about bathing your cats

Sandie, I'll start looking for the Omega 3. One more question: will it bother Mony? They have one of the side by side dishes and both eat from either side. Mony is a beautiful (to me) long haired (not sure what breed?) cat who does not like to be groomed (we do get the job done) but she has no dander that is showing.

Thanks for the other advice.

Happy Easter everyone in case I don't get back here before then!!

Oh no, matter of fact, you can give it to both of them. It is good for them anyway. The fatty acids also help with digestion of hairballs. I give it to all 11 of my cats at this point. Not only because it is dry all winter, but because I have 3 longhairs and 2 real shedders who tend to get hairballs. The 2 black cats have coats of silk now. They have been on it for 6 months. The one black one sometimes goes to cat shows and the judges always comment on how silky she is and that she has no white flakes. I just like the 3v brand beccause it also has additional vitamins.
Yes, I am sure we will have a wonderful Easter. We have a 6 year old, so the excitement is in the air. I hope you have a wonderful Easter as well.

I bathe Jake two times a week. He is an indoor cat but he like playing with the litter box. He makes such a big fuss when I bathe him. I don't think cats like water very much.
I talk to him softly, trying to calm him down. He is only two months old. I like to keep him nice and clean. I used to use a baby shampoo, but then I got a kitten shampoo from the Humane Society and his fur is nice smelling. I first bathe him in the bathroom sink. Then in the kitchen sink. He cries and protests loudly. After bathing him, I wrap him in a towel. After getting all the excess water out, I would use the hair dryer on low to dry him. Then I would groom him. One question; How do you go about clipping his nails? Especially with a kitten. Everytime I try to clip his nails, he would cry and struggle with me. My vet says to do a couple of nails at a time. But I have to do them all to avoid painful scratches. I used to use a regular nail clipper for people. But then I manage to purchase a cat clipper. Any help?

Well, as for bathing twice a week, you may want to cut back. I agree with bathing them but you are going to really dry the skin out. You are not giving the oils a chance to build up. They will get dandruf and possibly very itchy. If you HAVE to bath them you should really only do it once a month or less. Clipping of the nails is usually best if done by 2 people if possible. One can hold and the other clip. It takes a matter of seconds this way. You can use the regular people clippers while they are babies, they actually work better. Then when their nails are pretty large I would go to a pet nail trimmer.

my, this thread has grown! i'm so happy it has helped a lot
of you with your own questions, and thanks to everyone who
responded.

I bathed Satey a few times as a kiten, but I've never really had to bathe him. Sometimes just after stepping out of the litter box he smells a bit dusty, but he never smells bad. My sister batched him last year with some Melaluca animal shampoo to see if it would help with Dandruff (Satey has always had bad dandruff or flaky skin and it really shows in his black fur) but it didn't. Too bad they don't carry Head and Shoulders Feline....

For dandfuff and dry flakey skin in cats the only thing to take care of it is to suppliment their diets with some Derm caps or 3v caps. I have 3 black cats

Originally posted by Sandie
For dandfuff and dry flakey skin in cats the only thing to take care of it is to suppliment their diets with some Derm caps or 3v caps. I have 3 black cats

Click to expand...

Sandie, did your blackies have dandruff/flakey skin too?
Satey has always had it. It's never bothered me. I did get worried once when I read flaking skin could be a fungal infection or signal other problems. But Satey's flaking isn't accompanied by itching or anything.

Speaking of, does anyone have anymore info on fungal skin infections in cats?

I never had a problem with the dandruff. I have always used the omega 3's. My one black cat has done very well in cat shows because she is so jet black and no white flecks. I would really try to suppliment the diet for about 6 weeks and see if it helps. If not, It may be a food allergy as well. I know quite a bit about fungal stuff. What are your specific questions?

My kitten seems to like baths. If I'm taking a bath (not a shower) she will meow and frantically claw at the door, then when I let her in she darts and hops into the bathtub. Then she's as happy as could be. She even tries to chase the water when it goes down the drain. I have a silly kitten

I have 3 cats, 1 is outdoors half the time. I have never bathed them and never will. They do not smell and I've heard it's not good for them to bathe them too often. The only circumstances where I might bathe them is if they get into something really gross and need my help cleaning up.

