Advice request: need bathing tips for grumpy old cat

[Randi]

Oh dear! When it rains it pours. I really hope it's not ring worm, but it sounds as if you have to go ahead with the baths anyway. If it's something in his food he is allergic to, how long does it take to prove? At least, then you could stop bathing him.

I'll be sending good thoughts to Cassy and hope he'll be better soon.

And good luck with getting your computer fixed!

[catmandu]

I wouldnt know how to give a bath to any Found Cat either.
I would probably have them taken to a professional where they know how to handle scared Cats!!!

[jenluckenbach]

Definitely clip the nails, or make sure the vet does that for you.

Even if Cassy does not wear a collar, getting one and having him wear it while bathing will aid your ability to hold him when he's wet and slippery.

Hopefully your sink or tub has a sprayer, use it, BUT cats hate the sound/sensation of the spraying motion, so keep it close to the skin to prevent that feeling of the water "raining down" on them.

When I need to keep shampoo on a cat for any length of time I close them in their carrier. Easy to rinse out when you are done and you know exactly where they are, not hiding (soaking wet) under the bed.

If all else fails, find a pet groomer that does cats and consider it money well spent.

GOOD luck!

[ginalovesfelines]

WOW, what a tough one! It's not going to be fun for either one of you. If you use a miconazole shampoo it will also help soothe him. But he isn't going to like it. BE PREPARED......have a towel down, keep him comfortable, and make sure that you are mentally prepared for what he is about to do!!! Have treats ready right away and good luck!!!

[Randi]

Amberlee, have you healed up enough to tell us about it?

[clareallana]

When our Tippi was getting old and ill, she couldn't wash herself, so I gave her baths. I won't say she loved them, she was a cat and they hate water, but she was surprisingly cooperative. Perhaps she couldn't stand her own smell!
What I did was, dissolve the shampoo (a tiny amount of washing up liquid) in about four inches of warm water in the bath and gently lift her in. I think the warmth helped ease the pain in her stomach. When I thought she was as clean as I could get her without the water getting too cold, I lifted her out, wrapped her in a towel and gave her a good cuddle. That bit she did love. When young and well Tippi was a very spiky miss, and gave us several scratches, some nasty, but she didn't even try to scratch me when I bathed her. She died twelve years ago (thyroid and suspected cancer in her gut), and we still miss her.
Do please stop any fish. We've kept the fish in our cats diets to the minimum. One of ours developed ezcema through fish in his food, while another cat we knew developed epilepsy and died in a severe fit.

Good luck with your grumpy old man.

[KitCat]

Get a nice plastic brush or comb and start grooming your cat. Once they get used to it, they love it. I brush the kitty on a regular basis. He loves it and it removes a lot of dead fur.

This is how I wash my cat:

I take him on a plastic table that is waist height. I get 4-3 empty gallon water bottles and fill with warm water (cats don't like the hiss of a shower).

Now here's where the grooming comes in. I put him the plastic table and brush him, working in the shampoo, and telling him he's good and pretty. I do it on my screened porch, and when he tries to get down, I block him with my body, and don't let him down. After a while they get the idea.

He meows sadly when I apply some water and suds him up. I still brush and parise him the whole time I am washing him. Then I rinse him off and wrap him in a towel. After a bit I brush him again, spreading the fur out so it dries quicker.

MOST IMPORTANT: Then he gets some tuna. In every case when he does something difficult (vet, driving in the car) he gets some tuna.