Do you give your cats a bath?

Regina McKee · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 11:45 am Post subject: Do you give your cats a bath?

Yeah, we all know that cats spend endless times grooming themselves. so do ya hafta give 'em regular baths? coz i don't and they don't have fleas or ticks nor do they smell bad either. Smile

Melrose Clement · Posted: Wed Nov 14, 2007 12:02 pm Post subject:

hmm.. well since i have shorthairs i dont give em bath anymore, like you say they lick themselves so they are expert at grooming theirselves. but i guess if they are exceptionally untidy.. you can bathe them but be real careful. make sure when you rinse em all the soap is gone from their body because they might lick it and it can be dangerous..
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Libby Bowen · Posted: Thu Nov 15, 2007 11:55 am Post subject:

no not really sometimes i just wipe my cat's head with a damp towel..

Allen Friedman · Posted: Fri Nov 16, 2007 3:23 pm Post subject:

Uhhh... do you have to give 'em baths? Everytime I look at Mario my cat, he's busy lickin himself!

Cynthia Winstead · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 12:50 pm Post subject:

Mary Anne Doyle · Posted: Mon Nov 26, 2007 2:03 pm Post subject:

Hi! I have a long haired cat so I have to give him a bath sometimes. He's a dust magnet. heehee! Laughing

but he got used to baths ever since he was young so he doesn't hate it that much. Smile

Joseph Niska · Posted: Mon Mar 03, 2008 12:55 pm Post subject:

When I was a kid I tried to give our cat a bath. He didn't like it so we struggled. In the end, it was me who got all wet and soapy. Laughing

Maia Shearer · Posted: Mon Mar 10, 2008 2:42 pm Post subject:

Well, in my case, I don't really give my cats a bath every day, but I do make sure I give them a bath whenever I can.

I think we should never be complacent that they won't get ticks or fleas if we don't bathe them 'coz they can easily get ticks from everywhere. Cool

I guess the best thing to do is to make sure we prevent them from getting infected by these parasites - a simple way of doing it is to wash them with insecticidal shampoos for flea and tick control and prevention.

Corey Allen · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 12:57 pm Post subject:

cat baths = cat scratches. no thank you

Gina Cavendish · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 1:35 pm Post subject:

that's why i have a dog. Laughing

with dogs, you don't have to wonder whether or not you have to give them baths. Smile

but i guess cat owners should still give their kitties a bath every once and a while to ward off fleas and ticks.

Regina McKee · Posted: Tue Mar 11, 2008 2:39 pm Post subject:

yeah, it's quite hard giving cats a bath without getting scratched. i guess bathing them once in a while will do. just to make sure they don't get infected with ticks and all - ticks are ewww! Cool

Kenny Bates · Posted: Fri Mar 14, 2008 3:38 pm Post subject: fleas

it's a good thing to give your cats the bathin habit to rid them of fleas as well..bear the scratch, fleas crawlin is more unbearable.

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Mon Mar 17, 2008 3:08 pm Post subject:

I tried; believe me.

Sofia Blackbern · Posted: Tue Mar 18, 2008 1:03 pm Post subject:

i hate fleas! i bathe my cats every now and then to keep them clean (i don't like them getting dirty, really) and to prevent them from having these parasites as well.

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 12:33 pm Post subject:

Sofia, please tell me how you manage to give your cat a bath without all hell breaking loose? Shocked

Sofia Blackbern · Posted: Tue Mar 25, 2008 3:10 pm Post subject:

well harvey, i know cats are quite hard to manage when they take baths but i guess i'm lucky, i found a solution for that here on pet shed. i use "no-scratch spray" around my cat's bathing area to discourage her from making destructive behaviors. it doesn't scratch me anymore. i'm seeing positive results in my pet...maybe you can also try it, tell me if it works ok? Wink

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Thu Mar 27, 2008 10:07 am Post subject:

Really? Thanks a bunch, Sofia. I'll be sure to try that one of these days when I (and my precious cat) have the time. Wink

Cynthia Winstead · Posted: Sat Mar 29, 2008 4:29 pm Post subject:

whew! it's been a long time since I have visited this site and I am seeing something new! what with the 'NO-SCRATCH SPRAY'??? I'd love to try that...Sofia, can you tell me how long you've been using that?

