How do you wash your cat?

ixi

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For the past few weeks, my kitten (about 16 weeks old) has had diarrhea at least once a week. We took him to the vet and the vet told us he's a healthy kitten but to keep him on a combination of dry food and wet food. So, we feed him a can of wet food (it's about 3 oz) and we always have fresh water and dry food available to him. And he's been really good all week but last night he had diarrhea and it was all over him.

I cleaned him up a bit with a wet towel. I didn't want to give him a bath because it was night and i didn't want him to catch a cold or something. So, this morning when it was nice and warm in the house, i tried to give him a bath. I used the bathroom sink. I filed it with luke warm water. It took me about 3 tries to get him to stay in the sink but in the end he did for about 10 seconds and i tried to wash the remaining poop off of him. But unfortunately they were really stuck to his fur (he's a long haired cat) and it was really difficult to clean him.

He was struggling and fighting me the entire time. I think I ended up more wet than he did. There's still poop stuck to his fur
How do you guys wash your cats? Any tips would be great.
 

goldenkitty45

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I find using the bathtub a lot easier to bath a cat. Charlie's 1st bath was in the kitchen sink and he screamed to be heard in Canada!

After that, we wash him in the tub with no problem. You want the water warmer then just lukewarm - that's kinda cold if you have wet fur. I'd put him in the tub with a mat and just wet and wash the back end with quality shampoo. Then rinse really really good and wring out as much water as you can.

Wrap in a towel and since he's a longhair you will have to blow dry him so the fur doesn't tangle. Start getting him used to a hair dryer being on when you dry your hair - close the bathroom door and keep him in so its not so scary after awhile.

You might want to consider trimming the hair under his tail shorter so its easier to keep clean.
 

goldenkitty45

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Send Trout to me - haven't had a cat yet that I could not bathe! I don't take any stuff from torties - I've had them and know how to deal with their attitudes
 

ddcats

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I just grab the cat and bring it into the waiting tub and wash; whether it likes it or not. Don't let them fool you, after they are clean and dry and fluffy you will see a smile on their faces from whisker to whisker.
 

weldrwomn

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Originally Posted by Trouts mom

Ummm, I pray to anything holy that I never have to bathe Trout
Bathing one Tortie - not a problem

Bathing two Torties at the same time that don't like each other and that one of them is terrified of water - a bit more challenging
 

goldenkitty45

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How in the heck can you wash two cats at the same time...unless you have two people. I've done a litter of kittens before. Had a line up - I washed/rinsed and my ex took a towel and dried the kitten off and turned him/her loose. But I did them one at a time
 

weldrwomn

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You start with a bathtub with sliding doors. Then you jump in there with the cats. You try to keep them seperated, remember they hate each other. You learn that one has a Major fear of water when it leaps claws first onto your back. After carefully washing the cats, lovingly hand them to a waiting husband who (of course) will have towels ready for the wet cats. After the cats are lovingly dried off, then you may proceed to the first aid cabinet or emergency room.
 

mzjazz2u

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I use the kitchen sink and have never had any trouble. Sometimes you just have to go with whatever works though!
Use a rubber mat in the bottom of the sink or bathtub. Have a bucket or tub of rinse water ready next to you so you don't have to run water. Talk to the cat while your bathing it.

You may want to consider having a groomer do a sanitary shave on your cat. It's just shaving around the privates and that helps to keep it cleaner.
 

brokenmasochist

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i used to have a long haired himi, and she would het poo stuck to her back end. i found it easiest to take her to the groomer every so often to get her trimmedup on the back end. it made things soooo much easier.

as far as bathing cats, ive always done it in the tub. ive found talking to the and just staying calm always seemed to keep my kitties relaxed...

lol, but my himi always hated the blow dryer. before she passed on, she had gotten somewhat used to it, but the look on her face was priceless... i swear it was a look of death!
 

missymotus

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Had a line up - I washed/rinsed and my ex took a towel and dried the kitten off and turned him/her loose. But I did them one at a time
That's what I do, if I have to bathe them alone complete one and get the next.

I don't put water in the tub, just use a hose attachment to wet them down, shampoo/condition then rinse, rinse, rinse to finish.
 

kittykittysick

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i find the warmer the water, the better (minus the fact that you dont want to scald yoru cat!) my persian loves warm water, and i bath him in the kitchen sink, where we have an open kitchen in a condo, so he can watch TV too... he finds it more comforting if my boyfriend and i are going about regular things, and he can watch TV too... i just fill up the sink, stick him in , soap him up, and then rinse him off! (dont even worry about the tap running!) make sure i have a towel close, as he does get cold very quickly.... and then i blow dry him.. i get my boyfriend to hold him, and then he seems ok after a while, just lays there as i dry him....
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by missymotus

That's what I do, if I have to bathe them alone complete one and get the next.

I don't put water in the tub, just use a hose attachment to wet them down, shampoo/condition then rinse, rinse, rinse to finish.
I don't always run water in the sink either. But with the poo stuck on the butt it's easier if there is an inch or two of water for him to sit in and soak that poo off!
 

duchess15

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My mom normally washes the cats in the kitchen sink and I usually wash mine in the bathtub. He has done a lot better lately and it's just easier for me to keep him in there. I don't know how my mom manages the other three in the sink.


I usually fill the bathtub up halfway with warm water. She fills the sink up half way to use to start wetting, shampoo and rinse in opposite side of the sink.
 

katzyn

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I clip my kitten's nails first, right before the bath, then I clean the floor and cover the cat box (so he can't go in it after the bath. >_>), then I get all the supplies out. At that time, he knows what I'm doing, so I have to shut him in the bathroom with me while I get the water to the right temp. I remove his collar and scruff him, then bathe him scruffed. It's a bit difficult to hold him if he wants to get away, but with his nails trimmed, it's not to bad. =)

I haven't bathed him in a while...I think he'll be better behaved when I bathe him next week, since he's been having so much fun in the sinks and bathtubs while the water runs. =3
 

1kitty2many

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Hello all, long time reader, first time poster. Anyways, We give our kitten a bath in the bathtub, and after his first time, he faught, and screamed, he now loves it!! I fill the tub up, and he swims around like a little child, and when I leave the water running, he runs under it, and gets himself all wet!! I guess we are lucky to have such a water loving kitten!! Now drying, thats another story!! hahaha
 

sham

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I don't. A wet paper towel or some dry shampoo is much safer for both me and the cat. Kittens especially are at risk for getting sick if you soak them even in a warm house. Bathing them everytime they get into their food or other things is not a good idea. Wipe off the worst and they'll usually learn to clean themselves up within the week. Unless it's something toxic I don't resort to a complete bath.

One thing about the diarhea especially if it's not constant anymore is take a good look at your house. My sister actually found their 2 kittens were getting diarhea from licking dishes in the sink that were soaking or had already been cleaned with dish soap. There's always a cause for diarhea and it may be something in your house he's getting into. Otherwise with weeks of diarhea I'd be looking at a new food.
 

stacyd1987

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Tiger's pretty good with bathes. With Angel though, the little demon, my husband would hold her by the scruff because she has that kitten-limp reflex, while I quickly bathe her. We both towel dry them real good and let them lick themselves 'clean' again.
Oh, we always make sure the apartment's warm too whenever we do this because Tiger takes a while to get dry with his long hair and we don't want him to shiver. We usually put it to about 75-80. And then after they get over their "I can't believe they bathed us" attitude, we brush them. By then, they hate us and sulk around for the next 30 minutes or so.
 
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