Ok, food colouring is out because it's too permanent....but how about good old Kool Aid? No harm in that, is there? I want Sammy to be black and orange for Hallowe'en. And I'll be able to wash it out after a few days, right? I'm looking to do this in time for the Trick-or-Treaters, so if you have anything to say on the subject, now's the time!

Personally I wouldn't take the chance that it would somehow harm the cat.

Personally I wouldn't take the chance that it would somehow harm the cat.
:yeah:

I wouldn't..

I wouldn't do it either.

Too much sugar in Kool-Aid, It was a cute idea though. I have seen people use kool-aid on their hair but people dojn't have the instinct and compultion to perpetually clean themselves.

I think Kool-aid is some kind of cordial, so no I wouldn't do it either

your adding color to an analretentive clean freak of an animal.
I wouldnt do it. Sounds like a cute idea, but with the sugar and "other" stuff in kool aide and your cats instinctive nature to clean itself sounds lilke a trip to the vet in the making.

Ok, food colouring is out because it's too permanent....but how about good old Kool Aid? No harm in that, is there? I want Sammy to be black and orange for Hallowe'en. And I'll be able to wash it out after a few days, right? I'm looking to do this in time for the Trick-or-Treaters, so if you have anything to say on the subject, now's the time!

I think thats a really bad idea. Why would you put your animal through all that trauma of being bathed in kool aid just so your cat matchs your holiday decorations. I am also agaisnt people dressing up there cats in costumes and clothing. I think cats are beutiful and cute without any unnessary idiotic alterations.

I'm trying to get my head around whether this is really a serious question or some kind of joke!

Why anyone would want to dye their cat totally escapes me.

I think thats a really bad idea. Why would you put your animal through all that trauma of being bathed in kool aid just so your cat matchs your holiday decorations. I am also agaisnt people dressing up there cats in costumes and clothing. I think cats are beutiful and cute without any unnessary idiotic alterations.

I think Sammy's beautiful no matter what, don't get me wrong, but I just wanted to have some fun for halloween. And, for the record, Sammy loves water so it wouldn't be traumatic.....he purrs like a maniac whenever he manages to even get NEAR the bathtub :lol3:
I would never dress up Lola because she's not the type of cat that likes to be interferred with.....Sammy, on the other hand loves this sort of thing. Last year he was spiderman....wore an underroo t-shirt. The only reason we did it to him was that the day before Halloween he had been messing around in the laundry and ended up tangled in it on his own and didn't mind at all)

I think it was a cute idea! But before you did anything, I would definately call and ask the vet first.

I would be afraid that it could casue skin irratation/alerrgic reactions/mental problems etc... The list can go on and on of all the potential problems and any vet that oks it is an idiot. I think you would be crazy to do this.

No! No! No!
Cats are not toys.

Ok, food colouring is out because it's too permanent....but how about good old Kool Aid? No harm in that, is there? I want Sammy to be black and orange for Hallowe'en. And I'll be able to wash it out after a few days, right? I'm looking to do this in time for the Trick-or-Treaters, so if you have anything to say on the subject, now's the time!
because they react poorly to things you wouldn't expect, i would be hesitant to do this - you know whatever you dye him with, he's going to ingest, due to the cleaning. koolaid w/o sugar would be unpleasant to the taste, IMO, & might dissuade the cleaning, but you never know when a cat might be allergic to an ingredient, just like people - & he wouldn't be able to tell you if he started feeling funny. so i wouldn't, just for that reason.

Kool-aid really doesn't have any sugar in it if you buy the little packets and i did dye my own hair black cherry.

But on the side of dying your cats fur...

A friend of mine is constantly dying his hair with Manic Panic, which is pretty much vegetable dye and non-toxic. Anyway, his cat was rubbing up against him while he was working on his hair so now she's all pink and blue and doesn't seem to mind one bit.

I think that if your cat seems the type, i wouldn't see any harm in testing just a small patch somewhere off of the skin to see how they deal with the process, how long it lasts, etc. I mean, I think it's just a do it at your own risk sort of thing and be wary of any possible negative reactions.

Heck i was thinking about doing the same thing for mine, but he's all black and i can't bleach his fur.

Of course, it is cutting it a bit close for halloween tonight, isn't it??

