Advice request: need bathing tips for grumpy old cat

[AmberLee]

Cassy, my adored, but grumpy old boy has been prescribed baths, 3 times a week for the next month or two. He's never had a bath before and is ... grouchy ... after several hours at the vet's and a shot, and antibiotics on his food, and ... well, he's usually grouchy anyway.

If you were to introduce baths to a senior grouch, how would you do this?

[Cinder & Smoke]

If you were to introduce baths to a senior grouch, how would you do this?

Answer: DON'T !

If the White Coat thinks it's such a Great Idea ... RETURN da Kat
to said Vet for a "treatment".

[AmberLee]

Thanks for the laugh.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I'm sorry to hear this. I know how hard it is to bathe a cat. Why does he need baths 3 times a week for the next few months?

When Starr had ringworm and the vet suggested that I bathe the others, I just put the special shampoo and water mixture in a squirt bottle and I put them in my shower and sprayed them down. I then lathered them up and I got a bowl of water with a cup and I gradually rinsed them off with this. Luckily I only had to do this once. Since he's so grumpy, I'd also suggest that you put on a suit of armor before you start. Good luck.

[Medusa]

Be sure to put a towel in the sink so that he doesn't slip around and possibly hurt himself while you're bathing him and have several towels ready to gently place him on when you take him out of the sink. Dry him as much as possible and since he's so grumpy, don't use a hair dryer on him; just be sure to get him as dry as possible w/the towels. (Hair dryers aren't a good idea anyhow. We're used to the heat and noise; cats aren't and it's easy to burn their skin w/o even realizing it.) Make the bath as brief as possible unless the medicated shampoo needs to stay on for a prescribed amount of minutes. When lowering him into the water, let him feel it first w/a paw so he knows what to expect as to temp., etc. And always have one hand on him while bathing him so that he feels secure. Hope this helps.

[Anikaca77]

Be sure to put a towel in the sink so that he doesn't slip around and possibly hurt himself while you're bathing him and have several towels ready to gently place him on when you take him out of the sink. Dry him as much as possible and since he's so grumpy, don't use a hair dryer on him; just be sure to get him as dry as possible w/the towels. (Hair dryers aren't a good idea anyhow. We're used to the heat and noise; cats aren't and it's easy to burn their skin w/o even realizing it.) Make the bath as brief as possible unless the medicated shampoo needs to stay on for a prescribed amount of minutes. When lowering him into the water, let him feel it first w/a paw so he knows what to expect as to temp., etc. And always have one hand on him while bathing him so that he feels secure. Hope this helps.

Very good advice esp. with putting a towel in the sink, I never thought about that I would always just put them in and your are right though that would help them for not hurting themselves.

Melissa

[Randi]

Answer: DON'T !

Well, I tend to agree with Phred!

If you really HAVE to wash Cassy, clip his nails first! A bath mat like Freedom suggested sounds like a good idea, and also this: " Hold cat by scruff of neck, lift forward and up slightly, as this "supposedly" immobilizes them." Other than that, I'm afraid I don't have much advice.

Good luck! Let us know about your bruises!

[AmberLee]

Thank you all for the suggestions. (Phred's suggestion is still my favorite. )

Between noon and midnight Tuesday Cassy developed a bald spot between his ears, about a fingerprint size. The vet tested for ... I'm calling it demonic mange due to Cassy's reaction to the test, but that's only approximate as you know. That's not it, so they are testing for ringworm due to the dog next door having it. Apparently the test can take up to 3 weeks to PROVE ringworm in cats, and the vet doesn't want us to lose 2 to 3 weeks of treatment time... so I get to wash my grumpy old man.

I'll keep you updated, but I may not be able to log in regularly. My brand-new laptop quit working last night. Grrrr. I'm on a borrowed computer today, but the loaner isn't really open to my using it often. Now I get to get my new computer fixed.

[AmberLee]

Oh, yeah. The shampoo is to stay on 15 minutes each time. I've been dragging my feet about starting this. Sheesh.

[Freedom]

When I got Crystal as a kitten, she had ringworm and we had to do those baths.

Once the shampoo was on, we would wrap her in a towel and carry her around. I we put her down, I feared we couldn't catch her again! As I did the bathing, Dad did most of the holding / walking around. He had me put on soft music and he'd sing and dance with her (not too many spins, now!) To this day ( 5 years later) she LOVES my Dad! She flirts shamelessly with him, lol.

[moosmom]

Wear gloves!!!! Just kidding.

When I used to bathe my cats (RB MooShoo and Maya Linn) for cat shows, now don't laugh, I'd get into the tub with them (yes, naked) and face them a way from me so I have control. Wet 'em down, lather 'em up and dry 'em off. Sounds easier said than done. But I've done it so many times, I can do it in my sleep.

[Barbara]

I only had to bathe Tigris one time when he broke a bottle of nail polish remover and spilled it over his fur. He howled like a wolf and both of us WERE wearing gloves. Plus he was young then.
I am with Phred regarding the bathing.

[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.