do any of you bathe your cats in the tub yourself, or do you take your cats to a grooming salon for cats ?

i find that after a month or so after they have been bathed, the smell gets to the point of them needing another bath. although cats do clean themselves, sometimes a real bath is needed, does anyone else bathe their cats ?

even though i keep the litter clean, sometimes, they just get so darn smelly anyway ! :eek:

also, how do you bathe them, and what do you use ?

~ katie

Cats generally do not smell, I dont remember if yours are indoor/outdoor. Most people would say you really shouldnt bathe any animal. However, I do bathe mine because of an oil build up. The ones who go to shows get bathed more frequently. They usually get a bath every month or so. The others I give one every 6 months. I find the kitchen sink easier so I dont have to bend, but my hubby prefers the tub. It is always easier when it is a 2 person job. As for shampoo's, the best to use is a very gentle baby shampoo, or use the tear free kitten shampoo. If you bathe often, you should give them an omega 3 fatty acid suppliment to keep their skin from drying too badly..:)

well, they dont " generally " smell, no, but after a month or two, they can get smelly, remember, those little paws are stepping in and out of litter boxes ! or maybe i have a sensitive nose ?! :) all of mine are indoors, and they arent incredibly smelly, i just like to bathe them once in awhile to get them fresh smelling & soft. why do you think most people think you shouldnt bathe animals ? i cant see why it would be harmful, especially if you are using gentle shampoos and are only bathing once every few months.

~ katie

Katie,

I bathe my Sphynx on a regular basis. Since he is considered "hairless" although he has a fine coat of down you can't really see, the oils stay on his skin and have nowhere to go. So he has to be bathed at least 2x month. The way I do it is, when I'm getting ready to show him, he and I get in the tub together, him facing away from me on a facecloth. It gives me more control over him. It goes by alot faster and he isn't clawing me.

Another trick I heard was to put the cat in a "lingerie" bag, the kind you wash pantyhose and delicates in. Zip it up with only his head out and wash him that way. It prevents the cat from clawing you and is easier to handle him. I've never tried it. But I heard it works.

Good luck.

PS I may try it soon as my Turkish Angora Wannabe is due for a bath soon (she is a little smelly from being sick).

Well out of the 11, only the persian seems to schlep through the litter box, but he needs a bath every 2 weeks anyhow. Most vets say bathing any animal too often causes really dry skin, which leads to itching, scratching and dandruf. Like I said, I just suppliment thier diet to avoid that. I love it when they are all sqeaky clean..:)

Wow... I am wondering if I am missing something? My little baby never smells bad, actually I think she smells pretty good. Like my apartment. I have never bathed her and hope to heck I will never have to. I could imagine she would tear me up!! She's a stubborn little rascle.
Just out of curiosity how do you pull off bathing a cat? Is it pretty simple for you?

Hi SWalker,

Try not to laugh, but I actually strip and get in the water with the cat. Having him with his back to me does give me more leverage and keeps me from getting scratched up (till I pick him up and wrap the towel around him, that is).

Well, like I said, I bathe the cats because they will feel oily to me after about 6 months.
How to bathe a cat...VERY carefuly...hehe. No, if you start them as kittens they usually tolerate it and are just pretty vocal about it. Sometimes 4 hands help :)

I bathe my cats every once in a while when they start to get a little smell. It's not actually a bad smell just different. Anyway, I bathe them in the kitchen sink. With Lianna and Wylie my husband has to hold them while I give the bath, but Cruella sits there calmy until I finish. I guess she figure the more cooperative she is the quicker it will be over. You shouldn't bathe to often because it can dry out their skin and hair. I use a shampoo/conditioner that my vet gave me. It was created by a vet and is designed to keep their skin and hair from getting dry and at the same time kills fleas immidiatly. Also, it's kitten safe. She gave it to me because when I found Wylie he was very sick and had fleas really bad. I would tell you the name of it but the last time the bottle fell in the sink and the label peeled off. Your vets might know the name.

