my kitty has the stinkys, he's an indoor cat and i tried the baby powder bath but he doesn't like being brushed so would a water bath do it or just get me bit? any suggestions?
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bath or baby powder?
- Thread starter neovente
- Start Date
Try the pet bathing wipes.
They are like baby wipes, only they are made for cleaning pets without bathing.
There are also waterless shampoos for cats you could also try.
They are like baby wipes, only they are made for cleaning pets without bathing.
There are also waterless shampoos for cats you could also try.
You could wash them but they don't like it that much - I know I have tried it
We tried giving Zakk a bath twice. The first time wasn't great. I felt bad b/c he was so cold and was streaking around the house wet. The second time Hubby wore plastic gloves, they got shredded and he got slashed. We gave up after that. The main reason we were trying to do it was to cut down on the allergens. Zakk was 6 months old and I guess he was too old to get used to it. I would have tried with Rocky when he was little but his health was so precarious when he was little I didn't want to risk him getting sick.
IMO its better to give a normal bath then to use the baby wipes, powder, etc. Its not that difficult to give a cat a bath. You get them much cleaner then just doing "touch up". Here's the basics:
If you don't think you do this yourself, get another person to help - one hold the cat, one wash.
1. Clip ALL cat's nails before you start. Clean eyes, ears and use a warm washcloth to wipe the face.
2. Have a rubber mat or towel on the bottom of the tub for security.
3. Fill tub a few inches deep - no deeper then the belly of the cat. Make the water medium warm - a little on the warmer side cause you don't want the water to cool down too fast.
4. Use the washcloth to wet the cat down from neck down. Never pour water over a cat - it scares them too much.
5. Put a little shampoo down the back of the cat and work it in on back, sides, legs, neck, tail.
After you wash the cat, then rinse, rinse, and rinse again. Use your hands or washcloth. Don't spray the cat with water. Get the soap out.
Have 2 towels ready to use - initial one will be pretty wet. Wring the cat out by squeezing as much water off the fur and down the legs. Wrap the cat in the towel and start rubbing dry.
If you have a longhair, be sure to COMB out all tangles/knots before you wet the cat - a wet knot is impossible to get out. Shorthairs can more/less air dry in a closed room (no window open, no fan on). Longhairs have to be blow dried and combed or their fur will tangle.
Cats of any age can be washed. I've never had a cat I could not wash - kitten to adult. Sure they don't like it much, but with patient and 2 people it can be done. Its better to start young, but you still can wash them.
If you don't think you do this yourself, get another person to help - one hold the cat, one wash.
1. Clip ALL cat's nails before you start. Clean eyes, ears and use a warm washcloth to wipe the face.
2. Have a rubber mat or towel on the bottom of the tub for security.
3. Fill tub a few inches deep - no deeper then the belly of the cat. Make the water medium warm - a little on the warmer side cause you don't want the water to cool down too fast.
4. Use the washcloth to wet the cat down from neck down. Never pour water over a cat - it scares them too much.
5. Put a little shampoo down the back of the cat and work it in on back, sides, legs, neck, tail.
After you wash the cat, then rinse, rinse, and rinse again. Use your hands or washcloth. Don't spray the cat with water. Get the soap out.
Have 2 towels ready to use - initial one will be pretty wet. Wring the cat out by squeezing as much water off the fur and down the legs. Wrap the cat in the towel and start rubbing dry.
If you have a longhair, be sure to COMB out all tangles/knots before you wet the cat - a wet knot is impossible to get out. Shorthairs can more/less air dry in a closed room (no window open, no fan on). Longhairs have to be blow dried and combed or their fur will tangle.
Cats of any age can be washed. I've never had a cat I could not wash - kitten to adult. Sure they don't like it much, but with patient and 2 people it can be done. Its better to start young, but you still can wash them.
How old is your kitty? I've bathed all of my cats when they were kittens using the above approach. We got it done but we certainly didn't finish without some ticked off cats and a few battle wounds. (Ouch!) We bathed them 3 times while they were kittens because they didn't groom enough and also had the "stinkies". But now that they are older they groom very often and don't stink like they used too. I haven't water bathed them as adult cats. I did buy the dry shampoo and have bathed them all once with that and it went over much better. IMO there comes a time when they are older and taking good care of themselves that you don't need to bathe them anymore than an occassional warm washcloth to the face.
