute it. You can fill the sink with warm, soapy water (Dawn). Put the cat in the sink and work the soapy water into the cat's coat until thoroughly coated. Wash thoroughly. Do NOT use Dawn on a weekly basis as it will dry out the coat and strip color from it.
After degreasing the coat it is important to rinse thoroughly.
If using Goop, after applying to dry coat, add a small amount of water and lather the goop on the cat.
First Rinse
After degreasing your Persian's coat, rinse thoroughly.
Rinsing your cat is the MOST IMPORTANT step in bathing a Persian Cat or Persian Kitten. I cannot stress the rinsing process strongly enough.
Shampoo
PinkPawPal Whitening & Silky Shampoo
If you have a cat with white on it, I recommend using the Whitening & Silky Shampoo.
Hypoallergenic Shampoo
If you have a kitten or a cat with sensitive skin, use the Hypoallergenic Shampoo.
PinkPawPal Skincare Shampoo
If you have a cat with ringworm or skin issues, use the Skincare Shampoo.
Second Rinse
Rinse thoroughly. It is important to make sure you get all the shampoo out of the coat.
If you fail to rinse all of the shampoo out, the coat will appear dirty and greasy within a few days.
Shampoo Again - If Necessary
If the coat was extremely dirty, you may need to shampoo the coat a second time.
Apply the Shampoo to the wet coat and gently scrub. Thoroughly rinse.
Rinse
Rinse the cat again.
Conditioner
Nourishing Conditioner
A conditioner should be applied after the shampooing and rinsing process. I am now solely using the products from the PinkPawPal line of professional grooming products. They have a rich conditioner that I use all the time, Nourishing Conditioner.
Rinse the cat thoroughly making sure the coat feels squeaky clean.
Prior to a final rinse you want to make sure that there is no soap in the cat's eyes.
Flush or rinse the eyes with an approved eyewash such as Opticlear which can be found in most breeder catalogs and online websites such as Amazon. Purchase Opticlear on-line from Amazon.com.
WARNING:
Do not use anything in your cat's eyes that says it gets the red out.
Balancing Powder
Balancing Powder - Last Step
The Last Step in bathing a Persian cat is applying the Balancing Powder mixture. The Balancing Powder removes and remaining residue, protects the skin from irritation, stop itching and shedding, and makes the coat glossy. This product nourishes the skin using natural ingredients, citrus fruit. Contains NO antibiotic, alcohol or preservative.
Pelaqita Persians uses and recommends using the PinkPawPal Balancing Powder Solution.
Directions:
- Mix powder according to package directions (free scoop inside)
- Apply solution to the whole body.
Final Rinse
Thoroughly rinse the cat as the final step.
Washing a Persian's Face
You can wash the face in two ways:
PinkPawPal Hypoallergenic Shampoo
1. I use the PinkPawPal Hypoallergenic Shampoo for washing my Persian cat's faces. I also use this shampoo for my Persian Kittens because it is so gentle. The Hypoallergenic Shampoo is for sensitive and allergy prone skin, face, and for kittens. This product nourishes the coat using Chamomile extract, coconut oil and Vitamin E.
Safe for kittens, pregnant and nursing cats.
Paraben-Free, Contains no sulfates and is silicone free.
OR
2. Wash a Persian's face by mixing up some baby shampoo with water. About a 20% shampoo to 80% water mixture. Gently wash the cat's face with this mixture. You can use a very soft baby toothbrush to gently scrub around his eyes and nose. Rinse thoroughly. Make sure that while rinsing that you sweep the water from the cat's eyes and nose area with your hand often to avoid getting water up the cat's nose and making the cat feel that he is drowning. 🙂
Clean Ears
Skin and Ear Cleanser
Clean the ears before drying the cat. I use the PinkPawPal Skin and Ear Cleanser.
DIRECTIONS:
Soak cotton pad or cotton ball with solution. Wipe the inside of the ear.
You may also use a Q-tip, but do NOT go into the ear canal.
Drying
Squeeze the excess water from the coat, pat the coat dry with a towel, dry the cat's face with a towel, and then dry the cat with a dryer.
There are a few ways to dry a Persian cat: cage dryer, or by blowing dry with an animal dryer (not your hair dryer). I use both. However, it is important that whatever you use to dry your Persian that you do not burn him. I prefer the Flying Pig dryers as they blow the water off the coat and it has two or three adjustments for the heat (depends on the model). It is not necessary to comb out the coat until the hair is almost dry. Flying Pig Pet Dryer via Amazon.com They are a fairly comparable when compared to the Metro Force dryers, but they last forever and therefore, it is a good investment.
Bathing Hints
To remove static from your Persian's coat, you can use the PinkPawPal Grooming Spray. I use this spray when I comb my cat's. It helps to condition the coat as you use it.
Never flea bath or flea dip a kitten!
There are some good suggestions for all of the products mentioned in this article on our Supply List.
Conclusion
Some people do not like the grooming that some Persians need and opt to shave their cats into a "lion cut". A lion cut is where the body is shaved and the tail, legs and head remain unshaven. It is really a cute cut. Of course, if you are showing your Persian cat, you cannot show a Persian with its coat all shaved off. If shaving is needed, contact a groomer or your vet.
Now you are an expert on bathing and grooming your Persian cat. Make it an enjoyable activity by being extremely patience with your cat. Many Persians learn to love their baths, some merely tolerate it. However, the more you bathe your Persian, the more he will get used to it.
Our suggestions for supplies, toys, etc. to get for your cat.