First, clean the fur.

Wash using circular motion for the cleaning (lifts/separates fur). Remember!! You are washing the fur, not the eyes.

You can use:

1. A warm wash cloth wetted with plain warm water

2. Equate or Bausch & Lomb contact lens saline solution on a cotton ball or piece of paper towel.

3. Make up your OWN eye cleaning solution! Here are a couple options:

3a. you can always use 1 tsp table salt to about 8 oz warm water...same saline solution! Cheaper. Warm salt water is AMAZING!

3b. add 1 tsp of boric acid powder (Walmart) to 8 oz warm water. Make sure it disolves. This is fine to wash fur and will not harm the eyes if it gets in them.

3c. Add 1 tsp of WITCH HAZEL to the solution you made in 3b. Witch Hazel is an astringent and lifts stains, but should be get into the eyes

Next, you need to pat a powder onto the freshly cleaned fur (on cheeks, under eyes). Dip your finger or a Q-Tip into the powder, and dab it into the fur. This will cover the stains, absorb moisture, and lift stains.

You can use:

1. EYE ENVY powder. This is expensive and can be ordered online through pandecats.com

2. Make your OWN kitty make-up! You'll need a little jar like a babyfood jar, or a small plastic container. Make up a 50-50 mixture of cornstarch and boric acid powder (available in Walmart)

PREVENTATIVE MEASURES:

Next, every few days, use the Terramycin or vetropolycin opthalmic ointment. Put a dab on your finger tip and smear it in the corner of the eye. This battles the bacteria that causes the red staining. At your vet for $12 or at http://www.revivalanimal.com

HELP! My cat is beginning to get knots frequently!! What should I do??

Did you know that when a cat's fur begins getting 'greasy' it begins to knot up?? It's true! The solution, then is a bath. I don't have a set schedule for baths…just when I notice a cat begins to get knots day after day.

WE use a hand held shower unit with the cat sitting on a tub bench, but lots of people use the kitchen sink with the sprayer hose. Whatever you choose, the key to success is THOROUGH sudsing following by RINSE, RINSE, RINSE.

What do we use?

We use DAWN dishsoap. Joy is good too! It's a degreaser, after all! Get your cat all wet with warm water. Now, squirt the dishsoap down the back, on the tail, and put some on your hand to put underneath and on the chest. Work into a decent lather…you'll need to continue adding water to the coat to work it through. Massage the suds into the coat…everywhere! Make sure you get every spot underneath the arms, legs, chest, knees, feet. RINSE, squeezing the fur constantly, as if trying to work up a lather. Rinse.

Follow now with a good shampoo. Pantene, Dove conditioning, Nexxus, Neutrogena all make nice shampoos. Do you go to shows?? If so, consider using SEBOLUX for your final shampoo. (Antibacterial, antimicrobial, etc..and NICE shampoo!). Order online.

Rinse. You need to rinse the cat thoroughly repeatedly!! If you don't the coat will turn into one heavy greasy matted disaster. It is not enough to simply pour water on. You MUST continue to massge the coat as if trying to work up a suds! Especially on the shoulders, on the knee area!

VINEGAR added to the final rinse cuts suds. White vinegar..a tbsp or so ought to suffice.

DRY!!

Wrap wet kitty in fluffy towel and hold for 10-15 minutes to absorb water.

Blow dry the fur...against the nap. Adds volume, dries faster. Be sure to get a table top dryer (Superduck) for about $50 at Revival or Upco or wherever. Cats don't seem to freak as much if the dryer stays put! Gives you free hands to lift and separate fur as it dries...do not try to comb a wet cat. It will only pull fur out. Use one of those combs with the teeth WIDE WIDE apart for gently lifting and separating the fur as it dries.

WARNING!!! NEVER dry the cat in a small carrier on high heat!! OK for low temps, but you do not want to overheat the cat!

Good luck and may the force be with you! The typical kitten FREAKS out for the first bath...by bath #3, they should be cooperative, although still looking for a quick escape periodically!

Thanks to all the white specialists who have shared the knowledge for the betterment of the breed!