If you have just vaccinated your cat but you need to take a bath, maybe you are wondering, Can a cat be bathed after vaccination? Before starting the hygiene session, you should take into account some important data, such as the effect of vaccines on cats, especially when they are puppies, under what circumstances we should avoid bathing and many other details to consider.
Can a cat be bathed after being vaccinated? What steps should we follow? In this article we will explain everything you need to know to avoid causing problems after the vaccination of the cat, take note!
Vaccination of cats
Our cats throughout their lives can contract different enfermedades for which there is no treatment, except for the prevention that we can provide them with vaccines. The cat vaccination schedule starts at 8 weeks and, after several administrations in the first months, it is maintained with a annual reminder, so that, in advance, we can know and choose the day of the inoculation.
Vaccines work, basically, presenting the body with a part of a virus (there are different types of vaccines) so that the immune system points to it, identifies it as a pathogen and makes antibodies against it that are preserved in this immunological memory. Thus, if in the future the cat contracts said virus, its body is able to attack it directly, which avoids, in general, that the disease comes to be displayed with all its virulence.
The way vaccines work puts the immune system to work, which, in a way, is a stress for the organism. In addition to this physical aspect, it must be taken into account that the cat can be affected by the movement to the clinic and the contact with the veterinarian. And is that, depending on the character of our cat, have to put it in a carrier, upload it in a vehicle, remove it from its environment, take it to a place full of smells and noises, be handled by strangers, immobilized and punctured can be very traumatic
Some relax as soon as they get home but others spend the rest of the day half hidden. In addition, inoculation of the vaccine can cause some of the side effects of cat vaccines, such as a slight fever and even a reaction that includes lameness and high temperature up to three weeks after the puncture. We will have to have all these factors in mind when deciding if you can bathe a cat after vaccination.
The bathroom of the cats
Cats follow a conscientious every day cleaning ritual and, in fact, the suspension of their hygiene is a cause for alarm that can indicate that our cat is sick. This is why it is rare to find them really dirty and, consequently, few will need a bath. We can keep the majority clean simply with some of the tricks to clean a cat without bathing it.
Can you bathe a small cat?
If you have just adopted a baby cat or rescued a month-old cat and need to bathe it, go to your trusted veterinary clinic first. Small cats are especially sensitive and vulnerable, for this reason, except in cases of serious dirt, puppy cats should not bathe unjustifiably.
How to bathe an adult cat?
Washing a cat can mean a stress factor, since many cats are little friends of the water and the fact of picking them up, wetting them, lathering them, rinsing them and drying them is not something they accept willingly and their logical reaction will be to escape and hide. Remember that you should never bathe a cat with human shampoo, but you must choose those products that are made specifically for cats.
Therefore, unless our cat likes the bath, which also has, or has been really dirty, we will not have the need to bathe. Thus, the question, rather than if you can bathe a cat after vaccination, would be why are we going to bathe our cat, over after the vaccine. In any case, do not hesitate to discover how to bathe a cat at home, with advice for an adequate cleaning and drying that every owner should know.
How to bathe an aggressive cat?
If you are wondering how to bathe a cat that does not stop, especially after applying your vaccinations, we recommend you avoid bathing with soap and water altogether. Instead, you can bet on dry cleaning shampoos, which easily remove dirt with a brush.
Baths and vaccines for cats
As we have seen, both the vaccine and the bath can pose considerable stress to the cat. If it is the case of our feline, as the vaccination is more than advisable and we can also choose when to administer it, we do not have to make it coincide with a bath, since it would suppose a unnecessary stress for the animal.
On the contrary, if our cat is not disturbed in the least by the vaccines and enjoys bathing, there would be no problem in both of them agreeing. Of course, we must make sure the cat does not get cold. Thus, the answer to whether you can bathe a cat after vaccination we see that it is answered taking into account different nuances and will depend on the characteristics of our cat.
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