Bathing a cat

sarahp

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So who does this for the sake of doing? I was just reading about Kai Bengals bathing his kitties for upcoming shows and how they all enjoyed it.

Stumpy LOVES water, so I reckon she might enjoy a bath possibly... I thought maybe I'd start with shallow water and put her in and see what she does.

What do you think? Is it silly to try when there's no specific reason to?
 

jane_vernon

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Well, it can't hurt for her to have a play in the water.

I wouldn't bother shampooing her or anything like that, but if she likes to play in the water then why not?

Just make sure to get pictures if you do
 

missymotus

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I don't try and bathe Baker, he just comes in the shower on his own


I've had to wash Mister & Spalding from time to time when dirty from walking outside and rolling around (harnessed) but I don't bother the others just for the sake of it.
 

emily_325

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You'll get opinions on both sides of the fence on this site. Some very opinionated, not that that's a bad thing. I say go for it. Anya gets a bath every couple of months, but she's never been the world's best groomer.


Just make sure that you have a good hold on her when ou go to try it and that if needed you can quickly scruff her to keep yourself from being mutilated by back claws in case she hates it.

Anya likes for me to warm the bathroom up with the wall heater first too.
And its like bathing a baby, water not too hot or cold. Good luck!
 

mzjazz2u

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I bathe my cats. One of them more regularly than normal since his coat gets greasy in places. They don't mind it too much and are pretty used to it. Just make sure you have a rubber mat down so they don't skid and use rinse water with a bit of white vinegar in it. A couple gallons of water to 2-3 Tablespoons of vinegar is fine.
 

goldenkitty45

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IMO you should at least give them a bath as a kitten (if possible) or as an adult. It will not hurt to give an occasional bath - even if its only once or twice a year.

Show cats, of course, get washed all the time from kittens on and most are very easy to handle because of it. You never know when you might need to wash them and as they get older and can't do it very well themselves, the fact that they have been in a tub and washed before is very helpful.

Ling's gotten about 3 baths (one as a kitten, 2 as an adult) - she's not shown but she doesn't mind. Charlie loves playing in the tub and doesn't mind a bath too much


I think those that are against bathing are scared to even try it. I've never had a cat I could not give a bath (one way or another) as a kitten or adult
 

bella713

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Sev needs a bath a lot but he comes in the shower with me and I use the sprayer on his coolie(Butt) mostly, this is about every 2 weeks or so. But I have given all my cats baths except Joey...don't even want to go there.
 

wookie130

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I never bathe my cats. It's too much hassle, and my cats are clean. I gave Ripley a bath when she was around a year old, and she scratched the daylights out of me, and it turned into a HORRIBLE wrestling match...she HOWLED, struggled, hissed...TERRIBLE!!!
 

renovia

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i was thinking i might try stoli. neil's thread got me thinking. if people are ACTUALLY using human baby shampoo - I would think that Arbonne's all natural baby shampoo could work too.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

I think those that are against bathing are scared to even try it. I've never had a cat I could not give a bath (one way or another) as a kitten or adult
I totally agree with you. I think many times, folks expect their cat to respond a certain way and the cat obliges. And Many people just need the right tools and learn how to do it. Everyone I've ever coached on bathing, that went ahead and did it, had a much more positive experience then they every thought they could have.
 

goldenkitty45

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Well considering the last 15 mins was spent giving Charlie his show bath, I'll coach you


Shorthairs are a lot less work/time to bath then the longhairs. LH's have to be combed totally before getting wet, and after the bath you have to use a blow dryer and a comb till they dry.

So here's the basics for sh's. Two people works well if you are not used to bathing by yourself. One holds the cat, other soaps and rinses.

1. Depending on the size of your cat, use the kitchen sink or the bathroom tub. Put a rubber mat or towel in the bottom so it won't be slippery. Fill sink/tub with a few inches of water - 2-3 for most cats. Warm water a little on the warmer side so its not too cold but you don't want it too hot - more of a warm comfortable on your skin.

2. Clip ALL nails before putting the cat in the water
Clean ears, eyes with a warm washcloth (no soap). You only want to wash the cat with soap from the neck down.

3. Gently put kitty in the water - most will try to get out when the feet touch the water, but only let them stand with 2 feet in the water - not totally out. I use a washcloth to get the cat water soaked - its easier and safer then using a cup. You need to get to the skin, so flip the fur backwards to get the water under the coat.

4. Use a little shampoo (remember you have to rinse all of it out) and put some down the back, sides, neck, legs and tail. Most times you might need a little more to get all the parts. Then rub the soap in as quick as you can.

5. After rinsing all the soap out you can use a little conditioner to go over the back and sides. Then rinse, rinse, and rinse again till there is no soap or conditioner in the coat. Squeeky clean.

Take the cat out of the water and squeeze most of the water out of the coat, legs, tail.

I warm 2 towels and have them on the side of the sink. Cats like the warmth of a towel when they are soaking wet. First towel will get pretty soaked while you are drying him off. Re-wrap in the 2nd towel and continue to dry as much as you can (or the cat will let you).

