Do you give your cats baths?

[JenBKR]

I actually never have, but I'm thinking that maybe I should be. If you answered yes, what kind of soap/shampoo do you use?

[Jessika]

Yesssss I do. Double-Oh actually just got one because of fleas. But Nicole and the others can get pretty stinky...

I just use regular Dawn Dishsoap, nothing fancy. It's cheap and works VERY well, especially with fleas :)

[catnapper]

I never bathe them unless there's extenuating circumstances. Allen used to be so heavy that he didn't groom himself very well, so he needed a little help in the nether region ;)

Angel had that extended diarreha situation, and her plumy tail would always have runny poo in it, and that had to be washed out. Poor girl is now petrified of that bathroom and running water.

Pouncer got the occasional dunk after rolling around in a dirty litterbox. Thank God he's outgrown it!

[JenBKR]

I don't have a problem with fleas with them (thank goodness!!) but they are smelling like their litter a little lately and I thought that a bath might be a good idea. Where do you bathe them? Bathtub, I assume?

[Miss Z]

Oh god, no! The last time we tried to bath Zsa-Zsa, she stayed perfectly dry. We had the bath instead:rolleyes:

[catnapper]

I use the tub with the hand-held shower head. Make sure you trim all 4 paws worth of nails before you start. Trust me, thats a VERY important step! ;) I just used oatmeal pet shampoo.... I like the smell and it helps with itchies.

[Jessika]

I don't have a problem with fleas with them (thank goodness!!) but they are smelling like their litter a little lately and I thought that a bath might be a good idea. Where do you bathe them? Bathtub, I assume?

Yup that's where we do it.

If you don't like the thought of getting your arms cut up from them freaking out around the water, then they do have cloths you can buy at PetCo and Petsmart and they're cleaning cloths you just wipe them with that are supposed to help clean

[Abby&Buddy'sMom]

I am probably in the minority here, but I DO actually bath Abby , and she does actually like it . i think she must be some sort of Main Coon Mix, because of her love for water.She just stands in the water like a good girl while I soap her, then rinse her, then she gets dried with my hair blow dryer and doesnt mind that either :eek: (She is such a VERY GOOD girl!) As for Buddy I have only bathed him once, when we first got him, and never since, because I would like to continue to have skin on my hands and arms :eek: :D

Here are some pictures of Abby in the tub: :)


http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a54/Helga-G-Pitacky/bathgirl.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a54/Helga-G-Pitacky/bathgirl2.jpg

http://i9.photobucket.com/albums/a54/Helga-G-Pitacky/bathgirl3.jpg

Hope you enjoyed her bath time pictures

[JenBKR]

How cute!! Those are great pictures - I can't believe how good she is in there! I know that bathing my two won't be quite that easy. I will need gloves up to my shoulders for Katie. Belle probably won't be too bad, although considering that they are three years old and have never had a bath before, it might not be as easy for her either! I might try at least Belle tonight. I'll let you guys know if I still have skin tomorrow :rolleyes:

[Miss Z]

Good girl Abby! You need to tell my Zsa-Zsa to not be a scardy-cat of water!!!!;)

[Randi]

I don't bathe Fister, and if I tried I would fail completely!! :eek: Anyway, I don't think it's neccesary to bathe a cat, unless the circumstances arise that are already mentioned.

I summer when it's hot, Fister likes to be brushed with a wet brush or a wet cloth. Occasionally, when he comes out of the litterbox, I wipe his butt with a wet piece of cotton. I think he likes that. :)

The pictures of Abby are really cute! :)

Here's a little tutorial on how to bathe a cat. :D

Cat Bathing As A Martial Art

A. Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom.
If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about to take a shower.
(A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift positions.)

B. Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to dress to protect yourself.
I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top constructionboots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey face-mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.

C. Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule.)

D. Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure, slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with shampoo.
You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.

E. Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the problem is radically compounded.
Do not expect to hold on to him for more than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off. (The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too much.)

F. Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is simple compared with what you have just been through. That's because by now the cat is semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the drain plug with your foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally, however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and
to encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub, it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat. In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of time sitting with his back to you.
He might even become psychoceramic and develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine. You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath. But at least now he smells a lot better!

