Bath

sibohan2005

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I am thinking I should try to give Duke a bath. Duke is so large that he can't realy clean himself all that well and I have had to whipe his little puckered part for the past year for him.

I have never given a cat a bath and was hoping I could get some encouragement.
Does anyone know of a way to make it less stressful for him? The only reason I'm considering it is because he's begining to smell a little similar to his litter.
 

lizch6699

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First baths are always exciting lol. I used to give my kittens them pretty often just to get them used to it in case I needed to do it later in life. I would suggest using two people if you can. Have a warm towel ready and fill the bathtub only a few inches. I strongly reccomend using a large cup because it will make the process incredibly quicker and using a removable shower head will most likely just scare the crap out of him. I'm able to give my kitties a bath in about 3 minutes now lol. Usually they'll try to climb out of the tub which you can use to your advantage. When he starts to climb put him up against the wall opposite the tub exit/entry. As he puts his paws up on the wall to try to get out you can use the cup to pour water over his entire body and it will naturally get to his belly, which can be a difficult to get to if they're not upright. Make sure to get all the shampoo out since the cat can get skin problems or will ingest it as they groom theirselves after being bathed. Usually I just hold the kitty in the towel to absorb as much water as possible before I actually dry them. With your cat being so large you may need two towels. I also reccomend trimming claws down before you start for obvious reasons
Good luck and let us know how it goes!
 

white cat lover

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I put nail caps on Lily & Twitch(both front & back paws) last night because I knew they needed to be bathed. I used a removable shower head(which didn't scare either of them, oddly enough). I bought some shampoo & condition that smells good to me. They usually smell yummy for a few weeks after the bath with the shampoo I use. Don't appl shampoo directly to your kitty. It is hard to wash out then. Other than that, Good Luck!

BTW- you might want to look into nail caps for a first bath. I got the heck scratched out of me on Twitch's first bath. It is your decision. Would it be more stressful to have the bath without nail caps or put nail caps on & then give him a bath?
 

hareting

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I'm looking forward to have my kitty bathed too. i just adopted her a month ago and everyone says i should start bathing her when she's young. (she's 8 month's old now).

i found some tips on this page

http://cat.lifetips.com/subcat/59002...cat/index.html

"Tip: Bathing a kitten
If you plan on bathing your cat frequently, it is recommended to start bathing it as a kitten. This way it will get used to the water and the routine, and it will be much easier to train as a kitten rather than waiting until it is an adult.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Tip: Training an Adult Cat for a Bath
Cat´s don´t like water; that is a well known fact. However, any cat can be trained to tolerate a bath. Use this method once a day, every day, and at the end of a month, you should be able to give your kitty a full bath without too much trouble.

First, the water must be warm, because a cat´s normal temperature is higher than humans. A hot bath for a human is a normal temperature for cats. If the cat shivers, the water is too cold; if he pants, the water is too hot.

Second, choose a location that has a flat surface, so the cat will feel secure that he can stand easily. Add a towel or rubber mat to the bath surface so the cat won´t slip, creating more panic.

Third, start with just enough water to cover his feet. For the first week, just dunk his feet into the water and immediately pull him out and dry his feet. Then give him plenty of treats and special attention.
Gradually increase the depth of the water, and the amount of time you ´dunk´ him. Always give him treats and special attention after the ´bath.´

Finally, use only enough water to get him wet and rinse him; usually no deeper than his ´knees.´ This should be enough water to give him a bath, without creating the panic of trying to swim. Also, don´t leave his feet in the water unless you have to. Allowing him to stand on dry land (like the back end of a bath tub) will decrease his discomfort and make him easier to control.

A note of caution: don´t use a sprayer, this will cause panic in the cat. Instead, use a plastic cup or glass to pour the water over his body. "


for those of you who have bathed your cat, could you tell me if this approach is good? would it make it less stressful for my kitty?

Also, I'm planning to have my kitty wear nail cap for her first bath. does anyone knows if i could buy nail cap /softpaws in canada? i read about it in this forum b4, but i don't really wanna order online and wait for it to ship. I read that softpaws is available in Petco, can anyone confirm that for me? cuz i can't find softpaws on petco website. I'm making a trip to niagara falls on xmas, if softpaws is available in petco, i'll go to buffalo to buy it.
 

purr

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I think that sounds good, but I use a special sprayer that's like a garden hose, with a handle that you squeeze to release the water. It comes out "splash proof" through a screen like a kitchen faucet and it's relatively quiet.

I also keep one hand on him at all times, to make him feel comfortable, and I try to get as close to him as possible--either sitting on the side of the tub, or kneeling in front of it, bent over to be next to him.

The biggest mistake I think, is to not make the water warm enough. I've noticed that when the water is really warm (a tad bit warmer than you think is right), it sort of soothes my cat. I bet it feels good!

The only time he has ever clawed me was an accident when I was picking him up out of the tub.
 

goldenkitty45

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I've washed kittens as young as 2 months old to adults who've never had a bath.

Here's my tips:

1. Trim/cut ALL nails before you do anything!

2. Comb out all mats, knots, etc. in the longhair cat; comb thru the shorthair cat to get loose fur.

3. Clean face, ears, and neck outside the bathtub. You don't want to wash any higher then the neck when in the tub.

4. Fill tub with warm water, a little on the hotter side but not too hot. Only put in 2-3 inches deep - I usually put my hand in the deepest part at about 3 inches.

5. Have a rubber mat on the bottom of the tub so they do not slip.

6. Gently place the cat in the tub while talking quiet to him. If he panics, ride him out but do not let go - let him hold onto the bar or back sides and stand with 2 feet in the water if it will make him calmer.

7. Have 2 people (if possible) - one to hold the cat, other to wash and rinse.

8. I use a washcloth to get them wet to the skin. Pouring water over the top doesn't get the water UNDER the fut to the skin. Washcloths are better.

Use a little shampoo and wash them by hand - you can add water to the soap and it will go further.

I rinse the soap out and then put a little conditioner and rub it in. Then rinse about 2 more times and then once more - you want to make sure you have all the soap out.

After washing, I "wring" the cat out by squeezing as much water down the body, tail and legs.

Have a warm towel by your side and wrap kitty tight and start drying him. You may want a 2nd towel handy cause the first one gets soaked pretty fast.

If you have a long hair, you'll have to sit with a hair dryer and comb him while he is drying - a little at a time. If you don't, you will have messy fur. If he's shorthair, you can let him stay in the bathroom for about an hour and let him dry on his own.
 

coaster

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Before you even start trying to accustom your cat to a bath, you can just get them used to the idea of getting wet and being cleaned by using a washcloth and warm water. And that does a halfway decent job of cleaning them, too. You can give them this "sponge bath" in the same location you plan to give the actual baths, so they get used to getting wet in there.
 
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