Have you ever given your cat a bath?

[halliecat]

Has anyone else attempted this (and lived to tell about it)?

About a month ago, I took Halle to the vet because she was missing patches of fur and had sores on her side. The vet said it was from allergies and she had scratched herself. He gave her a shot of cortisone and all was well for a while. Recently she has started some of that scratching again. I decided to give her a bath to see if that will help.

I first filled up the sink with warm water.....then went to capture Miss Hallie. I managed to get her wet , wash her with the kittly soap AND rinse her off. Hopefully, the neighbors weren't listening since there was a lot of poor kitty yowling!

Anyway, we made through the ordeal with no injuries although both of us were wet!

Is there a proper way to give a cat a bath?

(It would have been funny to see on film but had my hands full!)

[catnapper]

I gave Pouncer a bath about a month ago and I too survived. Its amazing how they can be everywhere at once.

Nicki has allergies too. We can't change her food or she'll get the sores from food allergies and I give her Benadryl everyday in the summer (vet told me to give her one since she so big, and it would reall help her) Did the vet say that you can do anything at home? Can he give you a tube of the cortizone to apply at home?

[Sirrahsim]

I give Boomer baths regularly because a)my husband is allergic to him, and b) sometimes Boomer is less than faithful about keeping his rear end clean.
I usually fill up the bath tub about 5 inches or so (about halfway up his tummy) with nice warm water. I close Boomer and I in the bathroom and slowly lower him into the water. Generally I just let him sit there for a moment until he relaxes and then i use a cup or the sprayer to wet everything but his face. I rub in the kitty shampoo and then rinse him with the sprayer and give him a little massage if he's being a good boy. once he's all rinsed off I set him on a towel that I had layed out on the floor and then wrap him up in a burrito with another towel. I dry him off as best as I can and then let him free. As soon as I let him go he usually stalks off to find a place to lick lick lick until he's dry again occasionally i'll use just a dab of Herbal Essences conditioner because it makes him feel soooo soft and smell sooo good. I don't know if there is a proper way to do it, but this is how I do it!

[Tubby & Peanut's Mom]

Originally posted by halliecat
Hopefully, the neighbors weren't listening since there was a lot of poor kitty yowling!

You mean where it sounds like you're absolutely torturing the poor thing?

After 17 1/2 years, Tubby recently got his first bath ever! I was always afraid to even attempt it, but it actually went quite well. Unlike Sirrahsim, I don't put any water in the tub because Tubby seems to not even notice he's wet....until his feet get wet, and then he wants OUT! He had a spot on his back that the vet said was probably some sort of bacterial thing because he can't quite reach that spot very well anymore. So to help him out, I gave him a bath to see if I could get rid of the spot.

I get everything ready. Shower door open, kitty shampoo handy and open and a large plastic cup on hand. I get Tubby and close us both in the bathroom and put him in the bathtub. One of the advantages I have is we have the glass shower doors, so he can't get out except to go past me. Then I turn the water on slow so it doesn't make a lot of noise and fill the cup and dump it on him. I do that a couple of times and rub him to get the water to soak in, otherwise it just runs off. Once I get him sufficiently wet I lather, rinse and repeat. I get a few yowls out of him while this is going on, but usually the serious "She's killing me" yowls come when I try and wipe him off.

I really don't think there is a right or wrong way, it's just whatever works best for you and your kitty.

[slick]

I've never given Max the full bath treatment, only the occasional "butt bath" when he's had the runs. Personally I would not attempt it. Max goes to the groomers twice a year for the full spa treatment.

[moosmom]

Okay, you're probably going to think this is weird, but here goes anyway.

I've given some of my cats a bath. MooShoo, my hairless cat gets a bath at least 2-3 times a month because he has no fur for his oil to go into.

What I do when I've given my furred kids a bath (Moo's so used to it he just stands there and meows for all of 5 minutes) is I put a dish towel down so the cat won't skid around. I put about 3-6 inches of water in the tub. I then strip, hop in the tub with the cat facing away from me (gives me more control and saves me from getting scratched) and wet him down using a cup for the water. I figured I'm going to get wet ANYWAY so why not just hop in with them???

Works everytime. The only thing they WON'T stick around for is the blow dryer. I just try to rub them down with a towel to get most of the water off of them By that time, they're so pissed at me they run, hide and groom till they're dry.

[sirrahbed]

One of my older geriatrics got a rash from fleabites and I had to bathe him with a special shampoo. I followed some directions that worked beautifully. Essentially it was running a nice warm tub ahead of time. Then getting the cat and wrapping him firmly burrito style in a towel and lowering the whole burrito into the bath. The cat relaxes very nicely and you can shampoo him right through the towel! Then swish and loosen the towel enough to rinse and dry him with another towel. It worked amazingly well for my older cat.
Teehe.. then there is the fully illustrated Butt Bath Manual for smaller, smelly area jobs

[Felicia's Mom]

Beau used to get baths before a cat show. I found it easiest to take him in the shower with me. Making sure his claws were clipped of course!

[shais_mom]

I give Kylie baths occasionally b/c I think the static starts to get to her after while and she looks about twice as big as she really is. And she isn't small!!!
And I also have taken her to the groomer for a batha nd shave of the butt and belly area. She looks so cute like an inverse Mohawk!!!
And Donna I usually get almost Nekkid toio!!! And also when I give Keegan a bath. It is much easier that way. And invariable I have to take a shower afterwards anyway!!!

[DogLover9501]

Tigger has had ONE bath in his whole life(6 years) and that one time, my dad and I had to do it, my dad was wearing MITTENS and still got hurt--Tigger was NOT a happy cat!

[RICHARD]

Originally posted by shais_mom
And I also have taken her to the groomer for a batha nd shave of the butt and belly area. She looks so cute like an inverse Mohawk!!!

Eddie says,

Kylie!!!

[trayi52]

I gave Grover a bath one time. She was still just a baby and she didn't smell so good. I got injured, and she got angry. Whew what an ordeal!! Now I am scared to death to give her another one! She is bigger now, and her claws are longer. She has me trained very well....

[catland]

Ok, this may sound funny but I think the thing to do is to let them know you are in charge by holding them firmly. I usually try to talk in a soothing voice during the ordeal, but I keep a firm grip and let them know I mean business.

If they sense weakness or tentiveness or fear out of you - you are done for.

and of course, lots of love and attention after its all over.

[trayi52]

Well catland, I'm dead for sure!! Grover can sense all kinds of FEAR in me. I swear those claws just scare me to death! and I'm afraid she will hate me......

[catland]

tray - if Slick can bathe Mario, you can't be scared of a little kitty.