Sofia Blackbern · Posted: Mon Mar 31, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject:

glad too, cynthia. i've been using the "no-scratch spray" for several months now. i find it very practical 'coz i need not apply it every time. one application can last for about a week! Wink

Regina McKee · Posted: Tue Apr 01, 2008 1:08 pm Post subject:

sounds good, sofia. Wink

i think i can possibly use that no-scratch spray for my cats when I get to bathe them.

Harry Sorum · Posted: Fri Apr 04, 2008 3:24 pm Post subject:

hmm, no-scratch spray, that's good news for cat lovers out there.

Maia Shearer · Posted: Tue Apr 15, 2008 10:23 am Post subject:

great tip sofia. i want that product for my cat Brandy! Very Happy

General Nuisance · Newbie Joined: 17 Apr 2008 Posts: 1

I got a Bengal from a breeder that didn't tell me the cat had ringworm. Nice, thanks.

The cat's gorgeous and I treated the ringworm, and my house, but I had to do lime sulfur dips on him a total of four times as part of the process. It's pretty much the same as bathing the cat. And I managed it without getting scratched except for the first time.

The cat isn't going to be very impressed if you try to put it in a tub full of water. You want to get a shallow basin, like a dishpan, big enough for the cat to stand in.

Get a bucket to mix the shampoo in, and enough water to soak the cat, usually about half a bucketful. Use warm water, like you'd use for yourself. Would you like a scalding hot, or freezing cold bath? Neither does your cat.

Have all your supplies right there before you start. You can't let go of the cat once you begin.

You'll need a second bucket of clean water and a cup, or a showerhead on a hose to rinse the cat. You'll also need a couple of dry towels. Also a large sponge.

Scruff the cat. I mean, grab it by the scruff of the neck, hard. It's going to fight and you'd better have a good grip. Stand the cat in the shallow basin. Starting at the head, but avoiding the eyes and ears, sponge shampoo onto the cat and work it well into the fur. Keep holding on to the cat for dear life.

Once you've soaked the fur and shampooed it thoroughly, rinse the cat, never letting go of the scruff. You might be able to shift your grip, but if you let go at all, the bath is over and the cat isn't going to talk to you for a few days.

Once you've rinsed the cat, wrap it in a towel and dry it off. If you are able, leave it in the bathroom with a dry towel to lay on and a heat lamp to dry off. Or if it's a warm day, you can let the cat out once it's dry enough not to soak the furniture.

It's not easy, but it's possible. I never bathe a cat, however, unless it has a medical reason or gets into something nasty. They are quite capable of doing it themselves.

Terrence Watson · Posted: Wed Apr 23, 2008 10:12 am Post subject:

the fella's right. you don't have to bathe the cat, they clean themselves really well. not unless she gets too messy that you have to do it yourself.

Susie Lefler · Posted: Thu Apr 24, 2008 9:52 am Post subject:

that's quite a long post but very helpful! i was unsure how often i should bathe my cats, but what this guy said makes sense: cats really are capable of cleaning themselves. so now i try to bathe my cats only when i think they've become really, really unclean. save us both some trouble. hahaha!

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Tue May 06, 2008 3:48 pm Post subject:

Thank you General Nuisance for justifying my aversion towards cat baths! Laughing

Terrence Watson · Posted: Wed May 07, 2008 3:29 pm Post subject:

i tried General Nuisance's tip but i tell you guys, it's not that easy. i had scratches all over my arms Laughing

Sofia Blackbern · Posted: Tue May 13, 2008 11:03 am Post subject:

thanks for the step-by-step tips you offered general nuisance. although i have developed my own style of bathing my cats, i can definitely use your new ideas. i might try it!

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Wed May 14, 2008 11:02 am Post subject:

Sofia, please share with us your cat-bathing style! We can use all the help we can get when it comes to cat baths. Laughing

Isabella Valencia · Posted: Mon May 19, 2008 7:39 am Post subject:

i dunno you guys but i think not all cats are scared of baths. king ajax, my cat, doesn't give me hell when i try to bathe him. maybe because i bathe him even when he was still a kitten so he probably got used to it.

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Thu Jun 05, 2008 2:20 pm Post subject:

You're a VERY lucky girl, Isabella! Wink

Maia Shearer · Posted: Fri Jun 06, 2008 10:39 am Post subject:

Harvey Simmons · Posted: Fri Jun 13, 2008 3:44 pm Post subject:

Well, that IS bad luck for me, Maia. I think it is too late to train my cat now. Crying or Very sad

Libby Bowen · Posted: Wed Jun 18, 2008 9:06 am Post subject: