Do you bath cats?

lazerbri

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My wife is asking if we should bath our cat? I did not think we bath cats but you guys would no..

Also I have been reading some post on flea treatment and see some do not like the collar can you tell me why a collar may not be a good idea?

Sorry there is two questions but I have so many??

Thanks for the help.

Brian
 

mybabyphx

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Brian-

There are NEVER too many questions on TCS, feel free to list them all! I really don't see a need in bathing cats, unless they are really dirty or if they have fleas. But that's just my opinion. Cats actually keep themselves pretty clean all by themselves!
 

jenny1124

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I would love to bathe my girl, but there is no way she will ever let me do it. She does keep herself pretty clean, but since she is white, sometimes she gets stuff on her fur.

I tried to bathe her once and she went crazy and I had several claw scratches on me to prove that she didn't like it from her trying to jump out of the tub... never again!

If you do decide to try, I would strongly recommend clipping the claws first and make sure the water is warm.

Good luck if you try.. I'd envy that!
 

twstychik

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I don't bathe them unless I HAVE to and then I only do what's necissary. Example: Wickett, being a long hair, gets the occasional dingle berry and if I can't easly trim it out or grab it with a paper towel then he gets what I call a "Butt Bath" where I only was his back side to get the poo out.

As for flea collars I've heard numerous times that they are toxic to people and pets. The meds in them are on the collar and therefore rub off on the animals fur, furniture, your hands... I don't know how much truth there is to it. In general I find that the treatements like front line (while more expensive) work mush better than collars.
 

jennyr

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I only bath mine when it is essential - two are white so they get mucky sometimes, and they have occasionally gotten into something nasty. As for collars, flea collars have been shown to be toxic to some cats, and also they rub the neck so that prolonged wearing can cause baldness there. This happened to a cat of mine some years ago, before I knew better, and he eventually died of cancer of the jaw, having had neck cysts for years. The vet told me it could have been his collar. It is better to cut the flea collar up and put pieces in the vacuum cleaner, where they will kill any fleas, and then Frontline or Advantage your cat. I also put a bit of flea collar under the cushions on sofas.
 

laureen227

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i only give baths on 2 occasions:
flea infestations
diarrhea or urine that has gotten all over the cat in question
and that 2nd one is mostly for my benefit.
 

goldenkitty45

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I've washed ALL my cats - most were show, but even if they aren't they still get periodic baths 2-3 times a year. Clip all nails before washing them. There are threads about washing cats for details.

As far as the flea collars - only thing they are good for is to cut them up and put in the vacumn cleaner when you clean (or put them under a seat cushion on the couch.

If you don't have fleas, you don't need to treat the cats. If your cat goes outside use Frontline or Advantage (for cats). None of my cats go outside and the dog is treated with BioSpot for fleas/ticks - she's never brought fleas in the house
 

yosemite

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We give Bijou and Mika a bath about every 3 months. Bijou goes outside with my husband and for some reason he loves to roll around in the flower beds and comes in dirty but since he likes to be vacuumed, I can usually get him pretty clean by just spending a minute or two vacuuming his fur. Mika doesn't go out and is my clean little princess.
They do pretty well with baths - I don't think they will ever LOVE them but they don't bite or scratch. We apply Revolution to our cats monthly from April/May to November to ensure we don't get fleas because fleas are not easy to get rid of.
 

strange_wings

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I only bathe cats when I have to. It's too much trouble, not the struggling cat, but for my back.

Sho has had a minor case of ringworm before, so I think that answers whether he's been bathed.


As for the flea collars... those are not "meds" on the collars, that is a pesticide/insecticide, all flea control except for natural ones use it. Even Frontline, Advantage, and Revolution. Look up the chemical names for those products, some of them are commonly used on our food crops.

All chemical flea control is a necessary evil that I try to use a little as possible of.
 

cococat

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I bathe my Sphynx weekly. Once a week it is bath time, ear cleaning time, and nail trim time. This isn't a problem. I never ever use harsh chemicals like flea and tick or heartworm on my inside kitty. Never flea collars.
 

EnzoLeya

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We bathe our cats at least once a month because of allergies. It's just fine for them. I'm not sure why the flea collars would be bad other than they are not safety collars and break away. I would bathe your cat if they get dirty or get dander in their coat. Just use cat shampoo and they will be fine!
 

strange_wings

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Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

I'm not sure why the flea collars would be bad other than they are not safety collars and break away.
Cats can get them stuck in their mouths, safety collars don't always pop off. If do a google search you may be able to find stories and many pictures of what allergic reactions to the collars can cause. Some of the pictures I've seen are not pretty.

I refuse to touch a flea collar with my bare hands, I wouldn't want that in contact with my cat's skin either.
Also, I do not use flea shampoos, I can't, I'm allergic to them.
 

ddcats

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I give my cats a bath about once a month, they LOVE their baths! And they LOVE the fluffy, clean state they are in after the bath. They know they have no choice, when its bath time, I have the final say. They act sooooo much nicer after their baths.

Every cat I have ever owned has had baths. I use my homemade soap to cleanse them too.
 

mzjazz2u

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I bathe my cats but they are long, thick fur Persians. If I had a short haired, clean cat, I would not bathe unless they got into something. Some people also bathe them if they have allergies. so it's really totally up to you and your needs. As for flea treatment, I really don't know! I've never had to use it because my cats are strictly inside but I'm sure there are others around that can give you a recommendation.
 

yosemite

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Originally Posted by EnzoLeya

I'm not sure why the flea collars would be bad other than they are not safety collars and break away.
Some flea collars have caused the death of some cats. The chemical is very concentrated and toxic. They just aren't safe from the chemical standpoint. In fact, it really isn't safe to use any over-the-counter flea product. Either they are ineffective to begin with or unsafe. For the safety and health of your cat, it is a much safer route to use the monthly application of Advantage or Revolution from a vet.
 
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lazerbri

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Thanks everyone for the help. I will remove the collar and try the flea comb. I must confess reading some of the post really made me laugh,
Originally Posted by Jenny1124

I tried to bathe her once and she went crazy and I had several claw scratches on me to prove that she didn't like it from her trying to jump out of the tub... never again!
Thanks all for the response.
 

jenearly

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Oh yeah, definitely I wash my little girl. Not all the time though... Only when she's got this terrible smell on her that she can't seem to clean off, and when she's got poo stuck on her. haha. As for fleas, not just yet.. it is summer, I think we might have a problem soon. When I was younger, I used to bathe with my cat every week. He didn't like it very much, though.
 

kitytize

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I bathe 3 of my 5 cats. 2 because they are show cats and the other one because she is obese and can't clean herself. I do think it is a good idea to get cats used to baths in case you would need to bathe them for some reason in the future.
 
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