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...