Never bathe a cat unless positively obliged to; if by accident puss has tumbled into anything which has badly soiled the hair, such as paint, or, as often happens, has become entangled with a sticky fly-paper, then, of course, a washing is necessary, and should be done immediately.

To remove paint or sticky fly-paper, I have found nothing to answer the purpose so well as warm water and napthaline soap, using a little turpentine on a rag at first to the very bad patches. If the soap alone will not remove all, then put a little soda in the water. Rinse well after washing, and dry with rough bath-towels. If in winter, place in a warm room until thoroughly dry.

It is a dangerous practice to wash a cat constantly, for sooner or later it is sure to contract a bad cold or pneumonia. The best way to cleanse a cat's coat is by dry cleaning. First comb all knots out of the fur with a wire comb; then, if the hair is very much soiled or greasy, rub with a rough towel moistened with alcohol and water, half and half. Rub nearly dry, then take a flour-dredger filled with dry corn-starch, and dust the cat over lightly, rubbing the starch in around the nose and eyes with the fingers, to prevent any getting in the eyes and nose. After rubbing well into the coat with the hands, brush and comb thoroughly, and if all the hair does not become fluffy, repeat the process where necessary.

It is best to do this cleaning in a bath-room, spreading a sheet on the floor, as the "dry" process is apt to cover everything more or less with powder.

Dry cleaning does not spoil the coat, whereas a cat which is constantly washed never grows a good coat, as the soap and water removes all the natural oil, and the hair becomes brittle, breaks off, and also turns a rusty colour. A cat frequently washed becomes dirty much sooner than one which is "dry" cleaned, as they will not clean themselves when constantly washed.