See also: "How to pill a cat"

[Chilli]

I voted yes, because Khaith absolutely loves baths. Him and Abby sound quite a bit alike, actually! :D
Though Mel, on the other hand, RARELY gets baths. I think in the whole four years or so that we've had her, we've only had to bathe her twice. My sister and I both have scars from both times. :rolleyes:

[catmandu]

I will never bathe A Found Cat,unless it is totally necessary.
I might have to with the Moose,as his skin is so dry.

[Felix]

I voted NO.I have never given Felix a bath.He keeps himself really clean.Hes anal over that.Sure sometimes if I touch him he will clean himself in that exact spot I touched,as if I had coodies or something :rolleyes:

Abby I loved your pictures in the bath.You sure are a good girl. :D

[babychicaleek]

Gem only took a bath once and she ATTACKED!!!! so bad.... :eek:

[moosmom]

Because MooShoo is hairless, he requires a bath once a week. Normal furry cats have fur for their oils to go into. Moo doesn't so his skin gets rather oily. The rest of them (3 furry kits) have had baths in the past for cat shows. But I don't bathe them on a regular basis, unless they really need it.

[.sarah]

I voted yes because of the cat that lives at work. We bathe Hootie every month, and he's a pretty good boy for it. Doesn't enjoy it, but he still doesn't fight. You can take your cats to a vet or groomer to be bathed if they need it and are bad ... we're used to the bad cats, trust me :p

[AlleyCat]

Millie's the only one I bathe. And I loathe doing it, only because she screams bloody murder! I have a large sink near my washing machine -- it's square and deep (it's like a laundry tub but it's really a sink) so I hook up one of those hand-held sprays and it works well. Millie is a large cat (putting it mildly hee hee) so she has trouble reaching her delicate areas, so she's the only one I need to bathe.

On a side note, Cleo is a self-bathing freak. All day long !! :rolleyes:

[Maya & Inka's mommy]

Normally I don't!! But I voted "yes", because I had to bath all 3 my cats 4 times each last month :eek: :eek: . Our newbie Zazou is carrier of ringworm-virus, so she gave it to her sisters :rolleyes:
Oh my, I am happy that this period is over; bathing a cat is like asking to be killed :eek: :eek:
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/berlut/bad2.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/berlut/bad6.jpg
http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y144/berlut/wash3.jpg

[catmandu]

I offer them Baths,Free!
But there are no takers.

[JenBKR]

Well, I did it - last night I gave them both baths. They didn't like it though. Belle was pretty easy, she didn't scratch or bite, but she did wiggle and try to get away. Katie, on the other hand, tried to remove my skin from my arms. She made some awful noises too, but once I started she calmed down. They smell better now and they're really soft :D Don't know that I'll do that again anytime soon though.

[AlleyCat]

Now you can say you've done it and lived through it :)

Lut, your "after" photos are adorable! Millie looks like that too after I'm done with her. I keep telling her (she's on a diet and progressing slowly but surely) "hurry up and lose those many extra pounds and then YOU can do this all by yourself, no more screaming bloody murder at meowmie!" :)

[lvpets2002]

;) Yes they all have had baths; but dont give very often.. I have to get out the wet suit & stock up on bandades.. :o

[Catty1]

Well, if I had to bathe mine...and I have bathed a cat or two in the past. There was a house I roomed in once, and the lady went away for a couple of weeks and I looked after Hoshi, an older white cat. He would get a streak or two of grease on him after lying under a nearby car. I bathed him several times, once just before his Mommy got home. He was an older boy, and very well behaved.

I run the water first. A little warmer than luke-warm, cat body temp, about 4-6 inches deep. I think the hand-held spray thing might scare them. I have an empty plastic container, and gently pour the water over the cat. Then the liquid soap - premix that with a bit of water and it spreads a lot easier and saves on too much scrubbing.

What takes the most time is setting kitty in the water - sometimes with a folded towel on the bottom so they don't feel they are slipping - and talking comfortingly, and firmly too.

A double kitchen sink is best for this - then I can drain the one sink and run the rinse water in the other...or, as long as the temp is ok, run the tap right over kitty for a good rinse. Hard to get under the tummy and 'armpits', so lots of sloshing there.

However, my boys keep themselves really clean.