There's an article about bathing your cat (http://www.thecatsite.com/grooming/bath.html) in this site. It is not based on my experience :shysmile: I don't bathe my cat cause they get too stressed over it.

I usually give my cat Sassy a bath once every few months. She is mostly a housecat but she does step out now and then when I hang out clothes. I have found the easiest way for me to give her a bath is to don a pair of shorts and t-shirt and just get in the tub with her. I have a few inches of bath water run beforehand with rinse water in the sink. Tiger doesn't like the sound of running water so I get everything ready before getting in with her. This seems to calm her considerably. I have tried it without getting in with her and had my arms clawed. We use a cup to pour water from the sink onto her shampooed body. My husband helps with this. I use a mild tearless shampoo as well. I haven't tried giving my new cat a bath yet. His previous owner hadn't bathed him either. Guess it will be an experience. Good luck.

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Wow!! This has been very educational. I cannot believe how many people bathe their kitties. I still hope that I never have to, I can be a little scared of Lily. She sure can be a terror when she is not getting her way... hehe ;)

Last night, I tried to bathe Fergus for ths first time. He had accidentally rolled in some non-toxic craft paint, but I did not want him to lick it off. I tried to place him in the bathtub with me, but I couldn't go through with it. I have never heard such anguished noises come out of this cat, even when he was near death from pneumonia, or when the vet took his temperature.

I ended uo giving him a sponge bath, and he was extremely cooperative for that. I don't think I'll ever try to place him in water again! I truly feared for my eyes!!!


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A friend of mine who is allergic to cats and wanted two very much consulted his vet. The vet said bathing would not be harmful to the cats and since it is the dander that people are allergic to, the dander eventually stops due to regular bathing. Not sure if this is true or not, does anyone know?
The upside is I have two cats that have been bathed since birth and it is pretty hysterical giving them baths. The elder, Elwood, we cannot keep out of the bathtub. Everytime he hears the water, in he goes and you just better make sure there is room for him.

Bathing cat on a regular basis will not cure them of having dander. We as people have dander and bathing every day does not stop it. Bathing cats will reduce the amount of dander in the air and on the cat but will not cure them of shedding dead skin. Most people I have spoken to on this matter that will not give up the pleasure of owning a cat, go on allergy medication.

I just read this thread with extreme interest, but like swalker, I don't think I'd ever want to tackle the project. Joey might be ok, but I think Squirt would suffer permanent psychological damage. :sobbing: He doesn't even like getting his claws trimmed.

I also find that my cats smell sweet most of the time, and I often them so. :heart:

Can anyone give me some good advice on my Oreo - he's a really big cat, solid black and with a dandruff problem. What would be good to use to wash him with? I can get quite a bit off of him with grooming, but I don't have two hours everyday to comb him (he wouldn't mind, but I don't have it). Also, my female Mony seems not to mind water. She was sitting on my bathroom sink one day and I was rubbing her with wet hands. She got soaked and didn't bite, scratch or hiss. I did dry her off with a towel and she seemed to like it. That's the first time since I've had them that we did that. I should say in here that Oreo doesn't mind me "washing" his face in the morning (when your hands are wet after changing their water dishes).I just rub both hands up the sides of his face and he always stays near, so I guess he doesn't mind.

Thanks for the advice.

Well, if you and he dont mind the baths, it is okay to bathe with a kitten shampoo or an oatmeal base. The dandruff can be a combo of 2 things..the food and the dry skin. For the dandruff you can try a different food, or just suppliment the diet and add an omega 3 fatty acid, it should help the dandruff situation.

Sandie,
Thanks for the advice. I don't think it's their food - it's the same brand they were on when we took them in. I hate to sound stupid here, but what is an omega 3 fatty acid, where do I get it etc.? Another factor I thought about, might be the "dry heat" in my house that could be causing him to have dry flakes. I've tried to put water on the radiators to give us a little moisture in the air, but they try to drink it.

Thanks

Well, with animals skin it is really hard to moist. We as people can put lotion on and such. With cats and dogs you have to go from the inside out. The reason I mentioned the food is because some have higher amounts of the fatty acids. If you dont like to switch diets on them, the best way to do it is to add the suppliment. You can find some of the products at a large pet store. They make several different kinds. You are looking for either cod liver oil or I would go with one that sais its an Omega 3 fatty acid. The brands I know that work are derm caps or 3v caps. 3v makes a liquid pump, but I am still looking to see if I can find an online provider. I get it through my vet. You can go to http://www.kvvet.com and they have the 3v caps,derm caps and the cod liver oil. If you use the 3v caps, they look just like a vitamin E capsule and you would just pop it and squirt it on the food. I would really give it a shot!! If you use it regularly for a few weeks, you will notice a wonderful difference.

Sandie, I'll start looking for the Omega 3. One more question: will it bother Mony? They have one of the side by side dishes and both eat from either side. Mony is a beautiful (to me) long haired (not sure what breed?) cat who does not like to be groomed (we do get the job done) but she has no dander that is showing.

Thanks for the other advice.

Happy Easter everyone in case I don't get back here before then!!

Oh no, matter of fact, you can give it to both of them. It is good for them anyway. The fatty acids also help with digestion of hairballs. I give it to all 11 of my cats at this point. Not only because it is dry all winter, but because I have 3 longhairs and 2 real shedders who tend to get hairballs. The 2 black cats have coats of silk now. They have been on it for 6 months. The one black one sometimes goes to cat shows and the judges always comment on how silky she is and that she has no white flakes. I just like the 3v brand beccause it also has additional vitamins.
Yes, I am sure we will have a wonderful Easter. We have a 6 year old, so the excitement is in the air. I hope you have a wonderful Easter as well.:bunny:

I bathe Jake two times a week. He is an indoor cat but he like playing with the litter box. He makes such a big fuss when I bathe him. I don't think cats like water very much.
I talk to him softly, trying to calm him down. He is only two months old. I like to keep him nice and clean. I used to use a baby shampoo, but then I got a kitten shampoo from the Humane Society and his fur is nice smelling. I first bathe him in the bathroom sink. Then in the kitchen sink. He cries and protests loudly. After bathing him, I wrap him in a towel. After getting all the excess water out, I would use the hair dryer on low to dry him. Then I would groom him. One question; How do you go about clipping his nails? Especially with a kitten. Everytime I try to clip his nails, he would cry and struggle with me. My vet says to do a couple of nails at a time. But I have to do them all to avoid painful scratches. I used to use a regular nail clipper for people. But then I manage to purchase a cat clipper. Any help?

Well, as for bathing twice a week, you may want to cut back. I agree with bathing them but you are going to really dry the skin out. You are not giving the oils a chance to build up. They will get dandruf and possibly very itchy. If you HAVE to bath them you should really only do it once a month or less. Clipping of the nails is usually best if done by 2 people if possible. One can hold and the other clip. It takes a matter of seconds this way. You can use the regular people clippers while they are babies, they actually work better. Then when their nails are pretty large I would go to a pet nail trimmer.

my, this thread has grown! i'm so happy it has helped a lot
of you with your own questions, and thanks to everyone who
responded.

I bathed Satey a few times as a kiten, but I've never really had to bathe him. Sometimes just after stepping out of the litter box he smells a bit dusty, but he never smells bad. My sister batched him last year with some Melaluca animal shampoo to see if it would help with Dandruff (Satey has always had bad dandruff or flaky skin and it really shows in his black fur) but it didn't. Too bad they don't carry Head and Shoulders Feline....