I wouldn't ...

No! No! No!
Cats are not toys.


:yeah:

I'm with the majority of the members. A cat is a living creature, and not a plaything to be decorated for a holiday.

I wouldnt due to artificial colors and flavors in Kool Aid ... red 40 and yellow 5 are likely in orange and arent good for humans let alone a kitty..

My daughter dyed her hair with Kool Aid, and it had to grow out. It was bright red for months, longer than when she streaked it with food coloring.

Okay, everyone can relax, Sammy is still black and WHITE. I was just trying to come up with something new to do this year, since I won't be with my family at all. I didn't mean to suggest that I believe my cats are toys or anything. I figured if kool aid was safe and short lived it would be like dressing him up without having to spend money (which I don't have) on a costume. I realize that thinking he would look cute in a costume or dyed apparently means I'm some sort of idiot, but I wasn't intending to do him harm. Anyway, he's fine and happy.....trying like mad to get at the candy for the kids (the paper crinkling when we hand it out keeps drawing him back). Happy Hallowe'en!

Okay, everyone can relax, Sammy is still black and WHITE. I was just trying to come up with something new to do this year, since I won't be with my family at all. I didn't mean to suggest that I believe my cats are toys or anything. I figured if kool aid was safe and short lived it would be like dressing him up without having to spend money (which I don't have) on a costume. I realize that thinking he would look cute in a costume or dyed apparently means I'm some sort of idiot, but I wasn't intending to do him harm. Anyway, he's fine and happy.....trying like mad to get at the candy for the kids (the paper crinkling when we hand it out keeps drawing him back). Happy Hallowe'en!
i don't think people thought you were an idiot - i certainly didn't! if i hadn't thought it might not be good for him, i would've said go for it - cute idea, IMO. too bad there isn't some short-lived, cat-friendly colorant out there! sometimes it's hard to read emotions via print - if the person was saying it to you aloud, you'd be able to tell by tone of voice what they were feeling.

I'm glad you didn't dye him with kool-aid. I don't know how it would have affected his fur or him. I do know that when people dye animal fiber yarn like wool for knitting, they often use kool-aid because it dyes wool so well. So based on that alone it probably would not have been a good idea and would have lasted much longer than you were thinking.

I'm with the majority of the members. A cat is a living creature, and not a plaything to be decorated for a holiday.

Just wanted to agree with this. I'm frankly quite disturbed that anyone would even consider dying their cats fur :(

I say have your own fun and leave the cat out of it. He neither needs nor wants to have his fur colored by any means.

http://mjm-petsilk.com/pet37.htm

Shows dogs and cats.

I'm with the majority of the members. A cat is a living creature, and not a plaything to be decorated for a holiday.

I just wanted to say that people are living creatures and they dress up their kids and put face paint, etc on them all the time. So I don't want to hear that. I just came accross this thread today... sorry, that's just my observation. Don't be a hypocrite or put your animals above people. I'm sure Leli loves her cats and was only asking the forum because she wasnt sure about it. Leli, I think it was a cute idea, might not be the healthiest thing, but cute thought. Sorry you arent able to be with your family on Halloween :pumpkin:

Yes but wash it out as soon as you can - its sugar in their fur. My boys decided to dye our white rex bright blue one time - I almost fainted. Washed it out right away and nothing was hurt.

I found out later they did a few of the outside cats too - red and green.

I just wanted to say that people are living creatures and they dress up their kids and put face paint, etc on them all the time. So I don't want to hear that. I just came accross this thread today... sorry, that's just my observation. Don't be a hypocrite or put your animals above people. I'm sure Leli loves her cats and was only asking the forum because she wasnt sure about it. Leli, I think it was a cute idea, might not be the healthiest thing, but cute thought. Sorry you arent able to be with your family on Halloween :pumpkin:

I think the difference between people and cats is that we can communicate to people and they understand our language whereas with animals it's difficult to speak to them in their own language so that they are aware of what is happening to them. And because they probably don't understand what we are doing to them, they must surely be freaking out. Just MHO.

I think the difference between people and cats is that we can communicate to people and they understand our language whereas with animals it's difficult to speak to them in their own language so that they are aware of what is happening to them. And because they probably don't understand what we are doing to them, they must surely be freaking out. Just MHO.

