Bath Time

You will need:

• baby shampoo (Johnson & Johnson)
  
• clean socks (to rub with soap)
• warm towels

I find the kitchen sink the most convenient for this job.
Frequency depends on your cat; how greasy he gets. It may vary from once a week to once a month.

1. Fill the sink up with warm water.
2. Let your Sphynx cat feel the water so it has an idea of the temperature.
3. Put on the socks on your both hands...then gently lift your cat, and slowly lower in the water.
4. Wet your cat's body with water, adding soap on the wet socks...then rub.
5. Avoid the eyes & the ears. If water goes into the ears, they can get infected.
6. Rinse off the soap completely.
7. Rest your cat down on a soft & warm towel.
8. Reward him for his patience.

Since Monkey doesn't stay still for long, I do the ear cleaning, nail cleaning, trimming, & eye cleaning in separate sessions, which happens more frequently than a bath.

How To Clean Your Cat's Nail Sheath

Black gunk builds up under the nail sheath.
You will see gunk in 2 areas:
1. at the start of nail bed
2. under the skin fold

You can wipe it off with bath wipes or soft tissue wrapped around your finger. Q-tips don't really work well because the tips are too soft & round.
Be careful not to be too rough near the nail bed...if possible, go close to it without touching it.
To clean under the skin fold, hold the skin back with your one hand and clean with the other.

Once you clean them, it may last a week or more until the next cleaning.

Trimming Your Cat's Claws

Monkey got his nails trimmed today. I knew they were getting too long because Monkey jumped on my back and made a hole in my shirt :(

You may use claw trimmers, but nail clippers for humans work fine.


Press the paws...the claws will extend out. Then cut only the claw and avoid the "quick," which is the pink part (shown above). Cutting the quick may result in bleeding & pain.
When using human nail clippers, position it vertically, which is perpendicular to the way we use it on our nails. This will minimize nail chipping.

Essential Items For Cat Owners

Monkey's supplies:

• litterbox & litterbox cover/hood
• litter tracking mat
  
• cat litter (clumping litter) & scoop
  
• scratching post
• cat bed/hut
• food & water bowl
• dry catfood (I started with Purina Catchow, and now trying out Purina Healthful Life)
• wet catfood (occasional snack)
• Greenies (dental chews/snack)
  
• toys & stuffed animals
  
• heating pad for bed (for extra warmth)
  
• soft blankets & pillows for naps
• grooming wipes ("earthbath")
  
• ear cleaning solution
• Q-tips & tissues
• Pet toothbrush & paste
  
• LoTs of LoVe <3...and he returns it too.
  

Cleaning Your Cat's Ears

You will need: "Virbac Epi-Otic" ear cleanser & Q-tips

Monkey's ears can get very waxy. Before they fill up with black gunk, they need to be cleaned. I use "Virbac Epi-Otic" ear cleanser every other day. You can put some on Q-tips and gently swab the ears. Be careful not to go in too deep. No need to "apply liberally into the ear canal" and soak the cotton ball with the solution as it tells you in the directions. It was never necessary since I clean them so often. When I'm sitting on the sofa, he comes and sits on my lap when he wants to take a nap. That's when I clean his ears. He seems to like it...he just closes his eyes and stays still.