How to bathe a cat?

McT said:
On the lighter side, I found these while doing some reading:

1. Thoroughly clean the toilet.
2. Add the required amount of shampoo to the toilet water, and have both lids lifted.
3. Obtain the cat and soothe him while you carry him towards the bathroom.
4. In one smooth movement, put the cat in the toilet and close both lids (you may need to stand on the lid so that he cannot escape). CAUTION: Do not get any part of your body too close to the edge, as his paws will be reaching out for any purchase they can find.
5. Flush the toilet three or four times. This provides a "power wash and rinse" which I have found to be quite effective.
6. Have someone open the door to the outside and ensure that there are no people between the toilet and the outside door.
7. Stand behind the toilet as far as you can, and quickly lift both lids.
8. The now-clean cat will rocket out of the toilet, and run outside where he will dry himself.
...
Some people have the misconception that cats never have to be bathed. That somehow they "lick" themselves clean. Well contrary to this popular belief, cats do NOT have some enzyme in their saliva that resembles Tide (with or without bleach).

Cats, like their nemesis, the dog .... do get dirty and have a variety of odors... from smelling like the outhouse where you camped last year to the same odor as your dog's breath. (Remember... your dog will try to eat anything.)

Now we all know that cats HATE water. And we know that giving the cat a sedative to ease this process of a bath is out of the question. So, the best approach is both sneaky and direct. Remember now, this is not the dumb dog who can be led to tub with lies and a trail of Kibbles and Bits.

Although your cat has the advantage of smarts, quickness and total lack of concern for you .... you have the advantage of size, strength, and the ability to wear protective garments.

1. First .... dress for the occasion. A 4-ply rubber wet suit is suggested, along with a helmet, face mask and welder's gloves.

2. A Bathtub with a glass enclosure is preferred to the one with a shower curtain. A frenzied cat can shred one of these in about 3.5 seconds.

3. Have the Kitty Bubbles and towel in the enclosed bathtub area beforehand. No ... blow drying the cat after the bath is not suggested.

4. Draw the water, making it a little warmer than needed as you still need to find the cat. Position everything strategically in the shower, so you can reach it even if you are face down or prone in the tub.

5. Find your cat. Use the element of surprise. Pick the cat up, nonchalantly as if you were simply carrying him/her to the supper dish. No need to worry about the cat noticing your strange attire... the cat barely notices you anyway.

6. Once you and the cat are inside the bathroom .... speed is essential. In one single liquid motion, shut the door to the bathroom, step into the shower, close the sliding doors, and drop the cat into the water. While the cat is still in a state of shock, locate the Kitty Bubbles and squirt whatever part of him is above the water line. You have just begun the wildest 45 seconds of your life.

Remember that cats have no handles and add the fact that he now has soapy fur. His state of shock has worn off and he's madder than a wet hornet.

7. As best, you can, wearing welder's gloves, try to field his body as he catapults through the air toward the ceiling. If possible, give another squirt of Kitty Bubbles with his body now fully exposed.

8. During the 5 seconds you are able to hold onto him, rub vigorously. No need to worry about rinsing. As he slides down the glass enclosure into the tub, he will fall back into the water, rinsing himself in the process.

9. Only attempt the lather and rinse process about 3 times. The cat will realize the lack of traction on the glass by then and will use the next attempt on the first available part of you.

10. Next, the cat must be dried. No...this is NOT the easiest part. By this stage, you are worn out and the cat has just become semi-permanently affixed to your right leg. We suggest here that you drain the tub and in full view of your cat, reach for the bottle of Kitty Bubbles.

11. If you have done step 10 correctly, the cat will be off your leg and hanging precariously from your helmet. Although this view of the cat is most disgusting, he will be in a much better position for wrapping the towel around him.

12. Be sure cat is firmly wrapped in towel before opening tub enclosure. Open bathroom door .... put towel wrapped cat on floor and step back quickly. Into tub, if possible, and do not open enclosure until all you can see is the shredded towel.

13. In about 2 hours .... it will be safe to exit the bathroom. Your cat will be sitting out there somewhere looking like a small hedgehog while plotting revenge.
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Priceless!
 
My wife washes this pos cat regularly, but she has been washing it since it was small so although it gets very grumpy and disappears for an hour or two it gets done. The dog stays pissed off for the rest of the day when he gets washed. Gives you this nasty looks.
 
I have a persian cat. I once bathed her because she had fleas. The worst experience of my life. She sat relatively still but the expensive cat shampoo dried out her skin to the point of it bleeding. I now refuse to wash her. Just brush as much as she allows me and let her do the washing with her tongue.
Edit: that was 12 years ago. She is now 14
 
My kitten soiled himself this morning. Runny tummy. Actually, he soiled me too :sick: and I had to clean him up. Just lukewarm running water in the basin. Tail, on his back a little and the nethers of his tail.

No soap.

Yep. He climbed me a few times, claws and all.
 
McT said:
My kitten soiled himself this morning. Runny tummy. Actually, he soiled me too :sick: and I had to clean him up. Just lukewarm running water in the basin. Tail, on his back a little and the nethers of his tail.

No soap.

Yep. He climbed me a few times, claws and all.
Click to expand...
Cat box/cage cat in box, on the lawn, car washing pressure hose. Hang cage on washline to dry with cat inside.
 
You can rely on Defy...

silo-MIN_359854_EAA_large
 
Surv0 said:
I had a cat that died from having a bath, heart attack shortly afterwards.. havent done it again since except when my two cats ended up covered in something foul when they were younger..
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At least it was a permanent solution.
 
Cats are physcopaths. Don't bath it. It will kill you when you are sleeping.
 
McT said:
It is a serious question. But I see from several links articles posted that it is not recommended.

Then you see a wikiHow and others, which give advice on the subject:

www.wikihow.com

How to Bathe a Cat

While cats can be meticulous groomers, there are times when they really need a bath. Sometimes they get into something very sticky or dirty. Other times, they have a medical condition that requires regular bathing with medicated shampoo....
www.wikihow.com www.wikihow.com
www.ovrs.com

The Death-Defying Art of Bathing a Cat

we offer 10 best practices for the death-defying art of bathing a cat...and living to tell about it! But, first, you may be asking...
www.ovrs.com www.ovrs.com

The kitten we have is a Ragdoll. He is a stunning cat. Loves to play. Rucks the broom stukkend as I clean the room (while our Siamese climbs the curtain to get out the room :oops:). But loving and placid too. Put a blanket on my lap and he is very happy to peacefully pass out.

But he is furry as heck.

So I was just wondering if it is a good idea or not?
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We have a ragdoll as well and she is awesome, we have bathed her since we got her every two / three weeks or so. She is pretty used to it now.

Growing us as a kid we had a cat we never once bathed. So its all new to me.

We put her in the bathroom sink, let he stand on the edge and fill the sink up so her paws are covered. Then its a quick wash and dry and we leave her in the spare room in the sun to dry off properly.
 
jezzad said:
We have a ragdoll as well and she is awesome, we have bathed her since we got her every two / three weeks or so. She is pretty used to it now.
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I tend to go with this. Provided it is not too often and whatever shampoo is used, is something not harmful to their skin. I love our little guy to bits. Like I mentioned above, he soiled himself and that required an impromptu mini bath. But otherwise, I think we will keep some sort of routine.
 
I used to just toss my sisters cat into the swimming pool when it was smelly. It couldn't swim though, so I had to go in and get it out.
 
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