Bathing cats by yourself???

Anyone have any magic tricks for bathing a cat without an assistant? I've given cat baths before with my husband holding. However, Bastian's ringworm has now spread to Delilah and to Piper, so my vet has given me a special shampoo and instructed me to bathe all 5 cats 2-3 times a week. Dh and I generally work opposite shifts, so it's going to be tough to find enough time to get this done when we're both home and awake.

Has anyone successfully bathed a cat on their own? I am not anticipating that I'll get a great deal of cooperation from these kitties!

I very rarely, if ever, have help bathing my kitties. I usually try to get it done during the day when John's at work, and when I have nothing else to get done. Most of the cats are pretty good about it, because I've been bathing them since they were tiny. There are a few cats that are not at all happy about being bathed and for those all I do is scruff them with one hand and bathe with the other. It works pretty well for us!

Well, you're building my confidence a little! I guess I'll have to just give it a shot and hope for the best.

I usually do mine by myself, they are used to it though.

Good luck

I bathe my cats by myself. You just have to kind of wrap your arm around them and I kind of hold the chest and 2 front legs together. Kind of hard to explain.... Just have everything ready ahead of time to make things easier and talk to the cat your bathing. It really helps to talk to them softly.

I've almost always washed cats/kittens by myself. Only when first doing a cat and unsure of the reaction I might have DH help me out.

First have everything you need ready and close by (within reach) - this includes the shampoo/conditioner, towels, washcloth, and if you are using a hand held shower.

Put a mat in the bottom of the tub so its not slippery - that's half your battle.

Then I run about 1 1/2 - 2 inches of water in the tub before the cat comes in the bathroom. After cleaning the eyes, ears, clipping nails and making sure all tangles are out (on a longhair), you gently place the cat in the mid to shallow end of the tub so its not too deep. Then using a washcloth I wet down the cat from the neck down (no water/soap around the face or ears).

Once the cat is totally wet then grab the shampoo and put some on the back and a little on the sides. Wash the cat with your hands and have them face the back of the tub where its not so quick to leap out of the tub.

Charlie is trained to stay when I tell him, so he doesn't just jump out. He likes his baths and complains when the water is drained.

After you wash the cat, empty the tub and turn on the hand held shower and start rinsing the cat over and over till all the soap is gone. When you can't feel soap in the coat, then kinda wring the cat out and squeeze as much water from the neck down, including the feet and tail and belly.

Have towels ready to wrap around and dry the cat. Have a 2nd towel ready when the first one is too wet. Be sure the cat (if air drying) is in a room with no open windows or drafts/fans.

Oh! Ringworm shampoo! Is it Maseleb? The stuff I'm thinking of you apply the shampoo & leave on for 10 mins, then rinse. Then apply conditioner. Makes for fun baths.

For the first few baths, is there anyone else you can get to help you? Makes the learning process easier.

This shampoo is called KetoChlor. It doesn't say anything about leaving it on for any length of time - thank God!

I bathed the kittens myself last night in the sink. I figured I'd start with the little guys! Griffin did okay, although the poor thing was terrified. Bastian was a little demon. He flailed the entire time, even when I scruffed him, and he managed to get ahold of the curtain above the sink and tried to climb it! It was quite the spectacle. I found it kind of difficult to wash them well with only one hand, but I guess it went okay.

I'm going to try the older girls tonight. I have the spray attachment set up on the showerhead in the tub. Thanks for all the advice, and wish me luck!

I always bathe Ollie by myself... he's quite good about it (I'm thinking he's somewhat used to it having no doubt been caught in the rain out on the streets before I saved him)... basically once he's wet he just gives up lol... but I do put him in his harness and attach his leash to the tub "just in case" he tries to escape - no naked soapy cats running around my house! - so you could always try that... plus if your cats arent used to harnesses, they tend to kind of go limp in them til they get used to them so that would help haha

You might want to invest in a suit of armor for yourself too lol... jk - good luck!

Ok, since I just got done bathing Holden about 5 minutes ago, let me tell you how I do it. Kitty Burrito. I get the bathtub all ready and full of warm water, then I put a towel across my chest and lay on the couch. He eventually comes to lay on my chest. When he is good and centered on the towel, I wrap him up in it with just his head sticking out (this is also priceless in getting him into his kitty-carrier). You have to do this fast or he knows what is coming next. I bathe him once every 2 weeks since he is a light colored cat. Then I unroll him into the tub! He whines a bit, but he doesn't thrash about and I am able to bathe him with ease! As long as he can see me and I am talking to him, he does not freak out, He does not like it, but he has never once scratched me, bit me or hissed at me. I try to dry him off the best I can, but once the bathroom door is open he rushes out to his hide-away where he has his microfiber blanket and he comes out about an hour later fluffy as ever!

That's funny - I can picture you doing that. Charlie on the other hand, loves his baths and when its time, all I do is call him and tell him "ok time for bath" and he almost flollows me into the bathroom. He doesn't mind a bit - only complains when you are DONE washing him and the water is draining out