Bathing A Cat

Discussion in 'Pets & Critters' started by Ken Anderson, Dec 28, 2022.

  1. Ken Anderson

    Ken Anderson Senior Staff
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    Healthy cats shouldn't have to be bathed because they are usually pretty fastidious when it comes to self-grooming. However, when a cat is unhealthy, it might let things go so long that it can no longer be cleaned sufficiently through tongue and paws.

    I have not had this problem since I've been feeding my cats premium foods, at least not until the last year or months of their lives.

    However, before I learned about the benefits of feeding cats healthy food, I would buy stuff from the grocery store or feel that I was pampering them if I bought Iams, Eukanuba, or Science Diet. Then, there were times when their fur would get kind of nasty, to the point where it was time for a bath.

    Also, before I began feeding them premium foods, there were times when I felt it was necessary to give them a flea bath, the equivalent of bathing them in poisons. With premium foods, flea problems went away, as well.

    There are non-water, foam-type shampoos for cats that are a lot easier to accomplish than bathing a cat, but these are not nearly as effective, either.

    When I felt that I had to bathe a cat for the first time, it was hard to tell what would happen. I had a Siamese cat named Jude many years ago who would step into a bathtub full of water. He would also sit outside during a rainstorm sometimes, so he lacked the characteristic dislike of water that most cats have. I understand that the Bengals are like that, too.

    That was not the case with Cutie. She was normally the most trusting, docile cat. Except with other cats, she had a very gentle manner. However, that all changed when she was placed in a tub of water. She would go absolutely nuts, and I'd end up bleeding from both arms, and sometimes from my face if I didn't get it out of the way in time.

    On the other hand, Bird, a feral cat that I had fed outdoors for a few years before taking her in, would stand there and let me bathe her. She didn't like it, and she made that clear, but she'd put up with it. I first learned that even before I took her in. As an outside feral cat, she caught ringworm. Since she was letting me pet her at that time, but not pick her up, I got some stuff from the vet that is mixed with water, the idea being to bathe the cat with it.

    I didn't think that I'd have a chance of being able to bathe her with it, but I hoped that I could get enough of that stuff on her to get rid of the ringworm. Surprisingly, she stood there and let me bathe her as if she understood that this was something she needed. Indeed, the ringworm went away.

    Otherwise, Baby Girl, Cutie, and Lydia were horrible subjects for bathing. They acted as if I was trying to kill them. I found Obadiah, Bird's offspring, sitting outdoors on a picnic table during a thunderstorm once, perfectly happy to be there. I don't know what happened but later in life, thunder panicked her. I never had to try to bathe her though because she came along after I had started feeding premium foods to my cats.
     
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    Last edited: Dec 28, 2022
  2. Shirley Martin

    Shirley Martin Supreme Member
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    [​IMG]

    I still have scars from the (only) time I tried to bathe my cat.
     
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    Last edited: Dec 28, 2022
  3. Alan Sidlo

    Alan Sidlo Very Well-Known Member
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    the most difficult aspect of bathing our cats is having to cough up all that fur...
     
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  4. Thomas Windom

    Thomas Windom Very Well-Known Member
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    We only have bathed any of our kitties a couple times and that was when one had spinal surgery. He had a painful (but ultimately very successful) recovery. Initially, he had a lot of trouble and urinated on himself. He understood what we were doing though because he cooperated fully. He let us rinse him thoroughly and in fact, walked back under the water himself again. He was purring towards the end of it. Once we got him cleaned up, he took renewed interest in grooming himself. I think he must have thought it overwhelming at first.

    This was one of the funniest anecdotes I have heard regarding a cat and a bath.

    https://abcnews.go.com/International/story?id=80716&page=1
     
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  5. Mary Robi

    Mary Robi Veteran Member
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    I haven't had a cat for many, many years but the best method for bathing that cat was to get him by the scruff of his neck and put him over the kitchen sink divider, front legs in one sink, back legs in the other. He could scrabble to his heart's content, but he couldn't get a grip and couldn't claw me.

    No problem with my daughter's cat, as nobody was allowed to take a shower without him in the shower with you (yes, he was an odd cat), so he got clean at least once a day.
     
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  6. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    You know, I resisted the low-hanging fruit.

    Now I'm mad at myself.
     
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  7. John Brunner

    John Brunner Senior Staff
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    From the article: "It is not known why Daigle was giving his parrot a shower." You don't see that everyday.
     
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  8. Marie Mallery

    Marie Mallery Veteran Member
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    People who want to stay healthy shouldn't bath them either.:D J.K.
     
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  9. Joanna Newton

    Joanna Newton Very Well-Known Member
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    When Kitty was still with me (I posted her picture in another thread), she was fascinated with water. Turn on any faucet and she'd come running. When water was running from a sink or tub faucet she'd try to catch it and play with it. I've heard it's a feature common in her breed.
    But I never actually put her in the sink or tub to try to bathe her. Like other cats I had in the past, she was very clean.
     
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