whats the easiest way to give a cat a bath without the cat attacking you?

Question

the last time i tried to give my cat a bath it cut all my arm, and it cut the inside of my mouth.

Answer 1

why are you bathing your cat? unless they have rolled around in muck, are unable to clean themselves, or been sprayed by something, there is absolutely no reason for you to do such a thing.

Answer 2

Unless your cat is an outdoor cat, or has fleas you realy dont need to be giving it a bath. They are excellent self cleaners. THe oldest cat i have is 8 years, and he's never had a bath, hes all white and has never been dirty. BUT since you obviously give your cat a bath, but on a long sweatshirt and some good gloves (which WILL scare the cat) If you have a sink with one of those sprayers, do it there. It'll go easier and faster. Dont get their faces wet or water in the ears. Another way to bathe the cat is to just get a soaking wet towel and rub it all over him. (thats a without shampoo method) Really though, your cat doesnt need a bath unless its got flea's or into something like paint or mud.

Answer 3

I can't believe there's so many morons giving cruel answers! What a sick world. Anyway, firstly you shouldn't need to bath your cat because they groom themselves. If for some reason he's become muddy then I would get a damp towel and give him a quick rub down. That's much more humane because cat's hate water and you will be putting it through a lot of unnecessary stress. Also I've seen in most supermarkets special cloths to do the same job as a towel in the pet section. Don't put it in the bath the poor thing. (P.S. Shame we can't put animal haters in a bag with bricks and throw them in a river. Oh the joy!).

Answer 4

Cats don't, as a rule, tend to appreciate baths. My tabby would sooner scrape the flesh off you. Here's what I do. Dish gloves to start. Make sure the water is room temperature. Cat skin is very sensitive. Grasp the cat by the nape of its neck, where the momma cat would grab and pick it up. Basically it lets the cat know you're boss. And gently, bathe the cat with mild soap and rinse. Talk to the cat while bathing it. Let it know it's going to be all right. When done, wrap the cat up rather tightly in a towel to keep it warm and to dry it off.

Answer 5

Hi Sammy...all cats don't like being bathed/showered--a statistical fact that any vet can confirm. The clawing you have endured her way of saying she's feeling stresed about bathing. Unlike dogs, cats are exceptional at grooming themselves so there's no need to bathe them and it will be one less thing for you to do as well. :-) BUT...if you want to help use unscented baby wipes. All cats spend a large percentage of their days grooming themselves and they are experts at it. They use their barbed tongues and lick dirt and debris off their fur in order to keep it clean and odour free. Cats with long hair may require the occasional bath if their fur gets too oily, but with regular brushing that may eliminate bathing. There are also occasional times when your cat's fur may get excessively dirty due to some mishap that the cat has gotten itself into. In some of these cases it may be necessary to give your cat a bath, but generally it isn't required and sometimes babywipes will be all that is needed if that's the case. :-)

I've included a website link below which shows how to bathe a long-haired breed cat.

Answer 6

Get some rubber gloves and a dogs lead. Hold the cat in the bath by the lead whilst wearing the gloves. At first the cat will struggle but if you hold the lead tight enough, they will give in. Just make sure u have the gloves on ready as my cat Mr Stinky ripped the gloves to pieces by the end of the bath!

Answer 7

First , do not bath it while the water is running , fill the sink then shut the tap off , then just slowly dip the cat in. I do carry my cat in a certain position i have my hand holding her chest and my two fingers above her arms in which she cant really move her arms to scratch and i have a good grip over the cat. Make sure the water is not cold.

Answer 8

A SERIOUS ANSWER... fill the tub dunk the cat until wet, lather, dunk to rinse and quickly wrap cat like a burrito in a towel. the sound of water is what scares them the most, with water already in the tub they can not get good leverage to fight. cats do bathe themselves but if they have something on their fur that they should not ingest I have had to give a bath or if it was a new cat and they had fleas I gave a bath before treating the fleas with frontline plus.

Answer 9

oh my god, the sounds aweful.
i don't fill up the tub, insead i keep the water on a warm temp and don't run it so it makes too much noise. i talk to my cat alot while i'm washing him to try to comfort him-tell him he's a good boy. i soap him up first and then bring him near the running water and cup it into my hand and onto him. if he starts to reach for the edge of the tub i softly say no and slide him around alittle bit more so he is facing the wall. after that whole "ordeal" is done i give him a treat ....and remember a cat should only have a bath about twice a year. good luck!

Answer 10

option 1) put the cat in a pet carrier. Set a garden hose up with one of those on-hose feeders, except use a mild detergent. using gentle water pressure, wash your pet. Remove the detergent from the hose, and use just water to rinse your pet. let your pet calm down and then collect it into a towel.

option 2) if your pet is high strung, you may need to ask your vet for something sedating or get the cat bathed professionally. I also recommend clipping the hair if it is long, if the cat doesn't wash itself (as most do)

Answer 11

This is totally serious, and not meant to be rude or mean. You can get a pill that is like Valium for humans that will relax your cat enough to give him/her a bath. Personally though, I take my cats to the groomers and let them handle it. Cats can get dandruff from food and dry skin, and bathing them in conditioning soap is a huge help.