I have 2 kitties & I give them a bath once a month or so. Not b/c they smell (they never do) but it makes their coats oh so soft & they smell soooo good! I use a tearless cat shampoo. I get the water & towels all ready in the bathroom. Then bring them in one at a time. I get pretty wet so I always do both one right after the other. But I have a question. My older cat is an American short hair that isn't to short but it's dark. He has a dander that shows up very well b/c of the dark color. The vet said to use a conditioner. Has anyone ever used a conditioner on there cats fur? If so what kind?
Purr

You can use any leave in conditioner for humans. I have found the best thing is just to suppliment thier diets with an omega 3 fatty acid. It puts and keeps the moisture in the skin especially if you bathe them frequently.

I bathe my kitten about once a month. I started bathing him when he was 3 months old and he really does not like it but he doesn't really fight me and I can bathe him on my own. I guess if you start when they are young it should not be a problem. I bathe him because he smells so nice and is very soft after his bath not because he has an oder. I aslo use shampoo for cats that rinse very easily and that makes it eaiser too.

I have to bathe my Sphynx MooShoo at least twice a month because he has no fur and the oil sits on top of his skin. He's getting used to it now. I actually get in the tub with him and face him away from me on a town so that I have more control and don't get shredded from him trying to scratch. It takes all of 10 minutes and he's out. I wrap him up like a little baby and pat his bottom. Then he's on his way smelling like a rose. My other cats I don't bathe. They're all inside cats so there's really no need to. Unless I show Maya Linn. Then she gets bathed as well.

We generally do not need to bathe our LaPerms except for shows as they are extremely clean to begin with and since they have no guard hairs there is no dander. Excessive bathing would ruin their coat. As for our Norwegians, that is a different story. They shed so much and their hair is so long it requires bathing once a month although there are some Wegie breeders who claim to never have to bathe their cats. For the Wegies, we use a shampoo that brings out the best of their color which means different shampoos for different colored cats. Cats with a lot of white get a shampoo that really whitens the white, while torties get a completely different one. In the case of a long haired cat the secret is rinse, rinse and rinse again! You HAVE to get the shampoo out or you will have a real mess when the time comes for drying. Sometimes a tablespoon or two of vinegar in a gallon of water will help get the shampoo out by breaking it down enough to rinse out. The actual bathing is an adventure in itself as MOST cats hate the water and will fight you. It's best to draw the bath before introducing kitty as the sound of the running water may frighten him. Also, Donna and I bathe the cats together as it's much easier with two people. I perform the "death grip" (grabbing the cat by the scruff of the neck and holding on) while Donna does most of the actual washing. I do use my free hand to assist. Also, keep the cat's feet on the surface of the sink or tub as lifting them off it allows them to twist and claw, inflicting painful wounds! VBG A window screen on the bottom of the water gives them something to sink their claws into (instead of you) and can be helpful. Thoroughly towel dry before using the blow dryer and keep it on low, the idea is to circulate the air through the fur, not vaporize the water with it. Drying too hot can also frizz the hair, not a great idea if you are going to a show! We bathe our cats 2 days before a show to allow some extra time for additional combing and grooming, although with some breeds that may be too far in advance (Persians). Hope this helps.

Pete

I bathe my cats often because I'm slightly allergic as is my boyfriend and I bathe them myself with a moisturizing/medicated shampoo to cut down the dander and I've found that the sink is my friend.. The sink is much easier unless you have a detachable shower head in the tub. The best advise would be to keep it quick and to the point.

I haven't given any of my cats a bath before since they are outdoors kitties, but something I heard works well is if you use Soft Paws, then they can't scratch you up

You can get them at www.softpaws.com

With 2 kities I should know this but I don't. What are Soft Paws??

I bathe my cat in the kitchen sink. He is only 6 month old, small enough for the sink. Since he was 3 months old I have been giving him baths, so he doesn't mind them, and he love tricking water to play in.