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Need to Give Spooky a Bath...

post #1 of 5
9/9/10 at 2:30pm
Thread Starter 
... and I have never given a cat a bath in my life.

Today Spooky and Mulder went to the vet. Spooky has a URI and both got antibiotics. I guess I caught Spooky before he had time to go to the litterbox because he peed all over himself in the carrier. Now I need to give him a bath because he smells bad like urine. And of course he wants to lay on me because he doesn't feel good... Ewwww!

I need to know mainly about the water temperature. I know cats have a higher body temperature than humans so what is a good water temperature to bathe him in? Should I use the sink or the bathtub? Do I rub him until he's dry, blowdry him, or just towel him off and let him air dry? We keep it about 80F in the house during the summer.

He's sick so I'd really rather not have to give him a bath right now but he really soaked himself, his whole tummy, back legs, tail, etc. so he smells bad even from across the room!

Help!
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post #2 of 5
9/9/10 at 2:52pm
Can you just use a wet wash cloth to wipe him down with until he's feeling better? If you go ahead and bathe him, you can always put rice socks around him after toweling him off thoroughly.
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post #3 of 5
9/9/10 at 3:11pm
Unless you have a large sink, like a utility sink, a tub is a better bet.

Toss a clean towel in the bottom of the tub - yes it will get soaked, it's there for grip. Collect all of your items you need ahead of time - a small cup, a washcloth, and extra towels. For cats that don't like hearing water pour, you can use the wash cloth to help wet them down and later rinse.
Put 3-4 inches of water, depending on your tub. Test it on your upper arm, it should be warm. (hard to explain exactly). If you get the water too cool your cat will get chilled. Add cat.

Avoid his head, hopefully there's no urine on it. If he got any there you can use the washcloth to wipe that down later. Use the least amount of shampoo/soap as possible.

After the bath, drain the tub and try to carefully "squeegee" out a little water with your hands. You can usually gently squeeze some excess water from the tail, legs, and feet. Start drying. Towel off as much as he'll let you do. Your house should be plenty warm enough so once he's at the damp stage (instead of dripping) you can let him out to finish the job himself. Just check in on him to make sure he's not shivering - if so, bundle him up in a clean towel and put him on your lap for a bit to share some body heat.
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post #4 of 5
9/9/10 at 5:17pm
Thread Starter 
Well, DH helped me give him a bath after running to Petsmart for some shampoo. We washed him in the kitchen sink since it would be difficult to get both of us on the floor next to our tub. Went pretty well I think. We only had to wash his bottom, back legs, tail and tummy so we left his shoulders and head out of the equation. He was not happy but we all survived with no scratches or injuries, except to Spooky's pride. Now the other cats are looking at us wondering if they are next!

Thanks for the advice guys!
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post #5 of 5
9/10/10 at 11:43am
Yayyyy good for you and hubby,glad it worked with no jaws and claws.
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