Shedding and Baths

Getting a cat used to a bath. Ok, so my mom says we are going to have to start doing something about Miki's shedding. She sheds EVERYWHERE. I know bathing will take some of the shed fur off so here's the thing. How do you get a cat who was once a stray, used to the water and getting groomed?

IMO bathing is not the remedy you are looking for.

I would brush and/or comb the cat a few seconds every day to get her accustomed to being handled and brushed. Treats during and afterwards. Keep the sessions brief but very frequent and always positive.

Second- the quality of the cats diet has more to do with shedding than anything else. An essential fatty acid supplement would be a good start if yoy aren't willing to upgrade the food.

Mmk. Thanks

Yeah, baths don't really do anything for shedding.
Sure, they help with the hair that's already loose, but the shedding remains.

Higher quality food or a facid acid supplement will help tons.

As for daily grooming, try a Zoom Groom on her, they're really good and removing loose hair and much less traumatizing than baths.

I'll second the zoom groom - I have one and it's great for getting rid of dead hair.

I'll third the Zoom Groom! I was amazed at how much fur it brushes out. But the hair can tend to fly everywhere....so keep your vacuum cleaner handy!

Zoom Groom is awesome!! I think most kitties love it!!

Here's another for Zoom Groom. I will not, however, say that Zissou loves it, but she loves it compared to a bath!
A bath will get about a quarter of the hair out that a good brushing will.

We just started using the zoom groom, so the kitties are still getting used to it, it does pick up a lot of hair, and it is certainly preferable to a bath. High quality food makes all the difference for my kitties, and sometimes when I want to freshen them up I use kitty wipes, I've also tried spray on and foaming shampoos and conditioners, they also work well. I won't say the cat loves them, but they won't freak out like in a bath. Be sure to get good quality ones especially if your cat has sensitive skin. If you must bathe with water, try using a sprayer like a shower massage or the sprayer in the kitchen sink (if you think you can keep your cat in the sink) and use luke warm water. I would not recommend filling a tub with water and trying to submerge them. You can also try putting an old towel in the bottom of the tub or sink for their claws to grip so they don't slide around too much and they may not feel as much of a need to grip your arm with those claws.

I only bathe them as a last resort, if they are covered in something they shouldn't be and brushing just won't do, like diarhhea or the multitude of household products a sneaky kitty can find their way into.

btw, if you do bathe them, expect to get soaked from head to toe and dress accordingly

I think that the fact the she was an outdoor kitty during the colder months and is now an indoor kitty in addition to the warmer weather is probably the main reason she is shedding- it should slow down soon, just keep brushing her and I've never used a zoom groom, but there are lots of thumbs up for it so if that seems like a good fit for you

Zoom groom .. fatty acid supplement or a high end food with at least 3% linoleic aka omega 6 ..

If kitty is dirty there are foam baths that you pet on and brush thru

Bathing does help tremdously with shedding. Of course it doesn't stop shedding. But when I bathe my cats during shedding season, it brings it almost to a halt for a couple months. I may have to vacuum every other day or every three days instead of every day. I have used this method for years, as well as folks who have allergies have also. My cats do fine with it and I don't get soaked or scatched as long as I hold them firmly and don't expect a fight from them. The first time or two they were a bit scared but after that they trusted me. There are tricks groomers use to help the cat and I have a lot of them on my Grooming Tips page of my website. Maybe it is because my cats have long, thick hair but the zoom groom doesn't take nearly enough dead fur out of my cats. Bathing does. But the Zoom groom could minimize it enough to satisfy your mom if your cat is short haired. Here's a link to my Grooming Page In case your mother insists on bathing: http://www.purrfectpurrsians.net/grooming.htm

Thank your for all the tips! Now, if only I could get the zoom groom here!!!!

One of the things I've done over the years is actually use one of my soft rubber curries (horse curry) on my cats. They all seem to like it, and it gets all the loose hair off too.