can i bath my cat????

shelleybik

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mouse is 1 year old and had kittens 8 weeks ago she is being spayed nxt tuesday,she is an outdoor cat.(this is not for debate on wether or not cats should be allowed out). she smells AWFULL like shes rolled in something pretty nasty,i really want to give her a bath,what sort of soap should i use,she dosnt have fleas,she is semi-long hair,shes really chill so i wouldnt expect much resistance,just want to get this awfull pong off her,my kids have noticed it too......any one got any sus??????
 

yosemite

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I don't see any problem with bathing her. We actually just gave our 2 baths on the weekend.

I would suggest a mild dishwashing liquid for soap and rinse very well. Also do not get the soap and/or water around her head and ears. Dry her off as much as possible with one or two warm fluffy towels and keep her inside so she doesn't get a chill until she has dried off. Bijou usually licks himself pretty dry
.
 

mzjazz2u

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I bathe my cats quite regularly because they are long haired and it helps minimize shedding and makes their coat easier to groom. I don't see a problem with giving your cat a bath if she has gotten into something nasty. I use the kitchen sink and put a rubber mat in the bottom so they don't skid. That's what makes them scared more often, is when they slip and slide in the bath. Run water before bringing the cat to the bath. Or turn the water on before you bring the cat over. have everything ready ahead of time. I have a whole grooming/bathing section on my website with a lot of tips, if you are interested. (In my siggie).
 

goldenkitty45

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If you wash her, do it BEFORE she gets spayed. Just use a gentle shampoo and rinse really really good. There are threads in here on how to bath.

One very important thing is to be sure you comb ALL tangles/mats out before you wet the cat down
 
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shelleybik

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mouse had a sponge down today,at the k sink, thought that would be less stressfull than a bath in the bath,OMG with her fur wet(shes semi-long) she looked so small,i rinsed her well,she was SO good about it all,i wrapped her up in a warm towel,and cuddled her for ages,then she asked to go into the front room (where her babies are) and nursed them.a SUCCESS, i wont worry about doing it again if the need arises,thanks for the tips,she smells sweet as a nut!!!
 

deni

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I posted a reply for Fats McGee a couple of days ago, my suggestions seem to have worked for them. Avoid soap and shampoos where possible, they disturb the natural balance of things and merely cover smells rather thn eradicate them.
 

goldenkitty45

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Deni, I disagree with the "non" use of shampoo. I show cats and all of them are washed with shampoo and conditioner. They have gorgeous coats too - it never threw the balance off.

Of course I use quality shampoos/conditioner to start with
 

sunshine'skid

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I bathed Sunshine before 3 months, and she did very well!! I used a shampoo my grandma bought for me 'cause I didn't have anything else and it made her coat so shiny, so luxioriusly soft that it felt like satin.
Her coat is fine, and so glorious.
 

sahara

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Peluş HATES water! Ive never seen any cat cry this much before getting her paws under the running tap! Her front paws got in her poo two times. And both the times I tried to wash (only) her paws, I swear she cried like a human baby!!! Plus she tried to climb on my shoulder to escape, thus my arm which supported her hind legs looked like a red cage!!! Not to mention my neck and chest!! She didnt get wild or anything, she was just incredibly scared! I almost got into tears!! The crying she gave off was amazingly mournful!! Thank God ı didnt attempt to wash her fully! But I really dread that day when she would need a complete bath incase she manages to get dirty (as long as she doesnt "roll" in her own poo - which ı know she wont - then theres no bubbles for her!) Shes an indoor cat and hopefully wont be in any mess during her lifetime.

But even if your cat doesnt mind water and submits to being washed, I still wouldnt recommend doing it on a frequent basis. They have certain oils in their skins which help keep their skins pH level stabilized so that their coats dont look dull and get tangled. The shinyness usually comes from that oily substance. The cats saliva also stimulates this oil and helps clean the coat. Ive heard from many cat owners who bath their cats frequently complain about their cats not "lick-cleaning" themselves anymore.
Shampoo eventually takes away that oil. You may not notice on a short period of time but on the long run your cats fur will turn into a clean but coarse, dry and tangled up coat.
 

goldenkitty45

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Sahara, some tips for you:

1. Trim ALL nails before you attempt to wash her feet.

2. Most cats are scared of running water. Try putting about an inch or two of warm water in the sink first and then put her feet in there. It should be less tramatic. If the water is in the sink/tub first they are a lot calmer. My show cat who's been washed since he was 4 months old does not like running water - but he will stand still in a tub of water while he gets washed.

He's 15 yrs old now and will have to get weekly baths cause he can't keep himself clean any more (like he used to).

3. If you ever need to give her a full bath, it might be a good idea to have 2 people - one to hold her; one to shampoo/rinse.


Since my kitties get a lot of baths for showing, I always use a good conditioner in their coats - they never have dull coats from too much washing. Trick is to use good quality shampoos/conditioners rather then the cheaper ones
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by shelleybik

mouse had a sponge down today,at the k sink, thought that would be less stressfull than a bath in the bath,OMG with her fur wet(shes semi-long) she looked so small,i rinsed her well,she was SO good about it all,i wrapped her up in a warm towel,and cuddled her for ages,then she asked to go into the front room (where her babies are) and nursed them.a SUCCESS, i wont worry about doing it again if the need arises,thanks for the tips,she smells sweet as a nut!!!
Good job! Another thing you can do if you ever need to bathe her again, is to use a couple tablespoons of white vinegar in the rinse water (couple gallons of warm water). That helps to restore pH balance of the skin.
 

mzjazz2u

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Originally Posted by GoldenKitty45

Won't the cats smell like viniger or not want to lick their fur?
No, it doesn't make them smell like vinegar and mine still lick their fur! It's not a very large amount and is diluted in quite a bit of water.
 
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