Cat Baths

[onimity]

This came up in an earlier thread (one of Mimi's?), but I give my cats baths on a fairly regular basis. (It is great for my allergies & they don't cough up as many hairballs...)

I started this a few years ago when my female cat was sick & not bathing herself well. The vet offered to bathe her and I laughed: Good Luck! I couldn't believe it when they said she was an angel...

I thought that they would freak out (they are feisty) but they are remarkably calm. Until I try to dry them...

Last night, my sister took pictures. I thought some of you ladies might enjoy them.

http://blog.annedirkse.com/blogs/v/f...amily/catbath/

Anne

[sbctwin]

You are BRAVE Cute shots though....

[Zen]

[sgtiger]

Zen, that is not a happy kitty.


My cat...when I had a cat<sigh>... hated baths with a passion. I don't think I ever got through one without being scratched or bitten. When she finally settled down ,after deciding there was no way around it, she would make these terrible accusatory meows with a betrayed look in her eyes. Poor Cera!

[Running Mommy]

Oh Zen, that is FUNNY!!!!

[Zen]

that is the late great Lappin' Gravy getting rid of a bad flea infestation. Poor skinny thing.

[elk]

You've heard that Steve Martin joke....
"Last night I gave my cat a bath...but I can't get that hair out of my mouth..."

those cats really trust you and love you ; I can see it in their faces...lovely.

here's one of my papillons ( my little soulmate) after a bath... she's SO cute!

[elk]

I need to figure out how to resize the images...!!!sorry

[leulamax]

Here's a good joke for you guys...

http://www.joke-archives.com/cats/catbath.html

[mimitabby]

Onimity
how often do you bathe your cats? it's a routine, right? so they are pretty used to it. how much do you scrub them? what soap do you use?
thanks!
I know one of my cats would act like i was killing her; but the other two both had ringworm as kittens and were bathed frequently.

thanks

[onimity]

Zen, what a great name for a cat. The picture reminds me of my first cat-washing experience (as a teenager). We had a new kitten and he rolled in something so that he stunk horribly. Our strategy was to put him in the tub and use the shower sprayer on him. I didn't realize that a tiny cat could climb over glass shower doors 6 feet high...He had that same disgusted look when we finally found him in a closet an hour later.

Elk, that picture of your dog is great! They are very trusting and loving animals, and I honestly think that they like it *a little*. They like the water really warm. And they *definitely* know that they're getting fed after. I'm pretty fond of them myself.

Love the jokes!

Anne

[onimity]

Hi Mimi,

I wash them every couple of weeks, once a week when they are shedding, less frequently in the winter. It is definitely a routine for them which makes it interesting to find ways to trick them into a closed bathroom.

I use 'Buddy Wash' by Cloud Star. It doesn't contain a lot of chemicals like other pet wash which I think is a good thing since they lick themselves. It smells great too. They also make a conditioner which I like since it is really dry here and it is easy to give a cat enough static-electric charge to make its hair stand on end for a week.

The hallway that our bathroom is in has a door at the end, so we close all of the doors when the cats aren't paying attention (one at a time) then my sister & I each grab an unsuspecting cat and carry it into the hallway. When you shut the door and take off their collars they know what is up. My female cat runs under the little table at the end of the hall. She can't quite fit under it... My male cat attempts to sink into the hardwood floor.

Being calm is key. Cats know when they have you nervous and they will take advantage of that. A glass of wine may help with this, but two will ensure that the cat has the upper hand!

My cats like very warm water, much warmer than suits me, but I've found that if I rub in the shampoo like I'm giving them a massage, pretty deep rubbing in the way I would pet them, and give them frequent rinses with really warm water they *almost* like it. It helps to have a second person rinse but isn't necessary. This past time my male cat (all black) purred for a split second. He then regained his pride, but as long as you are quick and act like you think they should like it I've found even really mean cats will put up with it. The one think I'd avoid is washing anything forward of the ears. This will generally result in a panicked cat. My cats hate standing in water. I've read articles that suggest filling the tub and then getting in with the cat, but that doesn't work for mine. They are much calmer when not standing in water.

I like to dry them, they aren't too fond of this but they seem happier after the fact. The key is not to let them run out sopping wet because they hold a bit of a grudge and also get a lot of other things wet. One of my co-workers gets a huge beach towel and wraps the cat in it, then holds him for a few minutes.

Hope that helps...

Anne

[Zen]

Elk- don't worry about the photo, for a little dog like that it's life sized, isn't it?
I love those big eyes.

[singletrackmind]

Papillons are sooo cute!

The main trouble I had with baths and Bailey kitty was remembering to shut the door whenever I'd take one. Otherwise he'd jump right in with me.
I miss my dear Bailey kitty.