I have bathed Phenom with little problem. She meows and gets mad but she will let you do it. She does like to grab the faucet and try to pull herself away from you. I bath her in the sink though as its smaller and at a better height. You can use a little dawn dishwashing detergent if they have fleas (use sparingly it is hard to rinse out)
I would recommend having your cat examined by his Vet. It isn't normal for a cat to have a foul odor, and there is usually an underlying medical condition. It could also be as simple as needing his anal glands expressed.
Giving a cat a bath is a crazy experiance but is the best way to get them clean if they are really dirty. The way that it is done at the shelter I volunteer at seems to work well so heres how we do it.
1) get your self a carry cage that is top opening and made kind of like a cage http://www.livetrap.com/cgi/search.c...Carrying+Cages like this but obviously not a trap or anything like that i know I am not explaining this very well but I hope you get what I mean
2) Place that cat in the cage and put the cage in an empty bath
3) Turn the water on slowly so that it is rising slowly make sure it is warm andthat is doesn't get higher than your cats knees. The fact that the water is rising means that the cat won't get as stress because it isn't being dumped into the water
4) Have a measuring jug handy and gently pour some of the bath water over your cat until it is fully wet.
5) wearing washing up gloves carfully open the lid just wide enough to put your hand in (this is why a top opening carry cage is essential) and rub the cat with shampoo untill it forms a lather
6) fill a measuring jug with clean water and pour it over the cat agin until there is no lather left (make sure to check the tummy)
7) Drain the water from the bath
8) get a very large towel and quickly open the cage and put the towel over the cat
9) lift the cat up so it is completely covered in the towel and dry it off so that it is no longer dripping wet.
10) allow your cat to dry themselves but make sure you put the central heating on for a bit so that your cat doesn't get to cold.
If all goes well you should have a nice clean cat.
1) get your self a carry cage that is top opening and made kind of like a cage http://www.livetrap.com/cgi/search.c...Carrying+Cages like this but obviously not a trap or anything like that i know I am not explaining this very well but I hope you get what I mean
2) Place that cat in the cage and put the cage in an empty bath
3) Turn the water on slowly so that it is rising slowly make sure it is warm andthat is doesn't get higher than your cats knees. The fact that the water is rising means that the cat won't get as stress because it isn't being dumped into the water
4) Have a measuring jug handy and gently pour some of the bath water over your cat until it is fully wet.
5) wearing washing up gloves carfully open the lid just wide enough to put your hand in (this is why a top opening carry cage is essential) and rub the cat with shampoo untill it forms a lather
6) fill a measuring jug with clean water and pour it over the cat agin until there is no lather left (make sure to check the tummy)
7) Drain the water from the bath
8) get a very large towel and quickly open the cage and put the towel over the cat
9) lift the cat up so it is completely covered in the towel and dry it off so that it is no longer dripping wet.
10) allow your cat to dry themselves but make sure you put the central heating on for a bit so that your cat doesn't get to cold.
If all goes well you should have a nice clean cat.
I have washed many cats and you do NOT pour water over them. For one thing you have to get the skin wet and pouring water will not wet them down completely. Besides you can get water in their ears that way!
Plus putting them in a cage and submerging the cage is a cruel thing to do. The cat would totally freak out. I do NOT recommend washing the cat the way you describe!
Besides you don't just "dump" the cat in the water. And you don't need gloves to wash either. How can you possibly feel the coat/skin for any problems or to see if its really clean?
Plus putting them in a cage and submerging the cage is a cruel thing to do. The cat would totally freak out. I do NOT recommend washing the cat the way you describe!
Besides you don't just "dump" the cat in the water. And you don't need gloves to wash either. How can you possibly feel the coat/skin for any problems or to see if its really clean?
I actually is less stressfull for the cat because they get used to the water, maybe your cats are really calm but some of the cats at the shelter I work at you would stuggle to handle normally let alone when you are trying to wash them. I agree with you about not poring the water over their heads I forgot to mention that in the original instructions. I inspect the coat when they are dry not when I am washing them. I have seen many different methods of washing cats and this genuinly did seem to be the one that had the least stress on the cats side associated with it normally they just percieve it to be like a puddle.
Like I said before there are many methods for washing a cat and this one does work well for cats which are hard to handle but still need to be washed.
Like I said before there are many methods for washing a cat and this one does work well for cats which are hard to handle but still need to be washed.
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I bathe 4 of my cats and find it easier not to fill the tub with water at all. I use the spray nozzle to wet them down add the shampoo and rinse rinse and rinse. I then put the cat in a carrier and blow dry for 10min then finish blow drying and brushing out of the carrier.
