Anyone successful at giving kitty a bath?

I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no fuss and
lets them do it.
When I try it, it is holy hell! I sure would like to find out the secret,
but the vet's
people won't tell me. It might have to do with the temperture of the water.

jhill wrote:
I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no fuss and
lets them do it.

Why oh why would you want to bathe your cat?

--
Victor M. Martinez
Owned and operated by the Fantastic Seven (TM)
Send your spam he
Email me he

jhill wrote:
I take mine to the vet for a bath:

That's weird. The only time when you have to wash the cat
is when she's soiled herself, or she stinks for some reason.
And you have to was her ASAP, no waiting for the vet. It is
not rocket science, use warm water, a little bit at a time, no
dipping or showering the cat.

"jhill" wrote in message
...
I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no fuss and
lets them do it.
When I try it, it is holy hell! I sure would like to find out the secret,
but the vet's
people won't tell me. It might have to do with the temperture of the
water.



I have no problems giving my 2 kitties their baths. But the secret to
giving a kitty a bath is to start when they are kittens. I've been giving
my cats baths ever since they were itty-bitty things. They love water, and
have been known to get into the shower with me when I wasn't looking. They
often hang out in the bathtub just waiting for me to shower.

Brigitte

jhill wrote:
I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no
fuss and lets them do it.
When I try it, it is holy hell! I sure would like to find out the
secret, but the vet's
people won't tell me. It might have to do with the temperture of the
water.

Here is a post from 1998 which amused me so I saved it.

Subject: Cat Bathing
Date: Fri, 12 Jun 1998 15:42:46 -0400
From: "JerryD(upstateNY)"
Organization: The World's Usenet -- http://www.Supernews.com
Newsgroups: alt.fifty-plus.friends

Some people say cats never have to be bathed. They say cats lick themselves
clean. They say cats have a special enzyme of some sort in their saliva that
works like new, improved Wisk - dislodging the dirt where it hides and
whisking it away.

I've spent most of my life believing this folklore. Like most blind
believers, I've been able to discount all the facts to the contrary, the
kitty odors that lurk in the corners of the garage and dirt smudges that
cling to the throw rug by the fireplace.

The time comes, however, when a man must face reality: when he must look
squarely in the face of massive public sentiment to the contrary and
announce: "This cat smells like a port-a-potty on a hot day in Juarez."

When that day arrives at your house, as it has in mine, I have some advice
you might consider as you place your feline friend under your arm and head
for the bathtub:

**Know that although the cat has the advantage of quickness and lack of
concern for human life, you have the advantage of strength. Capitalize on
that advantage by selecting the battlefield. Don't try to bathe him in an
open area where he can force you to chase him. Pick a very small bathroom.
If your bathroom is more than four feet square, I recommend that you get in
the tub with the cat and close the sliding-glass doors as if you were about
to take a shower. (A simple shower curtain will not do. A berserk cat can
shred a three-ply rubber shower curtain quicker than a politician can shift
positions.)

**Know that a cat has claws and will not hesitate to remove all the skin
from your body. Your advantage here is that you are smart and know how to
dress to protect yourself. I recommend canvas overalls tucked into high-top
construction boots, a pair of steel-mesh gloves, an army helmet, a hockey
face mask, and a long-sleeved flak jacket.

**Prepare everything in advance. There is no time to go out for a towel when
you have a cat digging a hole in your flak jacket. Draw the water.
Make sure the bottle of kitty shampoo is inside the glass enclosure. Make
sure the towel can be reached, even if you are lying on your back in the
water.

**Use the element of surprise. Pick up your cat nonchalantly, as if to
simply carry him to his supper dish. (Cats will not usually notice your
strange attire. They have little or no interest in fashion as a rule. If he
does notice your garb, calmly explain that you are taking part in a product
testing experiment for J.C. Penney.)

Once you are inside the bathroom, speed is essential to survival. In a
single liquid motion, shut the bathroom door, step into the tub enclosure,
slide the glass door shut, dip the cat in the water and squirt him with
shampoo. You have begun one of the wildest 45 seconds of your life.