Ok I understand where you're coming from there.

Last year I bought a calendar titled 'WHY PAINT CATS' There is only one link in the calendar. http://www.whypaintcats.com There are some pictures and a lot of consumer feedback on the subject. (the calendars pictures were a lot more subtle compared to the pictures that are shown on that link.)

I am torn between "ooooh that looks pretty cool" and in the next breath "aaah those poor kitties" I know, as well as anyone who has cats, that if a cat doesn't like what you are doing to her/him, he/she is NOT going to be sticking around for it for more than 5 seconds. And good luck trying to catch them for the next go round. (like their second ride in the car to the vet) :dash:

The painted cats featured in these pictures must be the mellowest of mellow cats.

Sammy is adorable. :heart3:
I'm glad that you decided to not color his fur. :bigthumb:

I just wanted to say that people are living creatures and they dress up their kids and put face paint, etc on them all the time. So I don't want to hear that. I just came accross this thread today... sorry, that's just my observation. Don't be a hypocrite or put your animals above people.

I don't think anyone is "putting animals above people" at all.

The difference between dyeing a cat with Kool-Aid and dressing up a child for Halloween is that the child either enjoys dressing up (my parents never had to force me to put on my costume and go trick-or-treating - I couldn't wait!) or simply doesn't care. A baby doesn't know the difference between a bunting that makes him look like a piece of candy corn and the bunting he wears to bed at night.

I don't know any cats who would tolerate being dyed with Kool Aid. I know mine wouldn't!

As for "putting animals above people", to say that something shouldn't be done to an animal is not the same as putting animals above people. For example, if I say that it is wrong to refuse to feed your cat, I am not saying that your cat is more important than a starving child! To draw that kind of conclusion just doesn't make sense.

I have to say personally, I don't believe in dying easter chicks, so no I wouldn't dye your cat. Not to mention the dyed easter chicks that I had [rescues] laid purple eggs for a long time. I don't find any purpose in it, other than a person's own amusement.

I will say, my cat would let me dye him with kool-aid. My cat let's me do anything to him. Which really helps at the vet clinic [which he hates] he'll just lay on the exam table and not move.

I don't think it's really "harmful" using coolaid. There's a "pink lady" who has everything pink in her house, and she dyes her white cat pink all the time. People do do it.

I just don't find any legitimate purpose behind it.

Ok, food colouring is out because it's too permanent....but how about good old Kool Aid? No harm in that, is there? I want Sammy to be black and orange for Hallowe'en. And I'll be able to wash it out after a few days, right? I'm looking to do this in time for the Trick-or-Treaters, so if you have anything to say on the subject, now's the time!


food coloring is what is IN kool aid to give it its color
also has artificial flavors which are not good for anyone really

I think thats a really bad idea. Why would you put your animal through all that trauma of being bathed in kool aid just so your cat matchs your holiday decorations. I am also agaisnt people dressing up there cats in costumes and clothing. I think cats are beutiful and cute without any unnessary idiotic alterations.
I disagree. I did not know if it was fully safe, so did not respond earlier, but goodness! From the responses, it sounds as if you were going to shave him for Halloween! I think Koolaid probably would have been harmless, as was his costume last year. Some cats just lay down and pout at costumes, others love it. I'm sure you know your kitty well enough to know he would take the dye job just fine!

I'm glad Sammy enjoyed Halloween. And for the record, I also think cats are beautiful and cute naked, but are also adorable when gently dressed in silly costumes by loving owners. I wish my cats would tolerate it, but they won't. But the dogs tail goes non-stop when she is dressed up!

I think those complaining about coloring their cats is due to the fact that their cats don't like baths. Its NOT gonna hurt the cat to be colored nor dressed up. Some cats are so mellow they don't care what you do to them. I used to dress my blue tabby up for Halloween (witch's hat) and he was cool about it - he also liked wearing a t-shirt that said "Super Star" on the back.

Like I said, my rex didn't care about being dyed blue for a few hours - I was more upset because he was white. But the shampoo took every bit of color out of his coat and he was perfectly ok.

I'm surprised at how "mean" most of you are about this - its not harmful at all.

