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giving cats a bath?

post #1 of 20
11/7/05 at 12:17pm
Thread Starter 
i just gave my kitty a bath, no problems getting him in the water and all that mess, but what is the quickest way to dry him? he doesnt like the towel or the hair dryer, so any suggestions?
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post #2 of 20
11/7/05 at 12:46pm
Try to pat him dry as much as he will alow or use your hands to "squeegee" the water out of his fir. Brushing gets air to the roots of the fir and makes the drying process a little faster. At this time of year make sure that the little fuzzy one dosn't get into a draft. Perhaps even line his favorite sleeping spot with extra cushy towels in order for him to roll around and try to dry himself off. You could always crank the heat in a specific room and leave him in there if your hydro bill allows.
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post #3 of 20
11/7/05 at 12:52pm
Thread Starter 
thanks for the tips! he was hiding from me under the bed, but he is getting dryer. i tried putting extra towels but he just wanted to hide!
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post #4 of 20
11/7/05 at 1:32pm
Hairdryers dont work for us either Huggy tries to attack it and Taralen runs away! we use lots of Fresh towels and Pat them dry. It is important to make sure they dont get cold as they can loose body tempreture very quickly.
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post #5 of 20
11/7/05 at 3:25pm
If I want to use a drier on mine it involves putting them in a cage and blowing them through the bars, they don't particularly like being rubbed or patted with a towel either but love cuddles so I generally wrap them up in a towel and hold them like a baby till they are fairly dry then put them in the spare room with the heat on.
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post #6 of 20
11/7/05 at 3:56pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by icklemiss21
they don't particularly like being rubbed or patted with a towel either but love cuddles so I generally wrap them up in a towel and hold them like a baby till they are fairly dry then put them in the spare room with the heat on.
That's pretty much what I do... but before Oliver gets out of the tub (he gets a monthly bath) I use the one side of his shed tool to slick as much water off of him as I can (do the same with my dog at home) then he gets all wrapped up in like a million towels and I hold him like a baby, gently rubbing his back and bum and head through the towels, then once he starts gettin antsy, the towels and his harness come off (he's harnessed for safety in the bath tub) then he gets put into his bathrobe and put up on my bed.... by now he's at least not sopping wet... he spends awhile grooming the non-robe-covered areas then I'll take his robe off once he tries to start walking around (he can't walk that well in the robe).... he continues to groom and preen and pretty much dries himself - the past two months or so, I've turned the heat on after his bath too....

If you click on the link in my signature, you'll see pics of him wrapped up, in his robe and post-bath preening...
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post #7 of 20
11/7/05 at 5:12pm
Good for you for giving a sucessful bath! Congrats! There isn't much you can do to make them dry fast if they don't like the blow dryer. But the suggestions of making sure there are some towels down is a good tip. You could also put down a ceramic heater that is safe and he'll lay in front of it and dry very fast! lol Especially if it is in a small room like a bathroom. Just make sure it won't tip, the cat can't get burned and you're close by to keep an eye on them regularly.
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post #8 of 20
11/9/05 at 7:08am
Thread Starter 
thanks for all the tips! he loves the water, but i think when he knows its bath time he wont put up a little fight with me,except getting the towel on him. i took the advice as wrapping him up in a million towels and holding him. it was cute!

buzby, great pix!
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post #9 of 20
11/9/05 at 10:39am
Is your cat long or short hair? If long hair, you HAVE to blow dry because it will tangle if you don't comb and blow dry at the same time. Whenever I wash my cats, they just get wrapped in a towel (under protest) and held close and rubbed mostly dry or at least damp dry.

Then I let them go, smooth the fur with a comb (they are shorthair btw) and let them finish air drying. You can turn the heat up a bit, or put them in a small room till they are dry if you don't want a wet cat running around the house. They will dry completely within about an hour.
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post #10 of 20
11/9/05 at 10:56am
I actually find my longhair gets more matted and knotted if I try and dry him with a hairdryer because he fusses so much so I just leave him too it and make sure hes warm.

Those pics of Oliver in a bathrobe are just too cute! Where did you get it?
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post #11 of 20
11/9/05 at 11:50am
I'm so glad everyone loves my pictures!! I'm always so proud of all my animals!

