How to wash a Maine Coon at home

Everyone knows how difficult it is to bathe cats, especially large cats like Maine Coons. However, their long, showy coat requires careful and regular grooming. We'll tell you how to properly wash a Maine Coon, how often it should be done and what products to use to make your pet look chic and well-groomed.

How often to bathe a Maine Coon

There is an opinion that cats should not be washed at all, since bathing washes away their natural oil layer from their fur and skin. Baths are allowed only in exceptional cases: when the animal gets dirty on the street, in the apartment during repairs or accidents. Despite the fact that cats have their own way of washing themselves by licking their tongues, and water procedures are a stressful event for them, periodic washing is necessary for them.

Experienced breeders and groomers believe that a Maine Coon should be bathed at least once every 1-2 months. During this time, many dust particles settle on the fatty layer covering the fur, which disrupts air exchange and makes it difficult for new hair to grow. The long fur of Maine Coons will fall apart into strands, look untidy and greasy, tangles will form on the fur, and combing them out is quite problematic; it’s easier to cut them off.

If the cat regularly attends exhibitions, you need to bathe him even more often: at least once a week, a few days before the exhibition. It is recommended to bathe your pet during shedding and when soiled.

Particular attention should be paid to the tail: in Maine Coons it tends to quickly become greasy, starting from 4 months, and in cats to a greater extent than in cats.

In addition to regular bathing, Maine Coons must be constantly combed at least once every 2 weeks with different types of combs:

downy for undercoat;
a brush with teeth of different levels;
a fine comb for the hair on the paws.

The best shampoos against dandruff and itching in cats

Anti-dandruff shampoos are aimed at fighting fungus and normalizing the functioning of the sebaceous glands. However, they do not treat the cause of skin diseases and should be used as part of complex therapy.

Api-san – antimicrobial shampoo for cats and cats

★★★★★

editorial assessment

98%

buyers recommend this product

See review▶

Api-san is a medicinal antimicrobial shampoo with a sulfate-free formula. Here 4% comes from chlorhexidine, which prevents the development of bacteria, including fungus. Pet owners note that dandruff disappears after the second wash of the pet. The shampoo also reduces irritation and redness, and restores shine to the coat.

For maximum effect, you need to keep Api-san for 10 minutes after soaping. Thick consistency ensures economical consumption. The product is sold in plastic bottles with a convenient flip-top cap. A 150 ml bottle is enough for the entire recommended washing course.

Pros:

pleasant aroma;
economical;
kills bacteria and germs;
effective against dandruff;
relieves redness and irritation.

Minuses:

the price is above average (370 rubles);
there are contraindications.

Api-san shampoo is prescribed by a veterinarian for dermatological problems. It is recommended to repeat washing every 3-5 days, the course of use is at least 3-4 weeks.

CitoDerm – for allergies and itching in cats

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

91%

buyers recommend this product

CitoDerm is a German shampoo that relieves itching, irritation and other manifestations of allergies. The formula strengthens the skin's natural barrier. Menthol soothes, reduces inflammation, redness and relieves pain.

Aloe vera moisturizes the skin and strengthens the coat. Malic acid removes swelling and promotes cell regeneration. Dimethyl sulfone is aimed at reducing the allergic reaction. The shampoo has a menthol aroma, pleasant and not too pronounced.

Pros:

relieves itching, irritation and inflammation of the skin;
improves wool quality;
reduces allergic reaction;
pleasant aroma.

Minuses:

high cost (400 rubles for 200 ml);
requires a long wash.

CitoDerm is a universal medicinal shampoo against itching and allergies that is suitable for cats of all breeds, colors and sizes.

Beaphar Shampoo Anti-Itch – medicinal shampoo for itching

4.9

★★★★★

editorial assessment

88%

buyers recommend this product

Beaphar Shampoo Anti-Itch relieves irritation, regardless of the cause, moisturizes the skin, cleanses the coat and gives it shine. The product contains vitamin E as a natural antioxidant to improve the skin's natural defenses. Aloe vera moisturizes and softens the dermis, and menthol cools and relieves irritation. Schisandra oil relieves inflammation.

The formula also contains dimethyl sulfone, a source of sulfur, which reduces allergic reactions, makes the coat soft, gives it shine and strengthens the protective properties of the skin.

Pros:

sold in almost every pet store;
moisturizes and softens the skin;
removes irritation;
reduces allergy symptoms.

Minuses:

expensive (1100 rubles for 200 ml)

Beaphar Shampoo Anti-Itch is a popular shampoo among professional breeders that removes itching and other allergy symptoms in cats.

Preparation for water procedures

Maine Coons, like other cats, do not particularly like to bathe or splash in water. But since long hair requires frequent washing, it is recommended to accustom them to bathing from childhood: this way they will be able to endure a stressful procedure easier and more calmly. The first rule of bathing is to avoid drafts and open doors to avoid colds and illnesses. The pet can be washed in a regular bathtub or basin with a 10 cm layer of water, watering it from a shower head. It is advisable to lay a terry towel or boards on the floor so that the cat can cling to them with its claws to calm itself.

Try to prepare the necessary equipment in advance so that you don’t rush around the room looking for what you need and don’t run out of it. It is recommended that two people bathe the Maine Coon: one holds the cat, the other carries out the washing procedures. If you don’t have an assistant, you can use a harness by tying its free end to a hook on the wall in the bathroom. The water temperature should be no more than 37-37.5C: there is no need to give your cat a steam bath.