And BTW the outdoor cats didn't have baths - the color faded away within a day or two - they didn't have a dark shade to begin with - barely noticed it.

To xocats.... that is "thee" cutest little kitty avatar i've ever seen!! I can't wait to get enough posts so that I can use some of the .gifs I have made.

I think those complaining about coloring their cats is due to the fact that their cats don't like baths. Its NOT gonna hurt the cat to be colored nor dressed up. Some cats are so mellow they don't care what you do to them. I used to dress my blue tabby up for Halloween (witch's hat) and he was cool about it - he also liked wearing a t-shirt that said "Super Star" on the back.

Like I said, my rex didn't care about being dyed blue for a few hours - I was more upset because he was white. But the shampoo took every bit of color out of his coat and he was perfectly ok.

I'm surprised at how "mean" most of you are about this - its not harmful at all.

And BTW the outdoor cats didn't have baths - the color faded away within a day or two - they didn't have a dark shade to begin with - barely noticed it.

No, most of 'us' are complaining about this because we don't see cats as playthings to be dyed to suit a persons whim. Behaviour such as this just perpetuates some people's image of cats as nothing more than toys, to be played with and then thrown away when bored. Personally this attitude is not something I would wish to encourage.

:shocker: I think it goes to show that you are a loving cat-mommy to want to ask before doing it. I'm sure many people here have done something that wasn't good for their cats that could have been avoided by doing some research or even by coming here to ask.

I have no idea what a cat would do if he was kool-aid'ed. They can't see color like humans, so it's possible they wouldn't even know they were a different color....maybe just a different shade of whatever color they already see their selves as. I think the bottom line is: if you wouldn't let your cat drink it, don't dye them with it. :lol: Just for future reference. :)

Hello! I have been a hairstylist for 13 years...and my experiences with wild teens that wanted to color their hair, but their moms wouldn't let them...have turned into more of a nightmare than just normal hair dye. BUT...I am NOT saying to dye your kitty with regular hair dye, either!! Kool-aid ends up staining the hair...much like it does when you spill it on your carpet, or on your couch. This is impossible to get out of hair! We normally have to use hair BLEACH to get the fushia or magenta out of kids hair...so I can only assume that it would not be good for kitties! Please do not try this...I think it would be a HUGE mistake! Hope this helps!

:heart3: ~Zazusmom,
and Mojo, too! :banana1:
http://i15.photobucket.com/albums/a385/saint9055/Kittysigns.jpg

:nod: I read the book cover to cover and it says the dye only lasts about 2 months due to the natural shedding and grooming cats do. Also, yes they do say they are using vegatable die, which I also assume is just food coloring. The way I see it, if it doesnt hurt us, it wont hurt them! They mentioned of calming (petting) techniques and short sessions while the cats sleep (which they can do up to 18 hours a day! lol) I've been wanting this book for a couple years and I just got it and love it! Since my cat is mostly dark colored i plan on just a little color on her face..... The book also clearly states only some cats will cooperate, so I agree if you were to force the cat that would be cruel and you'd get hurt! :heart3:

:nod: I read the book cover to cover and it says the dye only lasts about 2 months due to the natural shedding and grooming cats do. Also, yes they do say they are using vegatable die, which I also assume is just food coloring. The way I see it, if it doesnt hurt us, it wont hurt them! They mentioned of calming (petting) techniques and short sessions while the cats sleep (which they can do up to 18 hours a day! lol) I've been wanting this book for a couple years and I just got it and love it! Since my cat is mostly dark colored i plan on just a little color on her face..... The book also clearly states only some cats will cooperate, so I agree if you were to force the cat that would be cruel and you'd get hurt! :heart3:

Unfortunately there are things that won't hurt us but will hurt them! Do you really want to take the chance?

Be very, very careful of putting anything on a cats face, if she moves it could go in her eye, or irritate her sensitive nose/eyes etc :(

;) we've all got an opinion on this thats 'fur' sure! The book is called "Why Paint Cats" and for some of the beautiful pictures and tons of conflicting opinions much more longwinded and irate than here, go to www.whypaintcats.com. :rolleyes: I still am gonna do something lol - not much but i know my cat, and she wont mind as long as I don't put her head in a vice to do it lol! maybe some nice blue eyebrows and ear tips?