I got the bathrobe on ebay.... if you go to all the buy categories and click on the pet section (in the home and garden section), then I believe I clicked dogs, then apparel, then pajamas and robes.... it's a teeny bit big on him (I think I got the medium though) but I hemmed the sleeves some and it fits better... it definitely keeps him nice and snuggly while he starts grooming and helps to dry him off some more
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post #12 of 20
11/9/05 at 2:44pm
My cats are huge anyway I would probably need it bigger. How big is Oliver to get an idea of what size to buy?
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post #13 of 20
11/9/05 at 3:24pm
oh my god - that is the CUTEST thing I've ever seen! He looks so fat and snuggly in his robe! I hope they sell them on eBay UK, I am definitely gonna look out for one of these!

I can just see Oliver having a lazy Sunday morning lie-in in his robe - toy mouse in paw, and of course continental kibbles for breakfast lol!
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post #14 of 20
11/9/05 at 5:09pm
Haha, I can picture him lazing around in the robe too! He's spoiled enough, I won't be surprised if I find him lazing about with kibble in one paw, mouse in the other and remote on his tummy - he loves sports!

Oliver is 14 pounds (weighed October 8th) and 15" from base of neck to base of tail.... he may look fat, but if you look at his in-bath pictures, he looks like a little wet rat! He's just pretty big-boned... the vet is content with his weight - so basically, he's a puff-ball of fur!

I'm so glad everyone's enjoying his pictures! I love getting feedback on what everyone thinks too! I'm so glad I have a digital now cuz the people developing my pictures were starting to think I'm crazy - between the cat, dog, fish and hermit crabs, there were barely any people in my pictures!
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post #15 of 20
11/10/05 at 7:21am
Cupid has a bathrobe, too. Luckily I don't have to worry about drying him much, because he doesn't have wet fur. I put his robe on him and wrap a blanket around him. I keep the blanket in the dryer on high while I'm washing him, so it's nice and warm! He almost always falls asleep in my arms after a bath.
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post #16 of 20
11/10/05 at 8:11am
i usually put the towels that i am going to use on salem isis and ailey in the dryer while i am giving them a batht hen have one of the kids bring them to me when i need them. my bathroom also has a heater vent on the cieling so i turn that on before i give them a bath then after they just stay in the bathroom till competely dry because i live in tx and even though its november i still have my air conditioner on lol and i keep it pretty cold in the rest of the house.
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post #17 of 20
11/10/05 at 8:19am
Quote:
Originally Posted by Purr
Cupid has a bathrobe, too. Luckily I don't have to worry about drying him much, because he doesn't have wet fur. I put his robe on him and wrap a blanket around him. I keep the blanket in the dryer on high while I'm washing him, so it's nice and warm! He almost always falls asleep in my arms after a bath.
OMG I just noticed your siggy!!!!!!!!!!!!

I LOVE IT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
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post #18 of 20
11/10/05 at 9:46am
One thing I did forget. My first cat, Mitten was terrified of water baths (I think someone tried to drown him). I use to use the shampoo you rub in and towel dry.

But to hasten drying time, I'd stick him in a carrier and put the carrier about a foot from a heater. The warm air kept him from being chilled while he dried himself and it was far enough away not to burn him.

You might try that on your cats that don't like towel drying.
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post #19 of 20
11/11/05 at 7:31am
Quote:
he may look fat, but if you look at his in-bath pictures, he looks like a little wet rat! He's just pretty big-boned... the vet is content with his weight - so basically, he's a puff-ball of fur!

Magnum is like that - he weighs 12 lbs but looks HUGE and with all that fur I am probably better off getting a medium for him, maybe small for boomer and large for the fat cats LOL
They are going to look so adorable!
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post #20 of 20
11/11/05 at 10:13am
Quote:
Originally Posted by icklemiss21
Magnum is like that - he weighs 12 lbs but looks HUGE and with all that fur I am probably better off getting a medium for him, maybe small for boomer and large for the fat cats LOL
They are going to look so adorable!
I CANNOT wait to see pics of all your babies in bathrobes!!!!

And yeah, that fur can be deciving!! Oliver doesn't even have a tiny beer gut! Big boned and muscular, but with lots of fur!
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