With fluffy Cole...that might be a way to keep the hair down. Not sure how he would take to it. HMMMM....might try it during the heat wave in July...

[shais_mom]

OMG! Buddy and Abby's mom how do you get her to stay in the tub??? :eek:
When I bathe Kylie its a constant battle to KEEP her in there!
She has trouble cleaning herself so when she starts to look like she stuck her paw in the lite socket I give her a bath. The last time she was so upset with me she peed. :(
She always looks so much nicer and more comfortable after she dries. :)

[*JTM*Coco*pi*Caramel*]

My 2 cats, Coco and Caramel get regular baths about 1 every 2 weeks or 1 every month. Coco is almost 15, so she doesnt scratch or bite at all, but I try to make the bath as quick as possible for her. Caramel meows once when he first enters the tub and then he lets me bath him while he takes one of his front paws and holds my arm (no scratches) :) I use gentle shampoo on them which I use from the salon lol they seem to like it and it makes their fur soft! They both hate being towel dried and they both tolerate the blow drier and being brushed. I brush their hair against the grain while blow drying so it goes quicker and then I comb it down after. Caramel rubs his face against the blow drier putting his scent on it and sometimes he sits on his hind legs and holds it with his two front paws so he can dry his belly lol :eek: They are both use to baths now and it goes fairly quick but I make sure to have everything ready and layed out before I start! Ive got the best smelling kitties on the block :D

[icedtea]

well seafa and kansas are only kittens, and once seafa jumped in the bath and my dad yelled out "oh no!" but i wasnt awake at the time
seriously seafa jumped in the abth and thrashed about. is it ok to bath kittens in like, 3 cm of water?? what do you do???
i had a very bad experience with seafa getting a bit messy at her other end. we thought something might be wrong with her when she started dragged her bottom on the ground, but no she ad just left somethign behind. i had to clean it up and it wasnt pretty.

[orangemm]

We used to wash our other 4 cats (took 2 of us with an assembly line, leather gloves, a carpeted board for them to hang onto, and lots of towels), but we haven't tried it with these 2 boys. Archy might be ok, but I know Binky would FREAK. :eek: :eek: :eek:

[kb2yjx]

I have given the members of the Clan baths. I found that clipping ALL the claws and brushing and combing them, really helps. I have several towels ready, just in case I may need one(ONLY kidding). The bat tub is the best place, make sure you have a mat down in the tub, cats sure can slide!!! And be sure to have something comfy for you to kneel on. It is a hassle, but then looking at the beautiful, shiny, and clean looking cat, it is worth it!!! I bathed the kidney cats a bit more often(monthly)because of the dandruff. Boo did not seem to mind. GOOD LUCK!!

[ramanth]

I voted no. However, when I first brought them in off the streets, I gave them one because they needed it.

Since then, they groom themselves. I brush them every so often. Zam hates it but Logan is getting used to it.

[lv4dogs]

I only bath the cats when needed.

Tiki has only had 2 baths (once when I first got him, my friend & I rescued him, mom & littermates from the streets) and he was filthy & flea infested. Then again shortly after that to make sure he was clean & flea free and also to get him used to it.
Meko on the other hand has had about 5-7ish or so baths. Once when I first got her (I rescued her as well from the outdoors) then again about once a month for a few months because she used to be a real hellian and I wanted to let her know that I am boss not her, I needed her to get used to everything. Then she had 2 baths a few months ago when I had that terrible diarrhea episode with both kitties. Her long fur & liquid poop just don't mix well at all.

They are now both great cats. I can do anything I want to them & they let me, baths, nails, ears, brushing, whatever. I call them my dog-cats. lol

I used ferret shampo on them most of the times. The last time I bathed Meko though I was out, the only thing I had was dog shampoos so I used Nanooks shampoo on her as it is very mild.

[sandragonfly]

yup I do! for fun sometimes. :)

for shampoo - since all of my furkids have no serve allergies or skin problems, I don't remember which on who.. :rolleyes: sorry. oh, I sometimes use my herbal esse shampoo on them.. they fragrancize the house! :p

I just had them all bathed last week with oatmeal shampoo leftover, no smell but all clean and softy! for some pictures, see here (http://www.petoftheday.com/talk/showthread.php?t=99042)! ;)