For professional grooming, it is recommended to use detergents for Maine Coons, preferably from one professional line:

degreaser: Jerob cream, Groomer's Goop paste or gel;
shampoo for Maine Coon: for long or medium coat, for example, IV San Bernard;
tint shampoo for coloring;
texturizer and conditioner.

Regular human soap and shampoos are not recommended. All means must be placed at hand, but not within the cat’s reach, otherwise he may turn everything over with his paws if he starts to get nervous. Before washing, you should prepare paper and terry towels.

Before you wash your Maine Coon, you need to prepare it:

trim the claws on the front and hind paws;
check for small wounds;
clean your ears;
It is good to comb out the hair from tangles on the chest, collar, belly and trousers, and you need to treat the tail especially carefully: the guard hairs on it are easily combed out, but subsequently grow back for a long time.

How to bathe a Maine Coon correctly: stages of the procedure

Degreasing. First, apply a degreasing cream to the cat’s dry fur and rub it thoroughly, leaving it for an average of 5 minutes, and then rinse with warm water. It's necessary:
thoroughly wet the Maine Coon's outer coat, which is water-repellent.
Wash off the paste with warm water and apply shampoo, first foaming it in your hands, and then distributing it from head to tail in the direction of hair growth. The head can also be wetted and gently treated with shampoo, but the ears should not be wetted. To prevent water from getting into your ears, fold them in half from the edges to the center. Rinse off the shampoo thoroughly.
Next, if desired, you can apply coloring shampoo. It is clear that for white-haired cats it will be one thing, but for blue, red or black cats it will be completely different.
The final step is to apply conditioner to close the cuticle of the fur hairs. We wash it off especially carefully, using slightly cooler water than when washing off shampoo.

The bathing procedure is simple, the main thing is not to be nervous yourself and constantly talk to your pet in a gentle, confident voice, avoiding screams, sudden sounds and movements, such as hitting the water or falling objects. We ignore the Maine Coon’s bad behavior during bathing, don’t yell at him, and always reward good behavior.

Drying and combing wool

Immediately after bathing, the cat should be wrapped and blotted with a towel, never rubbing the fur. To remove water, as a rule, one towel is not enough: first you will need a paper one, and then at least two terry ones. You can even swaddle the cat in a towel and hold it in your arms for 5-6 minutes, then carefully comb it, unraveling and combing out tangles if possible, or, in extreme cases, cutting them out with scissors.

You need to dry your cat at home naturally or with a hairdryer. The hairdryer is especially recommended for grooming before a show. Therefore, if you plan to regularly visit exhibitions, get your future champion used to using a hair dryer, although cats don’t really like it because of its buzzing and hissing. Blow-drying, like washing, is easiest done by two people: one combs the wool in the opposite direction of its growth, and the other directs a stream of air. The Maine Coon should be dried with a hairdryer or regular combing until completely dry. If not dried thoroughly, the fur may curl up and hang in strands. In this case, the hair in the damaged area must be wetted again and dried properly.

If you have difficulty bathing your Maine Coon, drying its fur with a hairdryer, and you are afraid that you will not be able to cope with this procedure due to the particularly large size of your pet, we recommend watching a video on this topic.

Symptoms of the disease

A disease such as “greasy tail syndrome” has the following symptoms:

The appearance of greasy hair at the base of the animal's tail.
Clumping of fur into tangles.
Accumulation on the skin of an animal of a waxy mass of brown color, giving off a rancid odor,
Redness and inflammation of the skin underneath the oily hair on the tail.
Inflammation of the hair follicles and the appearance in their place of small pustules in huge numbers.
Hair loss is common.
The appearance of scabs.

If the disease becomes chronic, the tail of a pet may completely lose hair and become bald. And the appearance of scabs on the tail, in turn, can lead to the formation of eczema in the poor animal.

When not to wash your pet

Bathing for an animal is always a strong stress to which its immune system is quite sensitive. Stress is also caused by moving to another house, staying at an exhibition, changing the usual environment, food, the appearance of noisy guests or other pets. Therefore, bathing a cat in such situations is not recommended. There are also a number of special contraindications for washing an animal:

during any illness;
being in quarantine;
before vaccination.

There is no need to immediately bathe the kitten after you bring it to your home. Such bathing can only be harmful to the baby’s health.

Whether a Maine Coon needs to be washed periodically or not, and how often to do it, is up to each owner to decide for himself. But you must admit, it’s nice when a clean and good-smelling cat walks around the house, and not a ball of fur hung with icicles with a shiny tail. When choosing a cleaning product, use only special shampoos, creams and sprays for grooming, taking into account the age, gender and color of the animal. It is also necessary to select funds experimentally. If, despite regular water treatments, the coat quickly loses its grooming and shine, perhaps the Maine Coon should be shown to a veterinarian. And remember: bathing for a mustachioed pet is not the most pleasant procedure, but is always stressful. Therefore, do not try to overdo it in the pursuit of cleanliness and beauty; think first of all about your pet’s health and well-being.

Choosing a name for a kitten.

Many people find it very difficult to choose a name for a kitten, or one that is too long in the pedigree or simply doesn’t like it. It is worth paying attention that it is best to choose a name for the baby, paying attention to the external characteristics, color, and behavior of the little Maine Coon.

Important: No matter how cute and small your pet is, do not call him with very gentle, diminutive nicknames like “Muska”, “Kroshka”, “Small”. Or ridiculous nicknames - “Pig”, “Red”, “Crow”, etc. Remember that the pet will grow up, become big and will visit exhibitions, a veterinarian, matings and a beautiful, suitable name will become an adornment for a chic Maine Coon .