Then put kitty in a room with no drafts till he is totally dry. Most cats can be combed while drying - some have really short/tight coats and just hand smoothing every so often is enough.
 

renovia

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oooo thanks i think i'll try it sometime when the outdoor temp isn't 5 degrees. it always seems colder in my house on those days. Anybody know anything on the arbonne stuff?
 

tortielover

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Hi,
I've found this thread very interesting, and I've enjoyed reading all the replies.

I've never washed my cat, mainly because I've not really wanted all the hassle of doing so, but I think I should at least try it.
My question is: I don't clip my cat's claws, the vet does it is it is ever needed done. Is it ok not doing so, or is it necessary? Also, should I try to clip her nails, or should I leave it to the vet?
Thanks,
Kathryn
 

renovia

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Here are the ingredients for the arbonne shampoo

Decyl glucoside, aloe and oat
 

goldenkitty45

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YOU should learn how to clip nails as they really need to be checked and clipped about once a week. Its better to do it on a regular basis and it also will prevent the quick (the part that is red) from growing too long.

Its not that hard to do. Next time let the vet show you how to do it and maybe try it yourself in the office. IMO its a waste of money to have the vet do nails.

I've always done my cat's nails from 3 weeks old. I don't do our lab's nails as she is too hard to do. It sucks having to take her in only to cut nails.
 

jcribbs

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weeeeeeeee.....

What a topic...... At one time or another I have bathed most of my cats. Some are easy and some are hard.

I won't offer any more suggestions because it's all been said. Having your tools handy is the most important thing. Starting young is also a good thing.

One thing I might mention is this. You know how AFTER you bathe a dog how good they feel. Cats are the same way.. Mine enjoy laying in the sun afterwards grooming themselves for hrs and hrs.... Besides looking beautiful aftwards, they feel beautiful....... and it shows...

I don't recommend it all the time but it's nice if your animals learn about this from an early age...
 

crazyforinfo

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I used to have to bathe Lucky's bottom(Ben takes care of that now) & I would fill the tub before the kitty knows what is going to happen. I bundle myself up so I don't get scratched.

I only used the blow dryer once. Poor Princess was pushed down the return vent by her brother and came out black. It took a lot of washing and dodging of the nails. We used the blow dryer on low since it was freezing out(Christmas day).

Good Luck!
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by Renovia

coach me coach me.
Okey dokey! I'll give you the tips I find most helpful but it appears many of them have already been said. I guess my response was not fast enough!

Have all your bathing supplies ready ahead of time. To include: towels, shampoo, washcloth, rubber mat for bottom of sink or tub, nail clippers and prepared rinse water (more detail about this below a bit further.) Turn the heat up before starting. I turn mine up to 80 degrees while I'm bathing one of my cats. I'm going to highlight the parts I think are most important by making the words red.

Prepare rinse water by running a couple gallons of warm water in a rubbermaid type tub (the size you put in a sink) and adding a couple tablespoons of white vinegar. Lay towels out on the counter or next to the tub. I use a sink because my back is bad so when I refer to the sink it could also mean bath tub if that is what you prefer. I really believe the smaller the "bath tub" the more secure the cat feels. Place the rubber mat in the bottom of the sink. This helps the cat remain secure and not skid around on the bottom. If your cat doesn't like running water then fill the sink with warm water to maybe about 4" or so. And then place the cat in the already ran water. Some cats just don't like the sound of running water and that's what scares them. Otherwise, you can use a sprayer or the faucet. When placing the cat in the sink, place your arm around the back of the cat while wrapping your hand around his chest. This also makes them feel more secure. Be firm but gentle. Don't let on to the cat that you're uptight (or try not to), speak gently and softly to him while looking in his eyes. Tell him it's ok and you have him. Take a measuring cup or pitcher and slowly pour water, wetting the cats coat thoroughly. Lather his fur up with shampoo and work in. Keep calm and keep talking to him. Use a washcloth that has been wetted with warm water only, or with the vinegar rinsing water (that's what I use) and gently wipe the cats face, neck and on top of the head. Be careful not to have the washcloth to soaking and keep water out of the ears. Let the water out of the sink, or turn the faucet off and rinse your cat using the pitcher (or measuring cup) to dip in the water/vinegar rinse and pour on the cat. AGain, be careful to keep water out of ears. Make slow, purposeful motions and keep the cup close to the fur/skin. You want to avoid just dumping it over the cat quickly. Take your kitty out of the sink and put him on the towels. I wrap Jake up tightly like a swaddling baby and he loves it. I swear it's one of his favorite things! I sit with him like this for awhile, holding him tight in my arms. Then I pull out his paws one at a time and clip his nails. Some people like to clip before bathing but it works well for Jake to do it after. Usually he'll let me know when he's ready to get down just by wiggling.


That is a basic bath. There are more details on my website. http://Purrfect Grooming!Purrfect Grooming!(I think I'm still allowed to say that. At least I asked a long time ago and was told I could)! If you can't find it, shoot me off a PM and I'll help you. There are other things to be said depending on your cats coat. Such as, if it is greasy or if it is long and you need to blow dry etc.
 
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