When a furry little life - a new kitten - quietly integrates into our family, the joy and anticipation are undoubtedly indescribable. However, in addition to this joy, as new "cat slaves", we also need to understand some basic care knowledge about new cats coming home, especially about bathing. Remember, for newly arrived cats, do not rush to give them a bath. This not only concerns the cat's health, but also the establishment of trust between us and them.
Cats, this proud and independent creature, are born with astonishing self-cleaning abilities. They spend a lot of time every day meticulously grooming their hair with their soft and flexible tongue. This behavior not only keeps their hair smooth and shiny, but also effectively removes dust and odors from their bodies. Therefore, even if cats do not bathe for a long time, their fur can still be kept clean and tidy.
More importantly, cats secrete a unique substance on their skin that is crucial for maintaining normal skin pH levels. It can not only help cats resist the invasion of external bacteria, but also protect their fur from damage. If cats are frequently bathed, especially with unsuitable care products, it is likely to damage this natural protective film, causing dryness, itching, and even skin diseases in cats.
For newly arrived kittens, they have just experienced a dual stress response of environmental changes and vaccine injections, and are in a relatively fragile state both physically and psychologically. At this point, forcibly bathing them not only exacerbates their stress response, but may also trigger diseases such as colds and cat ringworm due to catching a cold or weakened immunity. Although a cold may be small, it can cause a series of serious complications for young cats; Catnip, on the other hand, is a stubborn and easily contagious skin disease that is both time-consuming and laborious to treat.
Therefore, as responsible pet owners, we should patiently wait and give the newly arrived kitten enough time to adapt. Generally speaking, it is recommended to consider whether to take a bath about half a month after the kitten arrives home. Prior to this, we can help cats maintain their cleanliness and health by regularly grooming their fur and keeping the environment clean.
Of course, if it is necessary to bathe a kitten for certain special reasons, it is important to choose appropriate care products for the kitten and ensure that the water temperature is appropriate and the movements are gentle during the bathing process. After taking a shower, it is even more important to thoroughly dry and blow through the cat's hair in a timely manner to avoid diseases caused by catching a cold.
In short, when a new cat arrives home, remember not to rush to take a shower. Let's use more patience and love to accompany them through this adaptation period and build a beautiful human cat relationship together.