For dandfuff and dry flakey skin in cats the only thing to take care of it is to suppliment their diets with some Derm caps or 3v caps. I have 3 black cats :)

Originally posted by Sandie
For dandfuff and dry flakey skin in cats the only thing to take care of it is to suppliment their diets with some Derm caps or 3v caps. I have 3 black cats :)

Sandie, did your blackies have dandruff/flakey skin too?
Satey has always had it. It's never bothered me. I did get worried once when I read flaking skin could be a fungal infection or signal other problems. But Satey's flaking isn't accompanied by itching or anything.

Speaking of, does anyone have anymore info on fungal skin infections in cats?

I never had a problem with the dandruff. I have always used the omega 3's. My one black cat has done very well in cat shows because she is so jet black and no white flecks. I would really try to suppliment the diet for about 6 weeks and see if it helps. If not, It may be a food allergy as well. I know quite a bit about fungal stuff. What are your specific questions?

My kitten seems to like baths. If I'm taking a bath (not a shower) she will meow and frantically claw at the door, then when I let her in she darts and hops into the bathtub. Then she's as happy as could be. She even tries to chase the water when it goes down the drain. I have a silly kitten :)

I have 3 cats, 1 is outdoors half the time. I have never bathed them and never will. They do not smell and I've heard it's not good for them to bathe them too often. The only circumstances where I might bathe them is if they get into something really gross and need my help cleaning up.

I have 2 kitties & I give them a bath once a month or so. Not b/c they smell (they never do) but it makes their coats oh so soft & they smell soooo good! I use a tearless cat shampoo. I get the water & towels all ready in the bathroom. Then bring them in one at a time. I get pretty wet so I always do both one right after the other. But I have a question. My older cat is an American short hair that isn't to short but it's dark. He has a dander that shows up very well b/c of the dark color. The vet said to use a conditioner. Has anyone ever used a conditioner on there cats fur? If so what kind?:idea2:
Purr:paw:

You can use any leave in conditioner for humans. I have found the best thing is just to suppliment thier diets with an omega 3 fatty acid. It puts and keeps the moisture in the skin especially if you bathe them frequently.

I bathe my kitten about once a month. I started bathing him when he was 3 months old and he really does not like it but he doesn't really fight me and I can bathe him on my own. I guess if you start when they are young it should not be a problem. I bathe him because he smells so nice and is very soft after his bath not because he has an oder. I aslo use shampoo for cats that rinse very easily and that makes it eaiser too.:bicolor:

I have to bathe my Sphynx MooShoo at least twice a month because he has no fur and the oil sits on top of his skin. He's getting used to it now. I actually get in the tub with him and face him away from me on a town so that I have more control and don't get shredded from him trying to scratch. It takes all of 10 minutes and he's out. I wrap him up like a little baby and pat his bottom. Then he's on his way smelling like a rose. My other cats I don't bathe. They're all inside cats so there's really no need to. Unless I show Maya Linn. Then she gets bathed as well.

We generally do not need to bathe our LaPerms except for shows as they are extremely clean to begin with and since they have no guard hairs there is no dander. Excessive bathing would ruin their coat. As for our Norwegians, that is a different story. They shed so much and their hair is so long it requires bathing once a month although there are some Wegie breeders who claim to never have to bathe their cats. For the Wegies, we use a shampoo that brings out the best of their color which means different shampoos for different colored cats. Cats with a lot of white get a shampoo that really whitens the white, while torties get a completely different one. In the case of a long haired cat the secret is rinse, rinse and rinse again! You HAVE to get the shampoo out or you will have a real mess when the time comes for drying. Sometimes a tablespoon or two of vinegar in a gallon of water will help get the shampoo out by breaking it down enough to rinse out. The actual bathing is an adventure in itself as MOST cats hate the water and will fight you. It's best to draw the bath before introducing kitty as the sound of the running water may frighten him. Also, Donna and I bathe the cats together as it's much easier with two people. I perform the "death grip" (grabbing the cat by the scruff of the neck and holding on) while Donna does most of the actual washing. I do use my free hand to assist. Also, keep the cat's feet on the surface of the sink or tub as lifting them off it allows them to twist and claw, inflicting painful wounds! VBG A window screen on the bottom of the water gives them something to sink their claws into (instead of you) and can be helpful. Thoroughly towel dry before using the blow dryer and keep it on low, the idea is to circulate the air through the fur, not vaporize the water with it. Drying too hot can also frizz the hair, not a great idea if you are going to a show! We bathe our cats 2 days before a show to allow some extra time for additional combing and grooming, although with some breeds that may be too far in advance (Persians). Hope this helps.

