How much should it cost to get a cat bathed? Will it help allergy to cats?

Question

How much should it cost to get a cat bathed? Pet Co. quoted $42-52. That sounds a bit high. But, maybe that's because of cats' difficult temperaments.

Does anyone know how they do it & what methods they use? I'm hoping that they can make it less stressful for the cat than if I did it myself. Not to mention being safer for me. ;-)

Does anyone know if it helps with a person who has cat allergies? We just brought my dad's cat over to our house so we can take care of it while he is sick & unable to care for it. (It may be a few weeks or a few months.) My partner is allergic to cats. So, we're trying to figure out what we can do to help ease his allergies other than giving him a bunch of medicine & keeping the cat out of the bedroom.

When we go to visit his mom he usually acclimates to her cats by the end of our trip. (And doesn't need to keep taking allergy medicine every day.) I'm hoping that will happen here. But, in the meantime we'd like to minimize his reaction.

Answer 1

No bathing the cat wont noticeable lessen the allergic reation instead it may even make it worse, I am an allergy sufferer and I own 4 cats and I am acclimated to all of them, the best way to do that is just wait it out and take lots of antihistamines. Now to explain how bathing makes things worse, Allergies to cats are not cause by the fur itself but rather the SALIVA which is depositer on the fur during grooming and after drying is dispersed in the air in the form of dander. So if you bathe the cat it will cause her to clean her whole body again with her tongue and increase the amount of dander she will later shed. The best way to cut down on the allergy inducing dander is not bathing but regular brushing which collects saliva coated hair and dander and doesnt stimulate the cat to lick herself more.

Answer 2

hey let's go one by one:

bathing the cat won't help your partner allergies.
also you should not bath a cat unless he is really dirty and there really is no other why, you just don't bath cats.

as for your partner:
i would first advice your partner to go to a doctor to do some tests to make sure what it is she is allergic too, people who are allergic to cats are allergic to enzymes in the cats saliva which get on their fur and spreads when they shed.

once you will find out what it is she is allergic too there are several things to do:

1) comb the cat each day, do that even if the allergy is not for the cat most cats enjoy the stroking and you take off excessive fur.

2) vacuum your home if not every day then every other day.

3) some of my friends have all kinds of allergies two of them are/were allergic to cats, they both own around 3 cats each.
they take doctor prescriptions pills. and they also use alternative medicine. one goes regularly to an acupuncture person and has stopped drinking and eating cow milk products.
and i swear it all helps, one rarely has an allergy out burst and the other one is not allergic anymore, it's rare i understood when it comes to allergies but sometimes the body immune itself with the time and being around cats helped it.

Answer 3

I've bathed my cats since kittens. They arnt impressed when it's done but it can be done. As for helping with allergy's, it won't. What people are allergic to is the cats saliva!!! SO, when the cat licks itself it leaves saliva all over it's hair and thats the problem. Sorry :-( Washing the cat will only help for a little while. You can vacuum everyday and brush the cat every day, outside of course. This will help keep the amount of saliva covered hair to a minimum. Good luck!

Answer 4

Oh, man. I feel sorry for anyone who tries to bathe a cat! Cats have a good cleanliness, and bathing them won't help allergies. Brushing might

Answer 5

I bathe my own cats. I just take them into the tub. Shampoo them, rinse and have my husband or daughter dry them with a towel. Yes they hate it but they have been getting them since kittenhood.

However you can buy powder/dry shampoos. There is also a product called AllerPet that will help with the allergies.

Answer 6

I have two cats and never took them for a bath anyplace. they clean themselves. I never heard of cats having a bath. maybe I am mistaken. I love watching patches and brighteyes clean themselves everyday. they work so hard keeping themselves clean. I know that cats hate water except to drink it. people think that when you have a cat you are suppose to give them milk also. I give a little bit once in a while because milk is no good for cats if they have to much. I keep a fresh bowl of water and since it is summer I change it several times a day to make sure it is cold for them. they are my babies.