**Cats have no handles. Add the fact that he now has soapy fur, and the
problem is radically compounded. Do not expect to hold on to him for more
than two or three seconds at a time. When you have him, however, you must
remember to give him another squirt of shampoo and rub like crazy. He'll
then spring free and fall back into the water, thereby rinsing himself off.
(The national record for cats is three latherings, so don't expect too
much.)

Next, the cat must be dried. Novice cat bathers always assume this part will
be the most difficult, for humans generally are worn out at this point and
the cat is just getting really determined. In fact, the drying is
simple compared to what you have just been through. That's because by now
the cat is semipermanently affixed to your right leg. You simply pop the
drain plug with you foot, reach for your towel and wait. (Occasionally,
however, the cat will end up clinging to the top of your army helmet. If
this happens, the best thing you can do is to shake him loose and to
encourage him toward your leg.) After all the water is drained from the tub,
it is a simple matter to just reach down and dry the cat.

In a few days the cat will relax enough to be removed from your leg. He will
usually have nothing to say for about three weeks and will spend a lot of
time sitting with his back to you. He might even become psychoceramic and
develop the fixed stare of a plaster figurine.

You will be tempted to assume he is angry. This isn't usually the case. As a
rule he is simply plotting ways to get through your defenses and injure you
for life the next time you decide to give him a bath.

But at least now he smells a lot better.

--
JerryD(upstateNY)

--
Adrian (Owned by Snoopy and Bagheera)
A House is not a home, without a cat.
http://community.webshots.com/user/clowderuk

Otis is 16, he's never had a bath apart from the time he fell in while
sitting on the side catching bubbles, and he's never done that again.
He doesn't stink either!

wrote in message
oups.com...
Otis is 16, he's never had a bath apart from the time he fell in while
sitting on the side catching bubbles, and he's never done that again.
He doesn't stink either!

I'm with you Marcia. I've never bathed my cats, they haven't needed it.
And they don't stink. Their fur smells nice.

Tweed

jhill wrote:
I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no fuss and
lets them do it.

I have never bathed Nocturne.

Kumani and Tyche have not been bathed since they stopped covering
themselves in food while eating (this would've been around 6 weeks of
age.)

And Smokey gets baths when he poops his carrier, which has happened
maybe 3 times, but fortunately Smokey doesn't give a damn as long as
all his paws are on the bottom of the tub.

--Fil

I used to bathe my cats regularly due to my allergies. I am allergic to my
furbabies I can not rub my face into their fur or give them kisses. So I
bath them about once a month. This way my allergies won't kill me and I can
pet and hold them. They do not like it but as long as I am quick, gentle yet
hold them firmly they deal with it. I have one that does smell, like a port
a potty, it's because he dos not give his hind end the attention it needs.
It's not like you can see anything just smell it. It's not a from across the
room smell or anything, just when he parks his butt in your face. The vet
says some cats are just like that and that all I can do is live with it
because there is nothing to remove.

Gina

"jhill" wrote in message
...
I take mine to the vet for a bath: they say he sits there with no fuss and
lets them do it.
When I try it, it is holy hell! I sure would like to find out the secret,
but the vet's
people won't tell me. It might have to do with the temperture of the
water.

Christina Websell @
wrote in message
oups.com...

Otis is 16, he's never had a bath apart from the time he fell in
while sitting on the side catching bubbles, and he's never done that
again. He doesn't stink either!

I'm with you Marcia. I've never bathed my cats, they haven't needed
it. And they don't stink. Their fur smells nice.

When I lived in Virginia, the fleas were terrible! Although the only time
any of my cats get outside is on a leash or when they sneak out, the fleas
came IN.
All three of our cats got flea-baths biweekly.
And a very noisy experience it was, too...
--
Cliologist, Philanthropologist, Prothonotary Wibbler,
Paleoconservative, Surface Warrior Squid; Early birds get worms, but
the second mouse gets the cheese