Pete

I bathe my cats often because I'm slightly allergic as is my boyfriend and I bathe them myself with a moisturizing/medicated shampoo to cut down the dander and I've found that the sink is my friend..:angel: The sink is much easier unless you have a detachable shower head in the tub. The best advise would be to keep it quick and to the point.

I haven't given any of my cats a bath before since they are outdoors kitties, but something I heard works well is if you use Soft Paws, then they can't scratch you up :)

You can get them at www.softpaws.com

:sun: With 2 kities I should know this but I don't. What are Soft Paws??:cat: :updown:

I bathe my cat in the kitchen sink. He is only 6 month old, small enough for the sink. Since he was 3 months old I have been giving him baths, so he doesn't mind them, and he love tricking water to play in.
:)

Soft paws are vinyl nail caps for your cat, so they don't hurt you or your furniture when they scratch. Your cats can still retract there claws like normal. You just use the adhesive that is included to fasten onto each nail, then when one falls off, you just replace it. They apparently last about 6 weeks.

Oh and they come in 5 colors, in case you have a glamour cat. ;)

I hardly bathe Jake anymore. Since I've been feeding him Iams and eukanuba, his coat feels nice and soft. I have seen those Soft Paws and I want to get them for Jake since they are an alternative to getting him declawed. I also trim his nails. One question, for those of you who have white cats, how do you maintain them clean? On Jake's white paws, sometimes you can see dirt on them.

Thanks Fireshoes,
Can you get them for the back claws too? Also where can you get them? Surprisingly my little one kicks off with her back legs & scratches us more that way then with her front paws.
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LOL, clean white paws. If the white cats are indoors, they really dont get dirty at all. There is nothing you can do short of washing their paws all the time. They do make a special shampoo you can use to keep a white cats coat white. You can find it at most pet stores.

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Hey, I just noticed I turned 100 and I'm an ADULT CAT , also it's 103, my address.
:love: Guess it shows how much I love this place. I've only been here a little over a month I think.:flash: :wavey: :rotate:
God Bless you,all my new friends:angel:

Congrats!! Keep it up and you will end up like me..hehe. This place should be considered a controlled substance.

Logan, try www.softpaws.com and yes, they do work for back paws too. I think you get 40 nail caps for $17. Let us know how they work! ;)

bathing cats :confused:
hey I am having a problem:eek: I am not sure how to do this I am new

Originally posted by Muf
bathing cats :confused:
hey I am having a problem:eek: I am not sure how to do this I am new

Hello Muf, and welcome to the site! There is an article already on this site at http://www.thecatsite.com/grooming/bath.html which may be of some help to you. I also have an article on the A-Z's of bathing in my computer but it is a 7 page download. If you don't find what you are looking for or if you want my article let me know. Again, welcome to TheCatSite.

Pete

I bathe my longhaired cats every now and then, usually I just plonk them in the sink (ignoring the winges and sad little mews) they're not too bothered anymore - they just like to complain to make mummy feel as guilty as possible! the more guilty they make me feel the more treats they get when I've finished! I even blow dry them with my hairdryer on the lowest setting with the cool shoot on, and voila! - a nice clean smelling little puff ball ready to get grubby again!(stuffing their faces with all the peace offerings I put on the floor!)

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