My cat is an outdoor cat. She gets dirty. What the harm in bathing her?

Answer 1

There is no harm in bathing her, but generally cats groom themselves, and don't particularly care for being immersed in water anyway.

Answer 2

I am assuming by an outdoor cat, you mean she doesn't come in the house. If that is so, why would you want to go to all the fuss of trying to bath a cat that will probably be dirty again in no time at all? If it bothers you, brushing the dirt out would likely be more enjoyable for the both of you.

There is no harm in bathing her as long as you use a cat shampoo, and follow the directions carefully. Make sure she is dry before letting her go (out).

Answer 3

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 a cat 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 semi-permanently 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 psycho-ceramic 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 injure you for life the next time you decide to give him a bath.

But at least he smells better.

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So know you know what the harm is : )

Answer 4

Most likely you will need to get a tranquilizer from the vet for your cat before you can bathe them. After they swallow the tranquilizer you have to wait 30 minutes or so until the cat is very woozy.

You can try to wash the cat without it but it can be very dangerous for you. I've literally had a cat hanging from my arm by its claws as it fought to get out of the water.

A cat has to trust you completely before you have any chance of giving it a bath.

I never bathe a cat unless it has been sprayed by a skunk, or unless it has a problem, or something that they can't remove through normal grooming.

Even a cat that will tolerate bathing might suddenly claw you horribly at any given moment. They only tolerate bathing for a very short time, if at all.

Answer 5

Last week I attempted to bathe my indoor cat after she got dirty. She is 8 yrs old and has never needed me to bathe her.
It upset her so much that she had a seizure and almost died.
I dont care how dirty she ever gets I will NEVER put her through a kitty soap & water bath again.
I'm not sure about those bath wipes or dry bath products that are on the market...all I know is the water bath is out!

Good luck to you.

Answer 6

I prepare warm water in the hand basin, a bit warmer than you would allow for yourself as cats normal temp is a couple of degrees higher than ours so it might feel cold, and add some mild soap-free kitten or cat wash...fido's make a good one with emu oil that keep's their coat in great shape n shiny too. I use a face washer and don't wet the cat compltely, just the paws and focus on cleaning the face and bottom after I squeeze it out well. Don't forget to rinse the cloth with water and wipe the face again as it can irritate their eyes no matter how mild it is. No need to wet the cat completely, they get really cold. Dry them as much as possible with a dry towel.
Best to start this when they are young.
Goodluck!

Answer 7

I would say that the harm wouldn't be in you giving your cat a bath--the cat will hate it but she'll survive. The harm is what might happen to you. I gave my lovely cat a bath because she was an indoor cat and had gotten out and gotten fleas really bad. I thought that since I was so good with animals that surely I could give her a little flea bath--WRONG! She totally freaked out and I had scratches all over my arms and face and when she finally bit through my thumb, all the way through my thumbnail, I decided that I couldn't do it. She beat me! I ended up taking her little behind to the vet who not only bathed her but also gave her a nice flea dip--he did sedate her a little so she wouldn't totally wig out-- and he kept her overnight while I had to set flea bombs off in my apartment because I had fleas everywhere. Just be really careful and if she fights you too much--cats hate to be in water--, don't stress her and yourself out too much. Take her to the vet.

Answer 8

Cats don't particularly like water, but other than that, there is no harm in giving your little girl a bath every now and then.
I would invest in some kitty shampoo that is formulated to keep down the occurrance of fleas and ticks. You don't want her to catch something like that and bring it into your house.
Cheers!

Answer 9

My cat does not go outdoors and grooms herself well, but once in a while I will wet a washcloth and clean her that way. It is much easier than putting them into a sink or tub, and I am sure it would be effective in getting off dirt.

Answer 10

There isn't any harm in bathing them but be sure to get special shampoo from the vet. I used Petkin CatWipes for my kitten because he likes to take a walk through his food after he finishes eating and they DEFINITELY get him clean and smelling nice.