Persian Cat Grooming and Bathing
The type of coat your Persian cat has will dictate the type of shampoo to use. If the coat tends to be on the dry side, use a moisturizing shampoo. If the coat is really fine, a human shampoo for body and volume can be used (i.e., Aussie, Nexus or Willow Lake). Wash your Persian thoroughly using whichever shampoo works best for your cat's coat.
Rinse thoroughly again. It is important to make sure you get all the shampoo and any residual degreaser out of the coat. Float the coat again.
If you want, now is the time to use a shampoo that is formulated for the color of your Persian.
Rinse thoroughly again. It is important to make sure you get all the shampoo out of the coat. Float the coat again. If you fail to rinse all of the shampoo out, the coat will appear dirty and greasy within a few days. I sometimes use a water/apple cider vinegar mixture after this rinse to help restore the cat's natural PH. Add 2 tablespoons of Apple Cider Vinegar to a cup or so of water, pour this thoroughly through the coat and then RINSE the coat with warm clear water AGAIN.
To add back moisture/oil to a stripped coat use a medicated shampoo or a cool, hot-oil treatment. I say cool, hot-oil because you do not want it so hot that you burn the cat's skin. You will need to experiment with different shampoos and products to see what works best on your Persian's coat and if it needs a moisturizer or not. I like the Medicated Oatmeal Shampoo by EZ-Groom. If you use a hot-oil treatment on the cat, you will then need to wash it out and rinse again.
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 retail pet stores such as Petsmart. Purchase Opticlear on-line from Petsmart. Do not use anything in your cat's eyes that says it gets the red out.
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. :-)
Rinse your Persian one last time. Make sure the water runs clear and pay special attention to the underarms and stomach. If there is any shampoo left on the coat at all, the coat will appear flat and greasy looking within a very short time. Float the coat again.
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 Metro Force dryers as they blow the water off the coat with cooler air. It is not necessary to comb out the coat until the hair is almost dry. Metro Force dryers at Pet Edge. There are more expensive models than the one from this link, but this one is quite adequate for most owner's use.
There is also a great dryer that can dry a Persian safely in a very short amount of time. The Pet Dryer can be reached by following this link. We have one of these dryers and love it!
Wash your Persian's ears after degreasing, but before the shampoo. There are commercial products designed for this. Petkin Wipes are handy for cleaning ears (available online at Petsmart).
To remove static from your Persian's coat, you can mix a small amount of fabric softener in a gallon of water. Pour it through the coat, spreading it thoroughly and then RINSE AGAIN! After you have washed your Persian cat a few times, you will be able to tell if you need to remove static from his coat and will need to use the fabric softener/water mixture or not.
Never flea bath or flea dip a kitten!
Different coat colors will require a different bath shampoo. For example, for a white coat there are shampoos specially designed with a brightening or bluing formula to whiten the coat. There are shampoos formulated for black coats. There are shampoos formulated for red coats. So when shopping for a shampoo keep in mind the coat color of your Persian. Most of the commercial shampoo products will specify exactly what they are intended to do. Shop around. There are some good suggestions for these shampoos on our Supply List.
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 tip of 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.
Powder can help absorb some of the grease. I suggest using soft white grooming powder between baths.
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.*
More information on bathing and grooming Persians. This site offers written information as well as several videos. Many of the product suggestions are from Laura of Purrinlot. Do visit this site, as she has some excellent information on Persians and grooming.
