Brush  the  coat  well  with  a  soft  brush,  or  with  a
mitten  which  is  known  as  a  bath-mitten.  The
coat  of  the  cat  can  be  improved  very  materially
by  washing ;  but  this  is  difficult  unless  the  ani-
mal is  very  tame,  and  even  then  can  only  be
well  done  by  its  absolute  owner  or  an  attendant
of  whom  it  is  fond.  To  wash  a  cat,  make  a
soft  soap-sud,  comparatively  thick ;  apj^ly  com-
mencing at  the  hind  quarters  and  tail,  and
gradual!}^  ml)  in  until  the  ears  are  reached.
After  the  soap-suds  have  been  thoroughly
rubbed  in,  dip  the  animal,  hind  feet  first,  into
a  tub  of  tepid  water,  when  it  can  be  gently
patted  over  with  the  hand,  and  then  dipped
into  another  tub  of  tepid  water,  to  rinse  it  off.
The  animal  should  then  be  wrapped  up  in  a
soft  bath-towel  and  the  excess  of  water  pressed
out ;  and  it  should  then  be  put  into  a  basket  of
clean  oat  straw  and  kept  in  a  warm  place,  where


78  THE   CAT

it  will  finish  the  drying*  and  cleaning  for  itself
by  rolling  in  the  straw  and  by  licking  itself,
after  whicli  it  can  be  brushed  with  a  soft  brnsh.
For  a  simpler  form  of  dressing  to  make  the
coat  shiny,  the  animal  can  be  sponged  over
with  a  very  little  perfectly  fresh  olive  or  cocoa-
nnt  oil,  or  witli  a  little  perfectly  fresh  cream,
which  is  then  wiped  off  with  a  sponge  slightly
damped,  or  with  a  towel,  and  the  animal  put
into  the  basket  of  oat  straw  to  clean  itself.
Feed.
