My cat was using his litterbox this morning and ended up not being able to pass some poo that was stuck to an undigested blade of grass. He managed to smear the poo all over his butt before I could get to him and remove as much of it as possible. This has happened before and cleaning him has always been a nightmare. I filled up my bathtub, held him by the scruff of the neck at arms length and basically just started dunking his rear end into the water. The entire time he yowls and spits and scratches at me like a maniac. So now I'm smearing neosporin on my face, shoulders, and arms and I look like a mess. And this is my small cat (7lbs)! I don't even know what I would do with the 12 lb cat if this happened with him. I haven't been able to bathe either of them without an all and out brawl since they were little kittens. Does anyone have tips on this? I can't just let them smear poo all over the place, but getting them in the tub is a huge ordeal.
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Bathing a cat
- Thread starter meowsersmom
- Start Date
I hope someone has an answer becausae i sure as hell dont! LOL i was trying to bathe my 12 week old kitten and thoughti ws going to bleed to death! The only thing i did was wear those yellow dish washing gloves!
Why not just use baby wipes they work great for me. I put my arm under his rear legs lift and wipe. Repeat as needed.
If you don't have any a wet paper towel does the job as well!!
If you don't have any a wet paper towel does the job as well!!
I had to give Spot the occasional butt-bath. I found it much easier and much less stressful on the cat to do it in the bathroom sink. Start by half-filling the sink with lukewarm water. Hold the cat butt-side down and so that the paws face away from you. Gently lower the cat's behind into the water. Using your hand (or a damp wash cloth if you prefer), remove the poop from the fur. For long-haired cats, lift the cat up gently and very gently squeeze the excess water out of the fur. Allow the cat a warm place to hang out while they dry, and wash your hands and sink carefully.
When I tried to give Spot a bath in the tub, he literally panicked and started panting (not good for a kitty with a heart condition). In the sink, he didn't get as wet or as panicked. In fact, I've bathed my youngest kitty (Willow) in the sink, I found it much easier to control her, and it made the least mess.
When I tried to give Spot a bath in the tub, he literally panicked and started panting (not good for a kitty with a heart condition). In the sink, he didn't get as wet or as panicked. In fact, I've bathed my youngest kitty (Willow) in the sink, I found it much easier to control her, and it made the least mess.
You method of bathing would scare any cat (even my retired show cat)!
Try a 2-man team:
First trim all claws (front and back) - you won't get scratched as much.
If they are long hair cats - groom them to get all tangles out before you wash.
Run about 2-3 inches of water in the tub - pretty warm but not too hot. Put a rubber mat or towel in the bottom so they do not slide so much.
Then have a washcloth and shampoo ready (you can use Dawn dish soap as a quick wqshing). GENTLY place the cat in the tub facing away from you (like the back of the tub). Hold them by their body and scruff (if necessary) and talk very quietly and gently to them.
Have a 2nd person start wetting them down with the cloth and getting the fur wet to the skin - not just the surface.
Put some Dawn (not a lot) into the coat and especially around the dirty parts. Rub it in good till cat is clean. If kitty is fighting to get out of the water, allow him/her to stand on 2 back legs and hold on to the rail in the back of the tub.
Then take a small cup and keep rinsing all the soap out of the coat.
Wring kitty out by squeezing as much water as you can from the coat. Have 2 towels ready. First to initiall wrap and start drying and a 2nd one to re-wrap and dry cause the first gets pretty wet.
For spot cleaning, I would just sit them next to the sink with water and do a quick soap/water job with a washcloth - that way they are not really in the water. My first cat was totally terrified of water and that's how I cleaned him up.
Try a 2-man team:
First trim all claws (front and back) - you won't get scratched as much.
If they are long hair cats - groom them to get all tangles out before you wash.
Run about 2-3 inches of water in the tub - pretty warm but not too hot. Put a rubber mat or towel in the bottom so they do not slide so much.
Then have a washcloth and shampoo ready (you can use Dawn dish soap as a quick wqshing). GENTLY place the cat in the tub facing away from you (like the back of the tub). Hold them by their body and scruff (if necessary) and talk very quietly and gently to them.
Have a 2nd person start wetting them down with the cloth and getting the fur wet to the skin - not just the surface.
Put some Dawn (not a lot) into the coat and especially around the dirty parts. Rub it in good till cat is clean. If kitty is fighting to get out of the water, allow him/her to stand on 2 back legs and hold on to the rail in the back of the tub.
Then take a small cup and keep rinsing all the soap out of the coat.
Wring kitty out by squeezing as much water as you can from the coat. Have 2 towels ready. First to initiall wrap and start drying and a 2nd one to re-wrap and dry cause the first gets pretty wet.
For spot cleaning, I would just sit them next to the sink with water and do a quick soap/water job with a washcloth - that way they are not really in the water. My first cat was totally terrified of water and that's how I cleaned him up.
Whenever I have to bathe a cat or kitten I always trim their claws first (front and back). I always make sure everything is prepared before I ever bring the cat into the room (I use a large utility sink). So the water is drawn, towels are out and I am dressed in a flak jacket, a hockey mask and steel mesh gloves. Kidding! But, I definitely recommend rubber gloves and wearing a thick sweatshirt to protect yourself.
I use a little square tub and fill it with a diluted shampoo and water mixture and place it in the sink (but this works for a tub too). Then I fill the sink with water and place the tub in the sink. I then fill a couple of milk jugs with warm water for rinsing. Turning the faucet never fails to freak most cats out.
I use one of the mesh laundry bags to bathe cats in. Slip the cat in the bag (rear first) and then secure it just past the shoulders so that cats feet can't escape the bag. This works good for dipping in the shampoo mixture and then rinsing. Then I let the cat out of the bag for drying.
It's been the quickest way to get the job done with little injury.
I use a little square tub and fill it with a diluted shampoo and water mixture and place it in the sink (but this works for a tub too). Then I fill the sink with water and place the tub in the sink. I then fill a couple of milk jugs with warm water for rinsing. Turning the faucet never fails to freak most cats out.
I use one of the mesh laundry bags to bathe cats in. Slip the cat in the bag (rear first) and then secure it just past the shoulders so that cats feet can't escape the bag. This works good for dipping in the shampoo mixture and then rinsing. Then I let the cat out of the bag for drying.
It's been the quickest way to get the job done with little injury.
I don't like the use of gloves because you cannot feel the coat to see if its really clean.
